10/9/08
By Clint Cox
VERNON – The Graceville Tigers went on the road last Friday night and came home with a hard fought 28-16 win over the Yellow Jackets of Vernon. Graceville scored early after a Yellow Jacket turnover but Vernon came right back with a score of their own. But from that point Graceville controlled the tempo of the game and took control. Vernon managed a score with just under two minutes to play to make the final score a 12 point victory for the Tigers. Tiger Head Coach Todd Wertenberger was impressed with Vernon. "They probably had the best defense we have faced so far this season. It was like a playoff atmosphere down there, so it was a good win for us," said Wertenberger.
The Tigers scored through the air on their first touchdown as Justin Miles hit Darryl Olds on a 26 yard scoring pass. Treyshaun White added the two point run to make it 8-0. Vernon pulled to within one point just before the first quarter ended to make it a 8-7 game going into the second quarter. With 3 minutes to play in the second quarter Miles scored on a 4 yard run and White added the two point conversion run. The Tigers led 16-7 at the half. Early in the third quarter Leron Hoover scored on a 15 yard run to give Graceville a 22-7 lead. As the game moved into the fourth quarter Antrell Wrigth bolted 27 yards for another Tiger score to make it 28-7. In the final minutes of the game Vernon added a safety and touchdown to make the final 28-16.
White led the Tigers with 109 yards on 15 carries. White, Hoover and Miles led the Tiger defense with 11 tackles each. With the win Graceville improved to 4-1 and are 1-0 in district play. After an open date this Friday they will travel to Niceville next Friday for a non-district matchup with Rocky Bayou. On 10/24 they will play host to FAMU in a big district matchup.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Marianna JV Continues Steady Improvement In 20-0 Win Over Bonifay
10/2/08
By: Sid Riley
Strong offensive line play, an impenetrable defense, and great running backs were too much for the Bonifay JV squad to contend with, as Adam Gray’s squad of Bulldog yearlings enjoyed their second win in a row. Their season record now stands at 2 – 2.
Offensively, the Batson brothers put on a show. With Akeem Holmes playing quarterback, the Batson brothers took their pitch outs and hand-offs and romped run after run of significant yardage. Elliott Batson scored two touchdowns and his brother Emanuel scored the other.
The aggressive Marianna defense held the Bonifay JV team to only 84 offensive yards from the line of scrimmage, with a total offense of 101 yards. Meanwhile, Marianna racked up 234 total yards, with 206 from scrimmage. Marianna was still plagued with five penalties totaling 65 yards, and three fumbles, while Bonifay had two penalties for a loss of ten yards, and two fumbles.
By: Sid Riley
Strong offensive line play, an impenetrable defense, and great running backs were too much for the Bonifay JV squad to contend with, as Adam Gray’s squad of Bulldog yearlings enjoyed their second win in a row. Their season record now stands at 2 – 2.
Offensively, the Batson brothers put on a show. With Akeem Holmes playing quarterback, the Batson brothers took their pitch outs and hand-offs and romped run after run of significant yardage. Elliott Batson scored two touchdowns and his brother Emanuel scored the other.
The aggressive Marianna defense held the Bonifay JV team to only 84 offensive yards from the line of scrimmage, with a total offense of 101 yards. Meanwhile, Marianna racked up 234 total yards, with 206 from scrimmage. Marianna was still plagued with five penalties totaling 65 yards, and three fumbles, while Bonifay had two penalties for a loss of ten yards, and two fumbles.
Hornets & Pirates Fall
10/2/08
By: Clint Cox
The Cottondale Hornets traveled to Tallahassee to take on the Rattlers of FAMU and were handed a 46-0 loss. The Rattlers have played in the last two State Championship games for a reason. They don’t rebuild they reload and this year’s squad seems to once again be loaded. FAMU went to the airways and jumped out to an early lead. They expanded that lead to 33-0 at the half and then added 13 more points in the second half. Cottondale fell to 1-3 on the season and 0-1 in district play. The Hornets travel to South Walton on Friday to take on the Seahawks in a non-district matchup.
