By Jim Steele steele@mckenziebanner.com

McKenzie's Region 6-2A football game with visiting Camden Friday night boiled down to one thing: The big play.
Both Rebels and Lions made big plays. Camden just made one more.
As a result, the Lions escaped with a 31-24 victory over the Rebs, snapping a seven-game skid to them.
McKenzie spotted Camden a 17-0 lead before roaring back to tie the game early in the third quarter. It was a race to the finish line the rest of the way.
"We got some momentum and tied the game up, then we started swapping scores," said McKenzie coach Wade Comer. "They made one more than we did and that was it."
Trailing 31-24 with 1:02 and McKenzie about to kick the end zone door down, Camden's Bryce Wilbanks picked off a pass in the end zone to end the last Rebel threat. His pick foiled what had been brilliant 73-yard drive, engineered by McKenzie quarterback Drew Hayes and receivers Randy Lacey, Clint Anderson and Glenn Smith.
Wilbanks' big play was the backbreaker for the Rebs.
But both teams had their share of monumental events during the span of the game, which drew a large crowd and lots of media attention.
Camden broke the ice with 6:29 to play in the first quarter. Clay Carruth booted a 27-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. Junior Lion running back Josh Boyd had a big 23-yard carry to set up his team. But a big third-down hit by Rebel seniors Cody Cook and Jay Gilbert forced the field goal.
McKenzie was limited to just six snaps in the first quarter, the first three resulting in a punt. Camden needed nine plays to span 58 yards for its first touchdown, a 7-yard burst from Heath Yoder with :40 to play in first. The Lions led 10-0 after one.
As the second quarter began, things went from bad to worse for McKenzie. A fumble lost on the 47 resulted in the next Camden score. Boyd raced that distance on the first play of the second period for a 17-0 advantage.
That's when the alarm clock went off for the Rebels.
Two big plays aided McKenzie in the second. Cook sacked Camden quarterback Brian Markham and stripped him of the ball, then pounced on it at the Lion 49. Hayes found Lacey for a 28-yard hookup, then Smith hauled in a 10-yard aerial. Two plays later, Anderson collected another 10-yard Hayes lob for the touchdown. With :55 to play in the half, McKenzie was showing signs of life. John Kermit Laughrey knocked home the first of his three extra points.
Neither Anderson or Laughrey were done in the first half.
Anderson intercepted Markham 29 seconds later and then caught a 14-yard pass from Hayes, bringing the Rebels to the Camden 28 with :03 to play.
In marched Laughrey. After a time out, he calmly broke the school record for longest field goal. As the half expired, his 45-yard boot (which could have cleared 50 easily) made it 17-10.
McKenzie took possession as the second half began. The Rebels had the momentum and drove from their own 20 down to the Lion 1 in six plays, thanks to two runs totaling 54 yards by Cook. On the last play of the drive, Cook scored from the 1. The conversion tied the game at 17 and McKenzie was alive.
"When it was 17-0, I was concerned," said Comer. "But I knew that it wasn't anything they were doing that was hurting us, it was us; I knew if we ever got things rolling, we could come back."
Camden appeared undaunted after the Rebels knotted the score. On its next possession, the Lions marched 67 yards straight to the end zone, culminating in Yoder's 5-yard dash. Camden held a 24-17 lead with 4:55 to play in the third.
Early in the fourth frame, McKenzie's Julian Tucker nullified a 16-yard run by Boyd when Tucker recovered a fumble on the Lion 47. After an offside call, Lacey streaked down the right sideline and Hayes led him perfectly for a 42-yard score. With 10:08 to play, the game was tied at 24.
Back came Camden.
The Lions rolled 62 yards in nine plays, ending in Boyd's 24-yard run. Boyd finished with 18 carries for 163 yards as the Lions held a 31-24 lead.
>From there, the Rebels made one last assault that fell short.
"I can't fault the effort," said Comer. "Our kids gave an outstanding effort and we laid it on the line. We just came up short."
Hayes had another good night, completing 15 of 24 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns. Cook led the Rebels in rushing with eight carries for 62 yards. Bryson Lewis had five totes for 41 yards.
Lacey had three catches for 90 yards. Anderson had four grabs for 56. Smith had two catches for 25 yards. Greg Pruitt had two catches for 7 yards and Mark Ghyers had one catch for 16.
"We kept the momentum in the second half," said Comer. "But we just came up short."
Defensively, Lacey and Ghyers each had seven tackles. Cook had five tackles and a fumble recovery. Tucker had five stops and a fumble recovery. Ben Boyd and Anderson had five tackles apiece. Anderson had an interception.
The Rebels, 1-1, 0-1, travel to Dyer County next week. Camden is 2-0 and 1-0 in Region 6-2A.

