Colonels' offense too much for Storm: Henderson County routs Central

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Coming down the final stretch of the regular season, the Hopkins County Central boys’ soccer team played remarkably strong, and a district rematch with Henderson County on Monday night had some of the Storm players eager to earn a postseason win at Donley Field.

Central (4-13-2) allowed just one goal in the game’s first 19 minutes, but once the Storm fell behind 2-0, there was no recovery as the team’s intensity lacked the ability to overcome Henderson (12-4-1) and they lost 10-0.

During the teams’ regular season matchup on Aug. 21, Central trailed 1-0 at halftime before losing 6-0. The Storm hoped a similar effort from that game’s first half would help the team pull an upset.

“Some of them thought, ‘OK, we can play with them,’ but they thought because we did last time we just automatically would, (like) it’s their God-given right to be able to play with them,” co-coach Charlie Chinn said. “We just didn’t play with the same effort we did as last time.”

The Storm allowed the game’s first goal just three minutes in, but the team’s defense buckled down for the next 16 minutes to hold the Colonels’ advantage at a mere 1-0.

“We were just trying to contain them,” senior defender Kristian Rowland said. “They move the ball really well. They know how to control it... They were kind of attacking a lot.

“We were trying to stay close to our man, not kind of back up. We were marking off on corners, that’s all we could really do.”

Henderson’s fleet-footed attack finally broke through again with 21:22 left in the first half when Jordan Gregory scored his second goal. The goal seemed to open the flood gates for the Colonels.

“Once it got nasty, it got nasty in a hurry,” Chinn said.

During the game’s next 20 minutes, Henderson scored six more times to take an 8-0 lead into halftime.

It took less than five minutes into the second half for the Colonels to score twice more and end the game early.

Storm senior Cody Heady expressed his frustration after the game regarding the offense’s attempt to manufacture goals.

“One (run) down here, they pushed me to the edge, they knew how to play the game,” he said.

Heady appeared to have a breakaway opportunity, but Henderson’s speed on defense prevented him from running past or attempting a cross.

“They beat us to the ball,” Heady said. “They passed well and they knew where each other were and we just couldn’t get the ball to move how we wanted it. We would have it where they would get down on our end for a while, we would get the ball, yet we wouldn’t have players up here to move it down the field.”

Rowland said the opposition’s ability to make crisp passes made it difficult on the Storm defense to keep up.

Senior defender Will Miller also said lack of communication played into Central’s downfall.

“They talk more than we do,” he said. “We didn’t talk as an offense today. We just held onto the ball too long and didn’t try to pass.”

After the game, Rowland spoke on behalf of all the team’s seniors.

“You’re kind of sad,” he said. “You wish you could go back and change a few things, go back and redo some things you didn’t do well, but overall I’m happy. I had a couple good years here, and I wish the best of luck to the rest of the team next year.”

Special teams helps Central beat Lone Oak

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Hopkins County Central football coach Rick Snodgrass has 18 years as head coach on his résumé, and he knows when two teams of equal skill-level show up to the field, the game is typically determined on the one aspect that can easily be overlooked.

That aspect is special teams play, and Central (4-2) dominated the category from the first quarter on in Friday night’s 35-31 win over Lone Oak (5-1), notching one fumble recovery for a score and a blocked punt, which led to another touchdown.

“When you get a game like that, an emotional game, with two evenly matched teams, it usually comes down to special teams and turnovers, and I think we won that battle.”

The first of many great special teams plays occurred less than two minutes into the game when the Purple Flash lined up to punt from their own 30-yard line. The center sent a low snap back to the punter, who had a difficult time finding the handle, allowing Troy Dale Rorer and Wade Hendrix to combine for the tackle at the 17-yard line.

It took the Storm just four plays to take advantage of the miscue, scoring on a 2-yard Keith Couch rush.

As the clock on the first quarter ticked down, Rorer once again made an impact on special teams. On fourth-and-nine from its own 20-yard line, Lone Oak attempted to punt, but Lucas Duncan dove in the air to block the ball, and Rorer recovered in the endzone. Central led 20-7 with 1:31 remaining in the first quarter after the play.

“After looking at film (early in the week), we felt like we could block a punt and we came pretty hard on the punts and caused a couple turnovers on that,” Snodgrass said. “We got to the punter one time and got to him just before he could get it off on a bad snap. Of course, Lucas Duncan blocked it and Troy Dale (Rorer) fell on it in the endzone. That was a big play for us there.”

Duncan continued his spectacular night on Lone Oak’s ensuing drive when he jumped in front of a Purple Flash wide receiver to intercept the ball and take it 40 yards for a touchdown as time came to an end on the first quarter.

Despite the large advantage, Lone Oak’s offense sparked to life in the second quarter, scoring 21 unanswered points to tie the game at 28 all. The final touchdown of the half came after the Purple Flash recovered an onsides kick with 15 seconds left before halftime.