The Sneads Pirates played host to their arch rival, West Gadsden, and saw the Panthers head back across the river with a 24-0 win. The Pirate offense was stymied by the Panther defense, picking up only one first down and coughing up the ball once in the first half. That helped West Gadsden hold a 10-0 lead at the break. A second Pirate turnover in the third quarter led to another West Gadsden score midway through the quarter. The Panthers added another score in the fourth quarter to make the final 24-0. Defensively Terrence Pittman and John Locke each picked off a pass for the Pirates. Michael Kinard had 12 tackles, including 3 sacks. Andrew Sheard knotched 11 tackles while Josh Rogers and Jamar White followed with 10 tackles each. With the loss Sneads fell to 1-2 on the season and 1-1 in district play. They will next travel to Jay on Friday night to take on the Royals in another district contest.
By: Clint Cox
The Cottondale Hornets traveled to Tallahassee to take on the Rattlers of FAMU and were handed a 46-0 loss. The Rattlers have played in the last two State Championship games for a reason. They don’t rebuild they reload and this year’s squad seems to once again be loaded. FAMU went to the airways and jumped out to an early lead. They expanded that lead to 33-0 at the half and then added 13 more points in the second half. Cottondale fell to 1-3 on the season and 0-1 in district play. The Hornets travel to South Walton on Friday to take on the Seahawks in a non-district matchup.
The Sneads Pirates played host to their arch rival, West Gadsden, and saw the Panthers head back across the river with a 24-0 win. The Pirate offense was stymied by the Panther defense, picking up only one first down and coughing up the ball once in the first half. That helped West Gadsden hold a 10-0 lead at the break. A second Pirate turnover in the third quarter led to another West Gadsden score midway through the quarter. The Panthers added another score in the fourth quarter to make the final 24-0. Defensively Terrence Pittman and John Locke each picked off a pass for the Pirates. Michael Kinard had 12 tackles, including 3 sacks. Andrew Sheard knotched 11 tackles while Josh Rogers and Jamar White followed with 10 tackles each. With the loss Sneads fell to 1-2 on the season and 1-1 in district play. They will next travel to Jay on Friday night to take on the Royals in another district contest.
Tigers Pound Panthers
10/2/08
By: Clint Cox
The Graceville Tigers offense just keeps on truckin’ as they pounded the Panthers of John Paul II Catholic last Thursday night by a score of 52-14. Quarterback Justin Miles had another fine night, rushing for over 100 yards and a touchdown. Chris Works scored twice for the Tigers and Head Coach Todd Wertenberger went to the bench early to give his backups plenty of playing time. Backup quarterback Garret Steverson played 3 quarters and scored a touchdown.
The Tigers got two early touchdown runs from Works, one from Miles and one from Leron Hoover to make it a 28-0 game as the first quarter came to a close. In the second quarter Antrell Wright returned a kickoff for a score and Steverson scored on a run. The Tigers lead swelled to 44-14 at the half. Cameron Dozier added the final score of the night in the second half as the Tigers romped in the 38 point victory.
The Tigers offense, with over 300 yards on the ground, has now racked up over 1500 yards in rushing in just four games. They are averaging 42.5 points per game this season. With the win Graceville improved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in district play. They will be in action on Friday when they travel to Vernon to take on the Yellow Jackets in a non-district contest.
By: Clint Cox
The Graceville Tigers offense just keeps on truckin’ as they pounded the Panthers of John Paul II Catholic last Thursday night by a score of 52-14. Quarterback Justin Miles had another fine night, rushing for over 100 yards and a touchdown. Chris Works scored twice for the Tigers and Head Coach Todd Wertenberger went to the bench early to give his backups plenty of playing time. Backup quarterback Garret Steverson played 3 quarters and scored a touchdown.
The Tigers got two early touchdown runs from Works, one from Miles and one from Leron Hoover to make it a 28-0 game as the first quarter came to a close. In the second quarter Antrell Wright returned a kickoff for a score and Steverson scored on a run. The Tigers lead swelled to 44-14 at the half. Cameron Dozier added the final score of the night in the second half as the Tigers romped in the 38 point victory.
The Tigers offense, with over 300 yards on the ground, has now racked up over 1500 yards in rushing in just four games. They are averaging 42.5 points per game this season. With the win Graceville improved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in district play. They will be in action on Friday when they travel to Vernon to take on the Yellow Jackets in a non-district contest.
Lady Pirates Prevail Over Cottondale
10/2/08
By: Clint Cox
The Sneads Lady Pirates volleyball squad bounced back from a loss to Marianna on Monday with a 3-1 win over Cottondale on Tuesday night. Game one went to Sneads by a score of 25-19. After the Lady Pirates jumped out to a 10-3 lead, Cottondale rallied to pull to within 3 points at 16-13. Sneads then reeled off 4 straight points to lead 20-13 and then went on to win by 6. Mattie Collins and Meegan Smith had several big kills in the game and Ashley Smith served up 4 straight points midway through the game.
