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SPORTS NEWS FOR
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2002
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Rebs Reach Quarterfinals - MHS Bounces Fairview In OT
Thriller |
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By Jim Steele
steele@mckenziebanner.com |
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Thanks to yet another clutch performance from the
McKenzie Rebel football team, the visiting Yellow Jackets
find themselves excused from further play in the TSSAA
Class 2A state football playoffs.
In a muddy quagmire, MHS rallied -AGAIN, much like it did
at Waverly in the opening round - from an 8-0
fourth-quarter deficit to knot the score and force
overtime for the second straight week. And, much like it
did at Waverly in Round 1, McKenzie won the game, this
time 15-14 over upstart Fairview of Region 5-2A. Fairview
had edged favored Huntingdon 16-15 in Round 1.
The Rebels are awarded yet another home game, this time
with 11-1 Lewis County, 22-0 vanquishers of Decatur
County-Riverside last Friday night. Kickoff is 7 p.m. this
Friday and Rebel Field gates will open at 5.
The fact that the Rebels won is a big story, but how they
won is an even bigger narrative. The Rebels tied the score
late in the fourth quarter and forced overtime. And a
child, actually a couple of 'em, would lead them.
Freshman quarterback Drew Hayes lofted a clutch
third-down, 22-yard TD pass to senior Matt Jones for the
game-tying score. Freshman kicker, with Hayes holding,
iced the cake, and the 'Jackets, with the PAT conversion.
The cake icing was, coincidentally and appropriately,
birthday cake icing. Jones celebrated 18 candles with the
TD reception.
"Our kids refuse to quit," said MHS coach Wade Comer.
"They'll fight a buzz saw...and they sort of did tonight."
More on the buzz saw part later.
The Rebs played with fire during their overtime
possession. On first down, McKenzie was whistled for
illegal motion, backing it up five yards. An incompletion
and a 7-yard sack later placed the Rebs in a precarious
quandary.
"I don't like getting in a third-and-22," Comer said. "But
we had two downs to get the yardage. Drew likes the ball
in his hands and he threw the ball exceptionally well."
Comer called a time out to talk about the play.
"I told him to look at the route down the middle of the
field, that it was open," said the coach. "Hayes grew up
tonight; he bought time, moved in the pocket, found a
receiver and Matt did a good job not giving up on the
route."
Hayes was 7-10 for 114 yards with a touchdown and an
interception. Jones had three catches for 60 yards.
"John Kermit and Drew don't mind the pressure, all those
freshmen do," said Comer. "John Kermit likes the pressure
and Drew wants the ball in his hands."
But Fairview did a great job pressing the issue. The
Yellow Jackets lost the coin toss at the end of regulation
and went on offense first in overtime. Mr. Football 2A
back finalist Aaron Cothran, who lifted the 'Jackets to
the 8-0 lead in the first quarter, had a hand in all four
OT plays. He ran three times, losing a yard on third down,
thanks to a thundering smash hit from junior linebacker
Brad Campbell. On fourth-and-goal from the 5, Fairview
dusted off the playbook and resorted to a halfback pass,
the halfback being Cothran. It appeared the play was
covered and Cothran was sacked, but he got the lob off
into the hands of receiver Victor Douglas.
Fairview led 14-8. The try for two failed, opening the
door for the Rebels in their series of overtime downs.
At first, though, it looked like that offensive buzz saw
might shred the Rebels to pieces. Fairview took its second
series and, thanks to a 47-yard sprint by Cothran, camped
out on the MHS goal line. Six plays and 63 yards later,
Cothran rambled in from the 4. He added the two-point
conversion and the Yellow Jackets led 8-0.
"They don't kick it, they go for two every time," Comer
said. "They put pressure on you right away. I told the
kids that if they scored, not to get their heads down."
As the second quarter started, the Rebels managed to
answer with a drive down to the Fairview 7, but stalled
there and went into the clubhouse trailing by 8.
In the third quarter, McKenzie sophomore Cody Cook started
to move the football with authority. Meanwhile, Hayes
began finding a rhythm. Cook blasted a 14-yard run while
Hayes completed three straight passes, a 14 yarder and a
17-yard pickup to Daniel Duncan and a 22-yard aerial to
Jones. But a fumble killed the drive at the Fairview 18.