After a penalty on the previous play, Lone Oak kicked off from Central’s 45-yard line.

While it may have caught many of the fans off guard, Snodgrass said he was prepared for the play and had his “hands team” on the field.

The kicker tapped the ball and it trickled just past the required 10 yards and into the grip of Lone Oak’s Dylan Murphy. The Purple Flash had time enough for just two plays, but it was sufficient.

Quarterback Jamarielle Brown tossed up a Hail Mary as time expired and the ball landed in the hands of receiver Justin Jackson to tie the game.

During the second half, the game turned into a defensive struggle between the offensive giants.

Lone Oak struck first, scoring on the game’s only field goal just minutes inside the second half.

Another turnover, created by the Storm proved to be the difference-maker in the final quarter though.

With 11 minutes left in the game, Brown scrambled in the backfield to create positive yardage on a busted play, and attempted to make a lateral pitch, but the ball hit the ground and was recovered by Central’s Nathan Crick.

“We were able to get a couple interceptions and that big fumble there at the end gave us decent field position where we could go down and score and take the lead,” Snodgrass said.

Central did just that, scoring on a nine-play, 64-yard drive for a 35-31 lead.

The Storm defense took over from there.

With about four minutes left, Rorer and Anthony Qualls combined to sack Brown for a 13-yard loss, setting up a second-and-28 from the Lone Oak 46-yard line.

“I thought Anthony Qualls played a great ballgame,” Snodgrass said. “He put pressure on the quarterback all night and they were holding him and he was still getting pressure on him.”

Three plays later, Rorer sacked Brown again, but this time for a 15-yard loss, knocking the Purple Flash back across midfield after gaining some ground.

Rorer, typically used a running back, came up big for the Central defense, lining up in multiple positions, including nose tackle at one point.

“We were able to bring Troydale in, bring some fresh legs in to try and apply some pressure and we were able to get to Brown several times, not let him have all day in the pocket to throw down field,” Snodgrass said. “Our guys in the secondary did a great job of covering.”

After the Rorer sack on second down, Central’s Nikee Caldwell and Keith Couch each provided secondary coverage to cause incompletions and turn the ball over on downs.

The defense continued its success on the next Purple Flash drive with Rorer recording a sack, Qualls and Dustin Grant combining on another, and the secondary limiting Brown to two-of-five passing.

Central outlasts Purple Flash

Saturday, October 11, 2008

PADUCAH — Just as expected, there were fireworks from the opening introductions at Friday night’s football contest between Hopkins County Central and Lone Oak, but it was the visiting Storm who created their own thunder and lightning early on, before a tremendous Purple Flash comeback.

After Central (4-2) and Lone Oak (5-1) combined to score 56 points in the first half, the final 24 minutes proved to be a complete turn-around, becoming a defensive battle in which the Storm came out on top with a 35-31 victory.

The Purple Flash ran onto the field with a welcoming show of pyrotechnics, but Central’s offense dominated first quarter play while the Storm defense shut the door in the fourth quarter.

In between, the Lone Oak offense made an onslaught to get back into the game.

Tied 28-28 at halftime, Lone Oak got on the board first in the second half, scoring on a 35-yard Jack Coorts field goal with 7:09 left in the third quarter. Although Central trailed by three, the points would prove to be the Purple Flash’s last of the game while the Storm added a touchdown to steal one of the school’s biggest wins in its history.

The victory did not come easy though as Lone Oak appeared ready to add to its lead in the fourth quarter. Flash quarterback Jamarielle Brown scrambled on a third-down from the Central 23-yard line and made an ill-advised lateral that was scooped up by Storm’s Nathan Crick at the 40-yard line.

Central turned the opportunity into the game-winning score nine plays later when Troydale Rorer took a pass from Jake Powell, cut inside and ran 11 yards to the endzone for a 35-31 lead with 6:57 left in the game.

On Lone Oak’s next possession the team marched into Central territory, but four straight stops gave the Storm the ball at their own 47-yard line.

The Purple Flash got the ball back though, when the Central offense could not get a first down. Lone Oak crossed midfield once again with less than two minutes to go. Facing fourth-and-16 from the Storm 41-yard line, Central’s defense made one last stop as Keith Couch broke up a pass from Brown at the 10-yard line with :58 seconds left.

Central took over on downs and assumed the victory formation with a few kneel-downs to seal the win.

In the first half, the Storm took just two and one-half minutes to go ahead of the favored Flash. On Lone Oak’s first possession of the game, Central forced the home squad to a three-and-out. Central’s Wade Hendrix blocked the ensuing punt after a low snap and Troydale Rorer jumped on the ball at the Flash 17-yard line.

Four plays later, Keith Couch scored the game’s first points on a 2-yard rush and a 7-0 advantage.

Thirsting to add onto the team’s momentum, the defense once again stopped Lone Oak on its next drive.