Game Two saw Cottondale jump out to a 6-3 lead and then a 10-4 lead. Sneads rallied and with Ashley Smith serving tied the game at 12-12. From there the score went back and forth with neither team able to pull away. Sneads appeared to be pulling away late in the game as Collins had a kill to put the Lady Pirates up 23-20. But the Lady Hornets battled back with a great save from Chelsea Caudill to tie the game at 23-23. Mary Auger served out the game with a ace to give Cottondale a 26-24 win and tie the match at 1-1.
The tightly contested battled continued into game three as Sneads led 9-5 but then Cottondale rallied to tie the game at 10-10 with Auger serving. The Lady Hornets surged out to a 18-14 lead only to have Sneads come back to tie the game at 21-21 on a kill by Collins. The squads knotted up at 25-25 before Sneads came up with the 27-25 win.
Cottondale jumped out in game four to a 5-0 but the Lady Pirates stormed back to get back in the game. On a long rally that featured great digs on both sides, Sneads tied the game at 7-7. The Lady Pirates had the momentum and pulled out to a 14-10 lead. From there the Lady Hornets could not muster a rally and the Lady Pirates went on to a 25-14 win.
With the win Sneads improved to 11-7 on the season and will next play on Thursday in Tallahassee against John Paul II Catholic. Cottondale fell to 11-3 on the season and will next play host to Chipley on Thursday.
By: Clint Cox
The Sneads Lady Pirates volleyball squad bounced back from a loss to Marianna on Monday with a 3-1 win over Cottondale on Tuesday night. Game one went to Sneads by a score of 25-19. After the Lady Pirates jumped out to a 10-3 lead, Cottondale rallied to pull to within 3 points at 16-13. Sneads then reeled off 4 straight points to lead 20-13 and then went on to win by 6. Mattie Collins and Meegan Smith had several big kills in the game and Ashley Smith served up 4 straight points midway through the game.
Game Two saw Cottondale jump out to a 6-3 lead and then a 10-4 lead. Sneads rallied and with Ashley Smith serving tied the game at 12-12. From there the score went back and forth with neither team able to pull away. Sneads appeared to be pulling away late in the game as Collins had a kill to put the Lady Pirates up 23-20. But the Lady Hornets battled back with a great save from Chelsea Caudill to tie the game at 23-23. Mary Auger served out the game with a ace to give Cottondale a 26-24 win and tie the match at 1-1.
The tightly contested battled continued into game three as Sneads led 9-5 but then Cottondale rallied to tie the game at 10-10 with Auger serving. The Lady Hornets surged out to a 18-14 lead only to have Sneads come back to tie the game at 21-21 on a kill by Collins. The squads knotted up at 25-25 before Sneads came up with the 27-25 win.
Cottondale jumped out in game four to a 5-0 but the Lady Pirates stormed back to get back in the game. On a long rally that featured great digs on both sides, Sneads tied the game at 7-7. The Lady Pirates had the momentum and pulled out to a 14-10 lead. From there the Lady Hornets could not muster a rally and the Lady Pirates went on to a 25-14 win.
With the win Sneads improved to 11-7 on the season and will next play on Thursday in Tallahassee against John Paul II Catholic. Cottondale fell to 11-3 on the season and will next play host to Chipley on Thursday.
Bulldogs Win Thriller
10/2/08
By: Clint Cox
Marianna’s Bradley Battles bulled his way into the end zone with a minute to play to convert a two point play and give the Bulldogs a 22-21 victory Episcopal last Friday night. Marianna took possession of the ball with 8 minutes to play and trailing 21-14. After eating up 7 minutes off the clock on 11 plays, Dustin Larkin hit Tre’ Long on a 28 yard scoring strike to set up the game winning plunge by Battles. Bulldog Head Coach Rob Armstrong did not hesitate to call for the two point attempt as opposed to kicking the extra point to tie the game. "Everybody knew we were going to go for two. We’ve been working on a power and the fellow we gave it to (Battles) ran hard," Armstrong said after the game.