Early in the fourth, McKenzie was forced to punt back to
Fairview, but the boot bounced off a Yellow Jacket
players' leg and the Rebs pounced on it at the opposing
28. Cook's six straight carries landed McKenzie at the
Fairview 10. Facing a fourth-and-9 from the 12, Hayes
found a wide-open Duncan at the 1. Cook surged into the
end zone from the 1 with 5:21 to play in regulation. He
added the two-pointer and the Rebs and Jackets were tied.
Fairview wasn't through. It mounted a drive to the Rebel
35 when senior Matt Merrick blew up Jacket quarterback
Dusty England with a sack. The loss was eight yards and
essentially ensured an overtime.
Cook finished with 151 yards on 48 carries, shattering his
own school mark for number of carries in a game. |
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Tigers Maintain Control of Second Round, Defeat Vikings
15-6 |
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By Pat Cole
pcole@mckenziebanner.com |
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For the second time in as many weeks, the Hollow
Rock-Bruceton Central Tigers met the Vikings, but this
time it was the 9-2 Vikings out of Fayette Academy in
Somerville. This team was a more formidable opponent than
the Vikings of week one and with drizzle falling
throughout the game on an already soggy field, both teams
had their problems from the opening kickoff until the
final buzzer sounded. However, despite the conditions, the
Tigers maintained control with a solid defensive effort
and won the game by a solid margin.
The Tigers took the opening kickoff with Josh Edwards
receiving the ball and returning it to the 24-yard line.
Patrick Willis took the ball right for just over a yard
while a pass to Michael Aldridge was incomplete on second
down. Willis then moved left to the 36-yard line for the
first down. Willis moved right for another first down at
the 48. Following a time-out, Willis moved the ball up the
middle for four while Terry Parker picked up two and
Aldridge gained a yard. Needing three yards for the first
down, the Tigers Parker punted the ball and Fayette
Academy took over at its own nine-yard line.
On first down, Edwards, Ryan Taylor and Willis held the
gain to four while Willis led the attack and held the gain
to two on the second down play. On third down, Matt
Forrest moved behind the line of scrimmage and sacked
quarterback Collin Bodiford for a loss of three and the
Tigers allowed the punt to roll dead at the Vikings
44-yard line.
With 4:53 remaining in the first period of action, Keith
McGee took the ball slightly left for a gain of five while
Willis picked up just over three and Aldridge moved right
for the first down at the Viking 32. An incomplete pass to
Josh Irwin was followed by Willis on a move left for a
loss of one. However, on third down, Willis found a hole,
moved to the left and rambled 34 yards to the end zone for
the first score of the night. With 2:03 remaining on the
first quarter clock, Hunter Stepp entered to kick the PAT
and the Tigers held a 7-0 advantage.
Pace Pannell received the kickoff and was hit by Willis at
the 31. Bodiford completed a pass good for two yards
before McGee made the tackle. On second down, Aldridge and
Willis held the gain to only two. A completed pass for
significant gain was negated on an illegal shift penalty
and with the first quarter clock at zero and an offensive
penalty, the Vikings again took to the air and picked up a
first down at their own 49-yard line. The second quarter
began with Josh Chapple, Robert "Doc" Treadway and Kevin
Hurt on the attack. A motion penalty was declined as the
Vikings had gained no yardage and then Willis held for a
loss of two. On third down, Bodiford attempted to move the
ball, but was stopped by Hurt, Taylor and Willis and the
Vikings again had to punt the ball.
Josh Castleman picked up the ball and returned it to the
Tiger 27-yard line. On first down, Willis moved left for
five and left again for two. On third down, Willis moved
for three yards. Then needing only a yard, the Tigers
attempted to fake the punt, but the ball was fumbled and
the Vikings recovered at the 7:32 mark of the second
period at the Tigers 36.
With good field position, the Vikings needed seven plays
to reach the end zone. Treadway held the advance to one on
first down while Willis held Bodiford to only three on
second down. McGee and Hurt combined to hold the third
down play to three and on fourth and three, Pannell moved
to the right to the 18 where he was brought down by
Edwards. Bodiford slipped for a loss of two and following
a time-out, Bodiford moved right for a gain of 11 before
he was stopped by Willis. However, on third and one,
Bodiford made the nine-yards into the end zone for the
Vikings only score. The PAT attempt was wide, leaving the
Tigers with a 7-6 lead at the 2:42 mark.