Powell led the Storm to a score for the second straight possession when on third-and-eight from the Purple Flash 42-yard line, he dropped a perfectly placed ball over the shoulder of receiver Kevin Couch. The score put the Storm ahead 14-0 just four minutes into the game.

After stopping Lone Oak’s offensive wonder Brown on the team’s first few drives, Central’s defense allowed Brown to escape the pocket on a busted play to find receiver Logan Francis for a 53-yard gain to the Storm 24-yard line on a third-down play.

Kevin Couch forced a fumble on the play, but Flash receiver Gavin Nall fell on the ball to recover. Three plays later, Brown threw to Matt Starks to cut the deficit in half.

The Storm’s offense stalled on the next drive, but Lucas Duncan put the team on his back with the first of many spectacular plays. Lone Oak held the ball on fourth-and-nine from its own 20-yard line, ready to punt, but Duncan split the line to block the punt attempt, his third of the year.

Rorer jumped on the ball to recover in the endzone. Central’s two-point conversion failed, but the team led 20-7.

Less than a minute later, Duncan struck again displaying his athleticism when he intercepted Brown on third-down and returned the pick 40 yards for a score. Powell successfully completed the two-point try for a commanding 28-7 lead with 1:23 left in the first quarter.

The second quarter presented a completely different game though, as Lone Oak took the momentum and didn’t look back.

The Purple Flash scored three times in the quarter’s final eight minutes to even the game. The comeback did not come, however, until Duncan intercepted Brown for the second time of the night and returned 22 yards to the Central 38-yard line.

Unfortunately for the Storm, its offense could not convert on the opportunity and opened the door for the never-say-die Lone Oak squad.

The Purple Flash put together a nine-play, 80-yard drive, capped by a 26-yard touchdown pass to Allen Haase.

The touchdown seemed innocent enough as Central still led by two scores, but a stalling Storm offense combined with an opportunistic Lone Oak team equaled perfect timing for a comeback.

Lone Oak scored two touchdowns in the half’s final two minutes to take the hush the Central fans.

With less than thirty seconds in the half, on third-and-14 from the Central 15-yard line, Brown threw to receiver Allen Haase. The receiver fell down and defender Kelsey Bowman fell onto Haase’s back, resulting in a questionable pass interference call.

Therefore, Lone Oak had the ball first-and-goal from the 7-yard line. The next play, Starks caught a touchdown reception to pull within one score with just 18 seconds to go.

The Purple Flash kicked off from the Central 45-yard line as a result of the previous penalty and opted to make an on-sides kick, catching the Storm off guard. Lone Oak recovered and on the half’s final play, Brown threw a 48-yard touchdown to a wide-open Justin Jackson as a Central defender fell down in coverage near the goal line.

The reception capped a magnificent rally by Lone Oak and the two teams entered halftime tied 28-28.

Central

Passing: Jake Powell 9-17 91 yards 1 INT

Rushing: Troydale Rorer 13-58 Jake Powell 9-10 Keith Couch 6-38 1 TD Kevin Couch 2-53 1 TD

Receiving: Rorer 1-5 Keith Couch 1-1 Kevin Couch 3-32 Kelsey Bowman 3-11

Forced fumbled: Kevin Couch

Fumble recovery: Nathan Crick

Interception: Lucas Duncan 2-62 1 TD

Punt block recovery: Rorer 1 TD

Lone Oak

Passing: Jamerielle Brown 24-51 333 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT

Rushing: Brown 16-4 Matt Starks 7-38 Justin Jackson 7-46 Chayton Thacker 2-12

Receiving: Allen Haase 6-90 1 TD Logan Francis 1-53 Matt Starks 5-42 2 TD Cameron Looper 2-11 Justin Jackson 5-101 1 TD Carson Beyer 1-18 Chayton Thacker 1-(-6)

Fumble recovery: Gavin Nall, Justin Jackson, Rorer 1 TD

Fumbles: Logan Francis, Justin Jackson, Matt Starks

Blocked punt: Lucas Duncan

1st quarter

HCC: 9:30, Keith Couch 2-yard rush, Wesley Ipock XP – Central 7-0

HCC: 6:02, Kevin Couch 42-yard reception from Jake Powell, Ipock XP – 14-0

LO: 4:44, Matt Starks 14-yard reception from Jamerielle Brown, Jack Coorts XP – 14-7

HCC: 1:31, Troydale Rorer fumble recovery TD, 2-point conversion no good – 20-7

HCC: with no time, Lucas Duncan 40-yard interception, Powell 3-yard rush two-point conversion – 28-7

2nd quarter

LO: 3:32, Allen Haase 26-yard reception from Brown, Coorts XP – 28-14

LO: 0:18, Starks 7-yard reception from Brown, Coorts XP – 28-21

LO: with no time, Jackson 48-yard reception from Brown, Coorts XP – 28-28

3rd quarter

LO: 7:09, Coorts 35-yard field goal – Lone Oak 31-28

4th quarter

HCC: 6:57, Rorer 11-yard rush, Ipock XP – Central 35-31