Sunday, October 19, 2008
With the high school regular football season’s end within sight, the Madisonville-North Hopkins Maroons seem to have finally found a reliable formula for victory, just in time to clinch a playoff spot.
For the second straight game, North employed a heavy dose of the running game and created further scoring opportunities by forcing turnovers. One week after using the strategy in a 36-12 victory over Marshall County, the Maroons (5-2) repeated the process to defeat Graves County (4-3) 35-14 on Friday night.
“We actually went from throwing the football the majority of the time to now we’re actually running it quite a bit,” coach Will Weaver said of the team’s improved rushing stats.
By game’s end against the Eagles, the Maroons ran nearly double the amount of plays they attempted through the air.
Leading the attack for North was running back Ryan Robinson, who eclipsed 130 yards and ran for three scores.
“He played real well,” Weaver said. “He’s rededicated himself to running hard and getting out there and practicing hard.”
One of the game’s most defining plays involved Robinson and wide receiver L.J. Gregory when a block by Gregory on the outside cleared two defenders and provided a running lane, which Robinson used to give the Maroons a 21-14 lead in the fourth quarter.
“L.J. made that play happen,” Weaver said. “Ryan Robinson is a guy that when he gets open space, he can take it to the next level. He’s been doing a real good job of once he gets into open field, the last couple weeks, of accelerating and leaving the defense behind.”
That score was the first of three fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns, all part of a 21-0 run by North to close the game.
Weaver said he thought the team’s success late was a result of not using as many players two ways like Graves.
On the defensive side of the ball, many Maroons stepped up and had an opportunity to be named defensive player of the game, but ultimately the honor went to Jaquez Samuel.
Samuel finished the game with 22 total tackles and collected a fumble recovery in Maroon territory during the third quarter.
Weaver said Samuel’s effort was just another reason he ranks among the state’s best tacklers.
“He was number two in the state as of last week, but I think with this it will put him number one in the state, all classes in tackles,” he said. “We had three of the top-five tacklers in the state with Iven Jessup, Jaquez Samuel and Jesse Donahue.
“Those guys just play with so much heart. They just fly to the football. They’re very athletic, but the desire to play the game is why we’ve been so successful on that side of the ball.”
Donahue and Jessup combined to stall an Eagles drive that reached the North 35-yard line early in the second quarter. On second-and-10, Donahue broke up a pass attempt and Jessup followed with a sack on third down for a 9-yard loss, forcing Graves to punt.
Donahue’s interception with less than a minute to play allowed North to run out the clock.
With the pick, the Maroon defense ensured a shutout as both Eagle touchdowns came on turnovers.
Another defensive standout in Friday’s win was J. Michael Collins, who created two significant plays in the second half. With Graves approaching the North 30-yard line, on second down, Collins recovered a loose ball to stop the drive.
Later, in the fourth quarter, Collins sacked quarterback Jake Clapp for an 11-yard loss, putting the Eagles in a fourth-and-36 situation from their own 9-yard line with about five minutes left in the game.
Weaver said Collins transferred from the Atlanta area this summer, and has found his niche.
“He wasn’t eligible to play until about midseason, so he’s just now starting to get in the mix and he really is starting to play well at interior tackle and defensive end as well.”
Collins’ uncle, Sonny, and father, John, both of the same last name, were standout players at the University of Kentucky. Sonny is one of the school’s all-time rushers while John played defensive line.
“He’s got a pretty good blood line,” Weaver said.
If the season were to end today, North would hold the four-seed in District 1, meaning the Maroons would play on the road at the District 5 one-seed’s home site. Currently, that team would be Louisville Trinity (6-1), the defending state champs.
Notes
North kicker Rush Dugger had a rather exceptional week on the football field and soccer field.
Dugger scored five goals in two games to spur his team to the Fifth District Tournament title.
During Friday’s football game, Dugger excelled by successfully converting on all five extra-point attempts and creating touchbacks on four of his five kickoffs.
After a Robinson touchdown gave North a 28-14 lead with less than three minutes to go, Dugger kicked off near midfield following a Graves penalty. With the fans finally feeling loose and comfortable leading by 14, they cheered wildly when Dugger’s kickoff split the uprights and the public address announcer shouted, “It’s good!”
In addition, Dugger averaged 32 net yards in his five punts, including a 49-yarder in the first quarter to pin Graves at its 21-yard line.
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