SUMMARY

C 10 7 7 7 31
M 0 10 7 7 24

FIRST QUARTER
C - 6:29 Clay Carruth 27 field goal. 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:31.
C - :40 Heath Yoder 7 run, Carruth kick. 9 plays, 58 yards, 4:35.
SECOND QUARTER
C - 11:47 Josh Boyd 47 run, Carruth kick. 1 play, 47 yards, :13.
M - :55 Clint Anderson 10 pass from Drew Hayes. John Kermit Laughrey kick. 5 plays, 49 yards, 2:00.
M - :00 Laughrey 45 field goal. 4 plays, 32 yards, :26.

THIRD QUARTER
M - 9:20 Cody Cook 1 run, Laughrey kick. 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:40.
C - 4:55 Yoder 5 run, Carruth kick. 8 plays, 67 yards, 4:25.
FOURTH QUARTER
M - 10:08 Randy Lacey 42 pass from Hayes, Laughrey kick. 2 plays, 50 yards, :20.
C - 5:56 Boyd 24 run, Carruth kick. 9 plays, 62 yards, 4:14.

M C
First downs 14 15
Yds. rushing 24-131 45-249
Yds. passing 208 83
Comp.-att.-int. 15-24-2 8-10-1
Total yds. 339 332
No. of plays 48 53
Third down 3-8 5-10
Fourth down 1-1 3-4
Red zone 2-3 3-3
Fumbles-lost 3-2 4-3
Punts-avg. 4-41 1-27
Penalties 5-48 5-40
Possession 21:45 26:15