After the long ride to Jacksonville the Bulldogs found themselves trailing 7-0 in the first quarter. R.J. Bowers got the Bulldogs on the board with a 15 yard run late in the first quarter. Troy Clemmons booted the extra point to tie the game at 7-7. But the Eagles took the ensuing kickoff back 85 yards for a score and quickly reclaimed the lead at 14-7. With just over 8 minutes to play in the second quarter Battles bolted 56 yards on the first play from scrimmage on that possession to score. Clemmons tied the game up at 14-14 with the extra point kick. But Episcopal came right back to post a score and take a 21-14 lead into the locker rooms at the half.
The running of Eagle quarterback Clark Bledsoe had caused the Bulldogs problems in the first half. During half time the Bulldog coaching staff made some adjustments to counter the running QB. "We made some adjustments to allow Troy (Clemmons) to key on the quarterback more and he responded with a big second half," said Armstrong. The Bulldog offense came out in the second half and played ball control. They had one possession in the third quarter and it ate up 8 minutes off the clock on 14 plays. Unfortunately a fumble deep in Eagle territory killed the drive. The Bulldog defense came up with a stop in the fourth quarter and forced a punt. The punt was downed on the Bulldogs 5 yard line with just over 8 minutes to play in the game. Marianna methodically drove down the field and then finished off the game winning drive with Larkin’s TD pass to Long.
Battles finished the night with 224 yards on 31 carries. Clemmons led the defense with 15 tackles, including a sack. Tommy Stephens was right behind Clemmons with 10 tackles. The Bulldogs improved to 3-0 on the season and will play host to Holmes County this Friday for Homecoming.
By: Clint Cox
Marianna’s Bradley Battles bulled his way into the end zone with a minute to play to convert a two point play and give the Bulldogs a 22-21 victory Episcopal last Friday night. Marianna took possession of the ball with 8 minutes to play and trailing 21-14. After eating up 7 minutes off the clock on 11 plays, Dustin Larkin hit Tre’ Long on a 28 yard scoring strike to set up the game winning plunge by Battles. Bulldog Head Coach Rob Armstrong did not hesitate to call for the two point attempt as opposed to kicking the extra point to tie the game. "Everybody knew we were going to go for two. We’ve been working on a power and the fellow we gave it to (Battles) ran hard," Armstrong said after the game.
After the long ride to Jacksonville the Bulldogs found themselves trailing 7-0 in the first quarter. R.J. Bowers got the Bulldogs on the board with a 15 yard run late in the first quarter. Troy Clemmons booted the extra point to tie the game at 7-7. But the Eagles took the ensuing kickoff back 85 yards for a score and quickly reclaimed the lead at 14-7. With just over 8 minutes to play in the second quarter Battles bolted 56 yards on the first play from scrimmage on that possession to score. Clemmons tied the game up at 14-14 with the extra point kick. But Episcopal came right back to post a score and take a 21-14 lead into the locker rooms at the half.
The running of Eagle quarterback Clark Bledsoe had caused the Bulldogs problems in the first half. During half time the Bulldog coaching staff made some adjustments to counter the running QB. "We made some adjustments to allow Troy (Clemmons) to key on the quarterback more and he responded with a big second half," said Armstrong. The Bulldog offense came out in the second half and played ball control. They had one possession in the third quarter and it ate up 8 minutes off the clock on 14 plays. Unfortunately a fumble deep in Eagle territory killed the drive. The Bulldog defense came up with a stop in the fourth quarter and forced a punt. The punt was downed on the Bulldogs 5 yard line with just over 8 minutes to play in the game. Marianna methodically drove down the field and then finished off the game winning drive with Larkin’s TD pass to Long.
Battles finished the night with 224 yards on 31 carries. Clemmons led the defense with 15 tackles, including a sack. Tommy Stephens was right behind Clemmons with 10 tackles. The Bulldogs improved to 3-0 on the season and will play host to Holmes County this Friday for Homecoming.
Simply Put- "You Can’t Coach Scared”
10/2/08
By: Clint Cox
With a minute to play last Friday night in Jacksonville, Marianna scored a touchdown and trailed 21-20 to Episcopal. As my buddy Russell Register and I speculated on the radio about what Coach Armstrong might do, Register asked me what I would do if I were the coach. I instantly replied "Kick the extra point" and send the game into overtime. I knew this went against the tradition of ‘go for the win on the road and go for the tie at home’ that some folks advocate.
Fortunately, Coach Armstrong wasn’t thinking like me. Marianna went for and converted the two point conversion to take a 22-21 lead. Then they held on that final minute for the one point victory. It was without question a great comeback and finish for the Bulldogs.
