Gridiron Game Talk – week 12

Lovejoy Leopards vs. Wills Point Tigers

Varsity 11-13-09

Leopards Defense Dominates in Playoffs

Lovejoy’s Black Shirt Defense forced 7 turnovers resulting in 39 points as the Leopards cruised to a 52-36 win against Wills Point (9-1) on Friday night to secure a Bi-District Championship.  “The game is going to be won by the team that makes the fewest mistakes,” Coach Jim Bob Puckett warned his players before the contest.  “These guys (Wills Point) are athletic and quick, and we are going to need to take care of the ball and play some hard-nosed defense to win.”

Nerves evident, the Leopards fumbled into the end zone on their first play from scrimmage, spotting the Tigers an early touchdown, and just 12 seconds into the game, Lovejoy faced a 7-0 deficit.  Three plays later, however, the Leopards responded when Michael Means hit Hayden Marsh on a fade route for a 79 yard score.  A rare miss of the PAT, and Wills Point held the edge 7-6.

The Leopard defense recouped their loss on the Tiger’s first play from scrimmage when Nate Krumrei recovered a fumble and set up a Blake Martin 10 yard TD run.  Means followed with a 71 yard touchdown scamper and the Leopards were cruising early 21-7, before the Black Shirt defense took over.  On a dropped lateral pass, Blake Westback alertly took the fumble to the house from 36 yards out, and the first quarter ended with the Leopards up 28-7.

In the second, Lovejoy’s defense continued to dominate.  Zac Lewis forced another Tiger fumble that Matt Kotecki ran back for a 44 yard touchdown.  Trent Jurica was picked off by Byron Butler to set up an Eddie Puskarich 46 yard field goal.  Then Drew Carson read a screen pass deep in Leopard territory and rumbled 6 yards for a score and at the half, Lovejoy held a commanding 45-14 lead.

Following a Kotecki interception, the Leopard offense scored when Mean posted his 21^st rushing touchdown of the season and at the end of the 3^rd, Lovejoy led 52-14.  Wills Point made a push late in the game, scoring three times in the fourth quarter, but it would prove to be too little too late as the Leopards celebrated their first play-off victory in school history, 52-36.

The Lovejoy defense set the tone forcing 4 Tiger fumbles as Lewis, Carson, Krumrei and Ticer Havens wreaked havoc in the Tiger backfield.  The Leopard secondary of Trey Carson, Conner Smith, Butler, Westback, Marsh and Kotecki smothered Wills Point receivers, holding Oklahoma State bound Steven Cunigan to no catches in the first half and only 5 catches for 54 yards on the night.  Means piloted the Leopard offense with 88 yards through the air and 64 on the ground.  Blake Martin returned from knee injury and with limited play rushed 14 times for 78 yards.  Sophomore Zander Hamilton filled in well with an 11-68 yard rushing night. 

“This group of guys is resilient and they believe in each other,” said coach Puckett in commenting on his teams’ response to giving up an early fumble and score.  “With literally an entire game to still play, I had no doubt they would come back play with tenacity and a will to win.”   

The (10-1) Leopards take their tenacity and will to win to Hallsville next week where they will face off against the Texarkana Liberty-Eylau Leopards (6-4) in the area round of the playoffs.

Written by Kim Havens------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In today's Dallas Morning News, Drew Carson and Matt Kotecki were named High School Players of the Week Honorable Mention for their contribution in Friday's game.  Congratulations guys!