By Jim Steele steele@mckenziebanner.com

Despite a slow beginning and an almost constant drizzle throughout the game, the Huntingdon Mustangs were able to again dominate their opponent as they stampeded through the Adamsville Cardinals for an impressive 49-7 victory.
The game began with the Stangs on the offensive. The initial kickoff was a short one as Marcus Beal fell on the ball at the Huntingdon 42. Phillip “Boo” Weathers took the handoff for two gains of five each and a first down. Weathers was held for a loss of two, but picked up three on his next effort and then quarterback Cody Crocker unleashed the ball to Cody Baker for a first down at the Cardinal 35. Scott Hampton took the ball for a gain of seven while Kegan Ball picked up the first down at the seven-yard line. Ball was rewarded with the first opportunity to score and immediately took the ball into the end zone at the 8:34 mark. The kick by J.P. Powell was slightly left as Huntingdon took a 6-0 lead.
The Cards came out with a slightly less than stellar attack. Beal, Desmond Townes and Chris Donald held the run to a yard. Zak Sheets was held to five yards by Donald, Townes and Hampton. Drew Smith and Cale Belew then held Sheets just shy of the first down and the Cardinals first attempted to draw the Stangs into a penalty, but received a delay of game penalty and punted the ball to the Stangs 30.
Donald took the ball up the middle for one and then up the middle again for two yards. On third down, Crocker again took to the air and was intercepted by Tyler Mitchell for the Cardinals at the Huntingdon 33.
Although they had good field position the Cardinals were unable to gain yardage as Townes, Hampton, Tony Nellett, and Smith made impressive defensive moves. Facing fourth and eight, the Cardinals drew another delay of game penalty and punted the ball out at the 12-yard line at the 2:12 mark.
The Stangs were a determined group on this possession and 10 plays later were in the end zone. Donald ran for gains of 12, three, 16 and seven yards. Weathers picked up the first down at the 33. Donald gained two and Weathers 15 for another first down. Weathers then moved for gains of two, two and the touchdown at the 9:44 mark. Weathers capped the run with the two-point conversion and Huntingdon led 14-0.
The Stangs got a quick wake-up call as Adamsville’s Will Browder pulled in the kickoff from Hampton and raced 85 yards down the left sideline for a score. Christopher Kimmons kicked the PAT and the Stangs lead dwindled to 14-7 at the 9:29 mark.
Baker received the kickoff and returned the ball to the Stangs 36. Weathers received some good blocking, crossed mid-field and reached the Cardinal 40. Weathers gained four and Ball picked up 16 for the first down. Weathers was held for a slight loss, but then jigged and jagged his way to the 15. Ball moved up the middle, spun around and backed into the end zone for his second score of the night at the 6:53 mark. The PAT was wide and Huntingdon now led 20-7.
The Cardinals were held to a loss on first down by Beal and Nellett. Two incomplete passes followed and the Cardinals punted the ball out at the 50. Once again the Stangs were on the move. Donald was held for no gain while a pass to Hampton was good for the first down at the 22. A penalty moved the ball back to the 35. However, the Stangs were on the move and after an incomplete pass, Donald moved for a good gain, negated on a holding penalty. Crocker found Baker in the end zone for the touchdown moments later and the two-point conversion attempt by Donald was held short. Huntingdon led 26-7 at the 3:03 mark.
Another good defensive stand by Hampton, Baker, Nellett, Townes, Smith, and Beal led to another punt which rolled to the Stangs 24. Although the Stangs were rushing to the end zone, time ran out at the Adamsville 28.
Adamsville’s Marching Cardinal band entertained the home fans during intermission.
The second half began with the Cardinals on offense, but it was a limited possession. Beal, Nellett, Smith, Townes, and Weathers led the defensive attack which ended with a five yard gain for the Cards and a punt to Hampton. The ball fell through his hands, but he managed to recover the ball as the Stangs took over at their own 32.
Ball gained a quick first down at the 43. Weathers picked up two, one at the Cardinal 45 and the second at the 30. Ball then moved right for first down at the 18. Ball ran again, but a penalty for pushing in the back negated the yardage and placed the Stangs at the 24. An incomplete pass to Hampton was followed by a 24-yard run by Weathers at the 6:32 mark. Donald got the two-point conversion and the Stangs now led 34-7.
The Cardinals had a pretty good series on their next possession, picking up three first downs and culminating the effort with a missed field goal attempt at the 2:01 mark. Powell, Baker, Nellett, Townes and Donald led the defensive attack.
The Stangs took over at their own 20 and were on their way to another touchdown as Donald rushed for 50 yards on five plays to end the third period. Ball took over the running duties and had two first downs, but on first and four, as the ball reached the goal line, it was stripped and rolled into the end zone where the Cardinals recovered possession and took over at their own 20-yard line.
A quick fumble by the Cards however was picked up by Maurice Williams for the Stangs. As he was tackled, he also fumbled and the ball was recovered by Jerry McClerkin at the six-yard line. Ball punched the ball in for a gain of three and then went the additional four yards for the touchdown. Donald pushed his way into the end zone for the two-point conversion and at the 9:18 mark, Huntingdon had a 42-7 lead.
The Cardinals were stifled once more by a strong defensive effort. Beal, McClerkin, Powell, and Nellett stopped the return at the 37. Mitchell attempted to move left and was stopped by McClerkin. Nellett and Brandon Snyder held the advance to a yard and as Mitchell moved back to pass, Beal moved past the line and sacked him at the 25 for a big loss. The punt went to the Stangs 45.
With the second offense in the game, the Stangs were again on the move. Snyder moved for seven and then a first down at the Cardinal 37. Josh Noles picked up a first down at the 25 and then moved right for a yard. Snyder ended the effort with a five-yard run for pay dirt at the 2:18 mark. Adam Tucker came in to kick the only successful PAT of the night as Huntingdon took a 49-7 lead.
Adamsville maintained control of the ball for the remainder of the game, ultimately reaching its own 45-yard line as the buzzer sounded.
The Stangs (2-0, 1-0) will face Lexington (2-0, 1-0) at home this Friday night. Both teams have had impressive wins the past two weeks, but the Stangs should be able to capitalize on the home field advantage and gain win number three.