In Coach Armstrong’s post game interview on the radio he said it was never a question of whether or not to go for two, it was simply a matter of what play to call. When we got off the air I told him of my comments to Russell about kicking the extra point. Armstrong responded to me "Clint you can’t coach scared." I thought about that comment all weekend long. He was absolutely right.
Over the past 30 years since high school I’ve coached my fair share in various youth leagues for football and baseball. I had some years where we fielded some really good teams and some years where wins were hard to come by. After thinking about Armstrong’s comment I recalled that in my younger days of coaching I didn’t hesitate to take a chance or roll the dice so to speak. I can remember chastising my Auburn friends when former Auburn Coach Pat Dye went for a tie in a game. I called him Pat Tie Dye.
But somewhere over the later years of my life I seemed to lose that daringness, that willingness to roll the dice. My play calling late in the game became very conservative. This from a guy who used to love the razzle dazzle plays, the trick plays, the high flying offensive show of the early Bobby Bowden teams. So what happened? I really hadn’t thought about the change until Armstrong’s comment of "Clint you can’t coached scared."
Armstrong’s comment reminded me that sports is a game and is meant to be fun. Having fun means taking some calculated risks, and not being scared of "what if it doesn’t work." It’s like the old saying of "Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game." I realized I’ve gone soft in my older age and have let the fear of losing keep me from playing the game.
Simply Put, I’m turning over a new leaf. The old me is back. Let’s go for the win and if it doesn’t work out that way, so be it. But it won’t be because we didn’t try.
From the front porch: Coach said luck is a lazy person’s estimate of a worker’s success.
By: Clint Cox
With a minute to play last Friday night in Jacksonville, Marianna scored a touchdown and trailed 21-20 to Episcopal. As my buddy Russell Register and I speculated on the radio about what Coach Armstrong might do, Register asked me what I would do if I were the coach. I instantly replied "Kick the extra point" and send the game into overtime. I knew this went against the tradition of ‘go for the win on the road and go for the tie at home’ that some folks advocate.
Fortunately, Coach Armstrong wasn’t thinking like me. Marianna went for and converted the two point conversion to take a 22-21 lead. Then they held on that final minute for the one point victory. It was without question a great comeback and finish for the Bulldogs.
In Coach Armstrong’s post game interview on the radio he said it was never a question of whether or not to go for two, it was simply a matter of what play to call. When we got off the air I told him of my comments to Russell about kicking the extra point. Armstrong responded to me "Clint you can’t coach scared." I thought about that comment all weekend long. He was absolutely right.
Over the past 30 years since high school I’ve coached my fair share in various youth leagues for football and baseball. I had some years where we fielded some really good teams and some years where wins were hard to come by. After thinking about Armstrong’s comment I recalled that in my younger days of coaching I didn’t hesitate to take a chance or roll the dice so to speak. I can remember chastising my Auburn friends when former Auburn Coach Pat Dye went for a tie in a game. I called him Pat Tie Dye.
But somewhere over the later years of my life I seemed to lose that daringness, that willingness to roll the dice. My play calling late in the game became very conservative. This from a guy who used to love the razzle dazzle plays, the trick plays, the high flying offensive show of the early Bobby Bowden teams. So what happened? I really hadn’t thought about the change until Armstrong’s comment of "Clint you can’t coached scared."
Armstrong’s comment reminded me that sports is a game and is meant to be fun. Having fun means taking some calculated risks, and not being scared of "what if it doesn’t work." It’s like the old saying of "Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game." I realized I’ve gone soft in my older age and have let the fear of losing keep me from playing the game.
Simply Put, I’m turning over a new leaf. The old me is back. Let’s go for the win and if it doesn’t work out that way, so be it. But it won’t be because we didn’t try.