Albiro King took the kick and returned the ball to the
27-yard line. On first down, Willis moved the ball up the
middle for a first down at the 50-yard line. McGee held
for no gain and then Willis was held for a loss of five. A
pass to Aldridge was long and incomplete and on fourth and
15, Parker punted the ball and the stop was made by Irwin
at the Viking 25. Parker, Willis, Castleman, McGee, and
Taylor held the Vikings to just under 10 yards on the two
plays remaining in the half.
During intermission, despite the drizzle, both the Fayette
Academy and Tiger bands performed for the home crowd.
Following intermission, Fayette Academy took the opening
kickoff at its own 35 yard line. Bodiford moved right for
five before he was brought down by Edwards. Bodiford was
then stopped by Hurt and Parker after a gain of one.
Treadway, Willis, Hurt and Edwards held the Vikings a yard
short of the first down and they punted to the Central
23-yard line.
Willis moved right and down the sideline to the Vikings 15
yard line. On first down, Willis gained two, McGee gained
two on second down and on third down, Willis again had the
ball, moved to the left and was stopped at the two-yard
line. On first down, Aldridge moved into the end zone and
at the 6:27 mark, the Tigers led 13-6. The Vikings were
penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct and the ball moved
half the distance to the goal. The Tigers elected to go
for two, forcing a two possession scoring effort for the
Vikings. Willis gained the nod and took the ball into the
end zone as the Tigers took a 15-6 lead.
Ryan McMackin and Irwin held the kickoff return at the
Viking 20. Bodiford moved up the middle for two with
Chapple and Taylor on the tackle. On second down, a move
up the middle gained first down before the stop by Taylor
and McGee. However the Tigers allowed little more as
Forrest, Willis, Irwin and Taylor led the attack and on
fourth and long, the Vikings punt went into the home
bleachers as the Tigers took over at their own 47-yard
line.
The Tigers Willis ran for six, one and two yards with
Edwards taking the ball to the Fayette Academy 39 for the
first down. Willis gained four, McGee gained three and the
third quarter concluded. On the first play of the final
period, Willis gained a first down at the 28. Edwards then
moved for a gain of four and Willis took the ball for a
significant gain, but a holding penalty (the Tigers first
of five, all in the final period) moved the ball back. A
pass to Taylor was good for six yards and then the Tigers
had two incomplete passes, allowing the Vikings to take
over on Downs.
Parker, Chapple, Hurt, Willis, Edwards and Aldridge led
the defensive attack with the Vikings picking up a first
down at their own 43. Parker and Willis held Bodiford to a
yard while Forrest, Treadway and Hurt moved behind the
line to hold the Vikings to a loss of four. Parker then
sacked Bodiford and the Vikings punted the ball to the
Tiger 29. With 5:40 remaining in the game, the Tigers took
over.
Edwards picked up two and Willis moved the ball to the
Fayette Academy 48 for the first down. However a holding
penalty moved the ball back to second and 11. Willis
gained a yard, followed by a gain of eight. On fourth and
one, Willis moved over right guard and picked up a first
down. Edwards moved the ball up the middle for a slight
gain. A delay of game penalty was assessed and Willis took
the ball slightly right and across mid-field. Needing four
yards, Willis moved up the middle for no gain. On fourth
down, the ball was fumbled, but Edwards recovered and then
moved the ball just short of the first down at the 2:00
minute mark as Fayette Academy took over at their own
45-yard line.
The Tigers were far from through however as the Vikings
took to the air. On first down, Castleman seemed to have
an interception with the ball then stripped from his
grasp. On second down, Edwards did intercept the ball at
the Viking 15 yard line and returned possession to the
Tigers for the remaining 1:42. Willis took the ball up the
middle, but a holding penalty moved the ball back. Willis
moved again for about four yards and then again, with
another holding penalty against the Tigers. On second and
long, Aldridge took the ball and ran out the clock before
he was stopped as the Tigers won the game, 15-6.
This Friday night, the Tigers will host the University of
School at Jackson in the quarterfinal round. In regular
season action at Jackson, the Bruins won the game 21-20.
The Bruins are undefeated as they come into this game and
the Tigers are hoping to stop the trend of Bruins
victories over the past few years. In order to win this
game, the Tigers will need to keep penalties to a minimum
and play well defensively. They have improved tremendously
since game three (their last loss of the 2002 season) and
can most certainly advance to the semi-final round. |
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Phone (731) 352-3323 or
Fax (731) 352-3322
washburn@mckenziebanner.com
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