By Pat Cole pcole@mckenziebanner.com

West Carroll’s War Eagles traveled to Tiptonville for a crucial regional contest last Friday and took a physical beating in their 26-25 victory. Both defensive units had more difficulty in the victory than in more recent outings. Although the War Eagles and Falcons have had several close games in recent years this particular contest may be the even closer than the score indicates.
The Falcons won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff. Chancy DePriest kicked the ball to the Falcon 15 and it was returned to the 36 where Joe Gentile made the tackle. The Falcon quarterback swept left for a gain of nine and then a gain of seven more gave the Falcons a quick first down in War Eagle territory, at the 48. Jeremiah Johnson ran down the play, holding Lake County to a first down at the 38. Ethan Thompson made the next stop, but a motion penalty negated the gain and on first and 15, Brandon Carter nailed the runner after a gain of five. Kevin Gentile and Johnson then held the gain to nine yards, but on fourth and one, John Lemonds moved into the end zone and scored at the 8:14 mark. The PAT by Quentin Jones was also good, giving the Falcons a 7-0 advantage.
The War Eagles faced a determined defensive unit on their first offensive series. Johnson took the kickoff and returned the ball to the 35. On first down, DePriest was held to a loss of one. The War Eagles were then penalized for motion and facing second and 16, DePriest took the ball and spun around to get a gain of 13 yards. He was hit hard and the ball came loose, but went out of bounds as the War Eagles maintained control. Facing third and three, K. Gentile picked up the first down at the Lake County 45. Thompson took the ball for a gain of three and K. Gentile picked up two more. DePriest was held to no gain on third down and K. Gentile was nailed for no gain on fourth down as the Falcons took over on downs.
This time, the offensive effort was held shot by a determined Karl Erwin, Cody Cunningham, Tony Wyatt and Johnson as the Falcons punted on fourth and seven. West Carroll took over at its own 38-yard line.
Gentile moved off tackle and picked up 42 quick yards. With the ball at the Lake County 20, the Falcons took a time out. Thompson was then held to no gain and DePriest was thrown for a loss of four. Quarterback Chris Cannon held on third down and managed a gain of eight yards. Facing fourth and six, the War Eagles were penalized for delay of game and with 45 seconds remaining in the first quarter, took a timeout. The War Eagles elected to go for the pass and as Cannon dropped back, he was sacked for a loss of 12.
Once again the Falcons took over on downs at their own 33-yard line and again, the War Eagle defensive unit was up to the challenge. Wyatt, DePriest and Erwin held the Falcons to no gain on this possession and DePriest got a tackle for a loss of three as the first quarter ended.
The War Eagles got a big break as the ball was fumbled on the punt attempt and West Carroll took over at the Lake County 20 where the ball was recovered. Thompson picked up two yards and was then held for no gain. Gentile was also held for no gain and the War Eagles faced fourth and eight at the 18. DePriest took the ball and managed to reach the end zone at the 4:49 mark of the second quarter. K. Gentile took the ball in for two as the War Eagles gained an 8-7 advantage.
DePriest kicked to the ball to the 13 where the receiver slipped and hit a knee. As the Falcons began another run for the end zone, they made another error, fumbling the ball and Cunningham recovered at the 13. K. Gentile took the ball for a gain of three. Cannon passed the ball to DePriest and he scored at the 3:57 mark. The two-point conversion was no good and the War Eagles now had a 14-6 lead.
The Falcons signaled for a fair catch on the kickoff and took possession at their own 25. Wyatt held the advance to two years and Johnson held them shy of a first down on the following play. The quarterback held and was held short by Ben Parker. Facing fourth and one, the Falcons took the chance and gained 19 yards before DePriest made the tackle. A gain of three was followed by a completed pass with Johnson running the receiver out of bounds after a gain of 11. Another pass attempt however was intercepted by DePriest at the 10-yard line and he returned the ball to the 50 before he was stopped.
Cannon picked up five on the quarterback sweep and Johnson was stopped on the reverse. K. Gentile was held to a loss of one and a pass to DePriest was good for 16. Facing first down at the 30 with only 3.8 seconds remaining in the first half, the War Eagles tried one final play, a pass which was incomplete. The War Eagles went into the dressing room with a 14-6 lead at intermission.
During the break, the home fans were entertained by the Marching War Eagles.