From the front porch: Coach said luck is a lazy person’s estimate of a worker’s success.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Middle School Football Action
9/25/08
By: Clint Cox
The Marianna Bullpups traveled to Cottondale and escaped with a 10-0 win over the Baby Hornets. After a scoreless first quarter both team’s defenses continued to keep the other team in check. But late in the first half Marianna Shaundre McAroy bolted 22 yards for a score. Micha Reed added the two point run and Marianna led 8-0 with just over two minutes to play in the half. As the game moved into the third quarter both teams squandered chances to score. Cottondale came up with a big 35 yard pass play from C.J. Smith to Lonnie Johnson. The Hornets then picked up a first down at the Marianna five yard line with 3 minutes to play in the third quarter. But the Bullpup defense held the Hornets out of the endzone and Marianna took over on downs. McAroy then bolted 50 yards and appeared to give Marianna the momentum again. The Bullpups however coughed up the ball on the next play and Cottondale recovered. But the Hornets had to punt as the game moved into the fourth quarter. The Hornets picked off a pass late in the game to keep their hopes alive. Again the Bullpup defense held and a bad snap over the Hornet’s punter resulted in a safety to make it 10-0 in Marianna’s favor.
The Bullpups improved to 4-0 on the season and will host Riverside on Tuesday. Both teams enter that contest unbeaten. Bullpup Head Coach Hunter Nolan tipped his hat to his counterpart. "Coach O’Bert and Cottondale did a great job tonight. They were hungrier than we were and it showed on the field," said Nolan. O’Bert was pleased with the team’s effort, "I thought our kids played hard tonight and I’m proud of them," O’Bert commented. The Hornets fell to 1-2 on the season.
Grand Ridge hit the road to Vernon and lost a heartbreaker by the score of 22-14. The Indians fell behind early 14-0 as the Baby Yellow Jackets jumped out to a quick lead. Late in the first half Wayne Driggers hit Rontravious Brown on a 23 yard pass play and Kyle Commodore converted the two point run to make it 14-8 at the half. Delontre Keys lite up the Indians crowd with a 70 yard kickoff return to open up the second half and tie the game at 14-14. The game remained tied until late in the second half. With less than two minutes to play Grand Ridge had driven deep into Vernon territory. After a run to the Vernon 1 yard line the Indians were flagged with assisting the runner and penalized 15 yards. That drive then stalled and Vernon took over with less than a minute to play on the Yellow Jacket’s 4 yard line. They then drove 96 yards on two plays to score the game winning touchdown with less than 30 seconds to play. With the loss the Indians fell to 1-3 and will host Graceville on Tuesday night.
By: Clint Cox
The Marianna Bullpups traveled to Cottondale and escaped with a 10-0 win over the Baby Hornets. After a scoreless first quarter both team’s defenses continued to keep the other team in check. But late in the first half Marianna Shaundre McAroy bolted 22 yards for a score. Micha Reed added the two point run and Marianna led 8-0 with just over two minutes to play in the half. As the game moved into the third quarter both teams squandered chances to score. Cottondale came up with a big 35 yard pass play from C.J. Smith to Lonnie Johnson. The Hornets then picked up a first down at the Marianna five yard line with 3 minutes to play in the third quarter. But the Bullpup defense held the Hornets out of the endzone and Marianna took over on downs. McAroy then bolted 50 yards and appeared to give Marianna the momentum again. The Bullpups however coughed up the ball on the next play and Cottondale recovered. But the Hornets had to punt as the game moved into the fourth quarter. The Hornets picked off a pass late in the game to keep their hopes alive. Again the Bullpup defense held and a bad snap over the Hornet’s punter resulted in a safety to make it 10-0 in Marianna’s favor.
The Bullpups improved to 4-0 on the season and will host Riverside on Tuesday. Both teams enter that contest unbeaten. Bullpup Head Coach Hunter Nolan tipped his hat to his counterpart. "Coach O’Bert and Cottondale did a great job tonight. They were hungrier than we were and it showed on the field," said Nolan. O’Bert was pleased with the team’s effort, "I thought our kids played hard tonight and I’m proud of them," O’Bert commented. The Hornets fell to 1-2 on the season.
Grand Ridge hit the road to Vernon and lost a heartbreaker by the score of 22-14. The Indians fell behind early 14-0 as the Baby Yellow Jackets jumped out to a quick lead. Late in the first half Wayne Driggers hit Rontravious Brown on a 23 yard pass play and Kyle Commodore converted the two point run to make it 14-8 at the half. Delontre Keys lite up the Indians crowd with a 70 yard kickoff return to open up the second half and tie the game at 14-14. The game remained tied until late in the second half. With less than two minutes to play Grand Ridge had driven deep into Vernon territory. After a run to the Vernon 1 yard line the Indians were flagged with assisting the runner and penalized 15 yards. That drive then stalled and Vernon took over with less than a minute to play on the Yellow Jacket’s 4 yard line. They then drove 96 yards on two plays to score the game winning touchdown with less than 30 seconds to play. With the loss the Indians fell to 1-3 and will host Graceville on Tuesday night.
