SCMS Leopards - 8th Grade - October 13, 2009

Red Team:       Lovejoy 24,  Allen Ford 22                       Overall Standing      3  -  2

Black Team:    Lovejoy 12, Allen Ford 32                        Overall Standing      0  -  5

With a last minute change in venue, the Lovejoy Leopards appreciated the move from the natural grass fields of Allen's Ford Field to the artificial turf found on the Allen Eagles home field.  The incoming fog and warmer night made for an erie sight as the undefeated Mustangs took the field to face their latest foe - our Lovejoy Leopards.

RED TEAM

The Lovejoy Sloan Creek Leopard Red Team met the Allen Ford Mustang “B” Team on a humid night at the Allen Stadium.  The night didn’t start off real well, as the Mustangs were able to run the kickoff into the Leopard’s end zone for a touchdown and then kick the extra points.   Bryce Lusby started as quarterback for the Leopards and tried to get a ground game going behind the rushing of Alex Hamilton but had to punt after 8 plays.  Cody McLemore put the Mustangs back into their own territory with a 40 yard punt.  The Leopard defense took over and halted the Mustangs near the Leopard end zone with some great tackling by Alex Hopkinson, Hamilton and McLemore.  When the Leopard offense came back on to the field Grant Fate took over as QB.  Fate put together a 10 play drive that took them into the second quarter but McLemore had to punt the ball back to the Mustangs.  On the Mustangs first play in the second quarter they were able to score another touchdown and extra points, putting the Leopards in the hole with a score of 16 to 0.  But the Leopard offense wasn’t to be held down as Lusby connected on a pass to Hopkinson for 4 yards, a pass to Turner Vesley and a 68 yard reception and run by Hopkinson for a Leopard touchdown.   Following the kickoff the Leopard defense was lead by tackling by Tim Rekieta, Blake Parker, Vesley and Hamilton and pass defense by Sam Victor, which put the Mustangs into negative yards and had to punt the ball back to the Leopards.  Fate took over the offense and with a mix of running by Hamilton, pass receptions by McLemore and Hamilton, which set up a 25 yard touchdown pass reception from Fate to Victor.   The Leopard defense closed out the half with some great tackles by Clayton Merrill, Nick Tarango, Parker and Hamilton.

To start the second half, the Leopard offense took over in good field position due to a 13 yard kick return by Jeremy Drum.   The Leopards were driving down the field with runs by Hamilton and pass receptions by Victor and Tarango but the drive halted after the Leopards coughed up the football in Mustang territory.   The Mustangs were able to take advantage of the turnover and score a touchdown despite defensive tackling by Chad Romano, Tyler Gordon, Drum, Tarango, Parker, Hamilton, and Rekieta.  The extra point was blocked putting the score to Lovejoy 12 – Allen 22.  Both Fate and Lusby shared the quarterback spot in the next offensive series for the Leopards.  The offensive team moved the football down the field with rushes by Fate and a pass reception by Vesley, which setup a hook and ladder play that saw Lusby throw downfield to Victor who pitched back to Hamilton for a 45 yard touchdown run.  Following the 50 yard kickoff by McLemore the Leopard defense stuffed the Mustang offense and forced them to punt after gaining only 5 yards.  Hopkinson, Tarango, Drum and Rekieta made the tackles behind the tough defensive line play.   The Leopard offense wasn’t able to capitalize on good field position and was stopped just short of the Mustang end zone despite some great offensive plays by Fate, Hamilton and Patrick Welsh.   Once again the Leopard defense held the Mustang offense and on fourth down where they blocked the Mustang punt giving the ball back to the Leopard offense deep in Mustang territory.  Lusby was able to capitalize on the good field position with 38 seconds left on the clock and with the same hook and ladder play.  This time, with the pass to Victor who laterals to McLemore for the 15 yard touchdown run that put the Leopards ahead on the score board.   The Leopard defense took the field and sealed out the Mustangs bringing the final score Lovejoy Sloan Creek Red Team 24, Allen Ford B Team 22.

 Written by Jim Olk

BLACK TEAM

The Sloan Creek Leopard Black Team started off the night with the fog rolling in over the field as the met the Allen Ford Mustang A Team.  Other than the fog it looked like the first game as the Mustangs were able to run back the Leopard kickoff for a touchdown and extra points.   The Leopard offense lead by Chochy Luce wasn’t able to get a drive going and Mick Ellis had to punt the ball back to the Mustangs.  The Leopard defense held the Mustang offense to one first down before the Mustang rusher fumbled the ball which was recovered by Steven Larsen.  Brad Jacobs, John Embry, Brad Trimper and Nick Larsen provided tackles to set up the defense.  The Leopard offense moved the ball with runs by Ellis, Daniel Sefcik, and a 16 yard pass reception by Nick Larsen but had to punt the ball back to the Mustangs.  The Leopard defense tried to halt the Mustangs with tackles by Dalton Simmons, Mason Olk, Nick Larsen, Embry, Sefcik, and Luce but the Mustangs were able to score a touchdown and kick the extra points.   The Leopard offense went 4 and out giving the ball over to the Mustangs that kept the ball until the end of the half.  The Leopard defense held with tackles by Nick Larsen, Anthony Brigante, Sefcik and Embry.   The half ended with a score of Lovejoy 0 – Allen 16.

The second half looked like it was going to start out great as Luce took the kickoff and ran for about 70 yards before he was hit by a Mustang defender and lost his grip on the ball.  The Mustangs were able to recover the ball at their own 2 yard line.   Even with the defensive tackling of Grant Jarvis, Ellis, Jacobs, Olk, Trimper and Sefcik the Mustangs were able to score again.   On the kickoff, Ellis provided a 12 yard return that put the Leopards on the 50 yard line.  Ellis started as quarterback and put together an 8 play drive where Sefcik ran for 20 yards, Luce caught a 25 yard pass and Ellis scored a touchdown on and 18 yard quarterback keeper.  Following some good defensive tackling by Donald O’Connor and Ben Krumrei, Sefcik was able to put a hit on the Mustang rusher that caused a fumble that was recovered by Ellis.   The Leopard offense, lead by Ellis, was able to capitalize on the field position and drive down the field with a 35 yard pass reception by Nick Larsen, a short run by Sefcik and a 20 yard touchdown run by Ellis.   The Leopards defense wasn’t able to stop the Mustangs from scoring one more time even though Steven Larsen, Carter Daily, Krumrei, Trimper and Ellis provides some good tackles.  The game ended with the score Lovejoy 12 – Allen 32.

Written by Jim Olk