The War Eagles had the first possession of the second half and took possession at their own 20 on the touchback. K. Gentile took the ball for a gain of three, West Carroll was penalized for motion and Gentile then gained five. Gentile moved again and the War Eagles were penalized for holding. Facing third and 16, Cannon attempted a pass over the middle to Carter which was incomplete and DePriest punted the ball to the Lake County 43.
After an initial gain of 48 yards, which placed the Falcons at the War Eagle 11, quarterback Brandon Springer entered the end zone at the 9:29 mark. The PAT by Jones was wide and the War Eagles maintained a one-point edge, 14-13.
The War Eagles were again on the move, as Johnson took the ball from the two, to the Lake County 40 on the kickoff return. K. Gentile moved the ball 27 yards, placing the ball at the Lake County 12. The Falcons were penalized for motion and Gentile was held for no gain. Gentile then picked up seven, with the ball at the one-yard line. After a delay of game penalty, Gentile gained two and then two more. Facing third and goal, Gentile took the ball into the end zone for the touchdown. Cannon held for the two-point conversion, but was sacked on the attempt as West Carroll improved their margin to 20-13 at the 6:11 mark.
The Falcons moved the ball to their own 28 where Kenny Brewer made the tackle. Despite the efforts of Johnson, Gentile, Brewer, Dustin Seay, and Bradley Coleman the Falcons moved the ball to the end zone in seven plays and Springer scored at the 3:52 mark of the third period. The conversion was no good and the War Eagles maintained a 20-19 edge.
Johnson received the kickoff and returned the ball to the West Carroll 40. Gentile gained five yards and on the next play, the War Eagles were penalized for a block in the back. A motion penalty moved the ball back another five yards and although Gentile gained 21 the War Eagles were still shy of first down by four yards. After attempting to draw the Falcons offsides, the War Eagles took a timeout. Gentile managed a gain of only three yards and the Falcons took over at the War Eagle 49.
After a gain of six, Jason Lott and Cunningham combined to halt the offense to a loss of one. However on the next play, the Falcons reached the 35 for a first down. A block in the back penalty moved the ball back to the War Eagle 40 and as the third quarter ended, they were held to no gain by Erwin, Coleman and Carter. Coleman made the tackle after a gain of 10. Lake County recovered a fumble and Brewer held the gain to five. Another fumble was recovered by the Falcons for a loss of three, but at the 9:54 mark, Springer moved the ball 28 yards into the end zone. The two-point conversion was no good, but the Falcons now had a 25-20 advantage.
Johnson received the kickoff and returned the ball to the 31. Gentile picked up 14 yards and then one, two and three yards. Facing fourth and four, Lake County was penalized for being offsides and the War Eagles had first down at the Lake County 45. Gentile gained two, four and four yards, giving the War Eagles another first down at the 35. DePriest took the ball for a gain of nine and Thompson was held for no gain. Facing third and one, Cannon gained the first down at the 22. Gentile gained a yard, then another before he was held for no gain. Facing fourth and eight at the Lake County 20, the War Eagles took a timeout. Cannon then took the ball from under center, moved to the sideline and with some great blocking by the offensive line, moved into the end zone at the 2:08 mark of the final period. The two-point conversion was no good, but the War Eagles had regained the lead, 26-25.
The ball was returned to the 40, but a block in the back penalty moved the ball back to the Falcon 30. With 1:49 remaining in the game, a host of War Eagles held the gain to six yards. Springer managed to gain seven and a first down at his own 43 before Thompson made the tackle and another four yards before he was stopped by Coleman. With 43.9 remaining in the game, the Falcons called a timeout. Facing second and eight Springer reached back to pass, but he was intercepted by DePriest who returned the ball to the War Eagle 20-yard line and another block in the back penalty gave West Carroll first down at their own 47. Cannon took a knee to end the game.
This week, the War Eagles will celebrate homecoming against Memphis Catholic. Game time will be at 7:30 at War Eagle Stadium.

2004 Sports Archives:

01-07-04 01-14-04 01-21-04 01-28-04 02-04-04 02-11-04 02-18-04 02-25-04 03-03-04 03-10-04 03-17-04

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2002 Sports Archives:

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2001 Sports Archives:

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07-18-01 07-25-01 08-01-01 08-08-01 08-15-01 08-22-01

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10-10-01 10-17-01 10-24-01 10-31-01 11-07-01 11-14-01

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