Marianna JV Defeats Walton 10-0 for First Win
9/25/08
By: Sid Riley
Team spirit soared this week for the Marianna JV squad as coach Adam Gray’s squad posted their first victory over Walton in a game played in DeFuniak Springs on Thursday evening. The defense again played a strong game, holding Walton to only 91 yards of total offense, with 71 of those from the line of scrimmage. The defense scored the first two points of the game when they backed the Walton team up to the goal line and then a fumble recovery in the end zone by Walton resulted in a safety.
The offense struggled through the first half, never putting together a meaningful drive, even though the team was augmented by some freshmen players added from the varsity which was idle this week. This included the added threat of running back Chris Bowers. In total, the offensive effort produced 215 yards, with 169 of those from the line of scrimmage.
The offense was much improved in their execution, as was demonstrated by only four penalties being incurred for a loss of only 20 yards. Play selection was still limited, and no passes were thrown during the game by the Bulldog yearlings. Walton had six penalties for 40 yards.
Marianna broke the game open early in the fourth quarter when quarterback Ryan Riley scampered 50 yards on a quarterback bootleg, down to the Walton 15. Two plays later Chris Bowers scored on a 11 yard run. Riley ran the extra point making the score 10-0.
Walton desperately attempted to muster a final drive, but fell short around mid field as the game ended. Marianna JV’s had their first victory of the season.
By: Sid Riley
Team spirit soared this week for the Marianna JV squad as coach Adam Gray’s squad posted their first victory over Walton in a game played in DeFuniak Springs on Thursday evening. The defense again played a strong game, holding Walton to only 91 yards of total offense, with 71 of those from the line of scrimmage. The defense scored the first two points of the game when they backed the Walton team up to the goal line and then a fumble recovery in the end zone by Walton resulted in a safety.
The offense struggled through the first half, never putting together a meaningful drive, even though the team was augmented by some freshmen players added from the varsity which was idle this week. This included the added threat of running back Chris Bowers. In total, the offensive effort produced 215 yards, with 169 of those from the line of scrimmage.
The offense was much improved in their execution, as was demonstrated by only four penalties being incurred for a loss of only 20 yards. Play selection was still limited, and no passes were thrown during the game by the Bulldog yearlings. Walton had six penalties for 40 yards.
Marianna broke the game open early in the fourth quarter when quarterback Ryan Riley scampered 50 yards on a quarterback bootleg, down to the Walton 15. Two plays later Chris Bowers scored on a 11 yard run. Riley ran the extra point making the score 10-0.
Walton desperately attempted to muster a final drive, but fell short around mid field as the game ended. Marianna JV’s had their first victory of the season.
Gators Get Hornets
9/25/08
By: Clint Cox
The Cottondale Hornets traveled to Wewahitchka last Friday night and came away with a 26 – 14 loss. After a scoreless first quarter the Hornets took a 6-0 lead in the second quarter. Jacob Herring hit Terry Benbow on a 65 yard scoring strike. That 6-0 lead held until halftime. But the Gators came out and put up 12 points in the third quarter and 14 more in the final quarter. Cottondale managed a late touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 50 yard pass from Jesse Freeman to Nick Jackson.
The Hornets struggled with penalties (14) and turnovers (5) in the loss to the Gators. Cottondale fell to 1-2 on the season and things will not get any easier as they will travel to Tallahassee on Friday to take on district foe FAMU. Game time is scheduled for 6:30 pm and the Rattlers enter the contest with a 2-1 record.
By: Clint Cox
The Cottondale Hornets traveled to Wewahitchka last Friday night and came away with a 26 – 14 loss. After a scoreless first quarter the Hornets took a 6-0 lead in the second quarter. Jacob Herring hit Terry Benbow on a 65 yard scoring strike. That 6-0 lead held until halftime. But the Gators came out and put up 12 points in the third quarter and 14 more in the final quarter. Cottondale managed a late touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 50 yard pass from Jesse Freeman to Nick Jackson.
The Hornets struggled with penalties (14) and turnovers (5) in the loss to the Gators. Cottondale fell to 1-2 on the season and things will not get any easier as they will travel to Tallahassee on Friday to take on district foe FAMU. Game time is scheduled for 6:30 pm and the Rattlers enter the contest with a 2-1 record.
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