Trojan offense thumps Cougars

By Laura Clark

Published: November 5, 2008

The Monelison Trojans showed scoring power Oct. 30, scoring on every offensive possession in a 38-6 win against cross-county rivals, the Amherst Middle School Cougars.

“Our team had a great week of practice this week which is what contributed to our success today,” Trojans coach David Friend said. “They gave a great effort today and played hard from beginning through the end.”

In the game’s second play, Trojan Scott Rucker broke free after the handoff to run a 59-yard touchdown. The Cougars then began eking out yardage from their 33-yard line, making it to the Trojans’ 35 before a fumbled pitch was recovered by Monelison.

Quarterback Porter Abell capped this drive with a short sneak across the goal line. Rucker ran in the two-point conversion to put Monelison up 14-0.

As halftime approached, the Cougar offense started to click. Darren Carter earned three first downs for his team, getting to the Trojans’ 33. But with three seconds remaining the blitzing Trojans sacked quarterback Jeff Dreyer as he looked for a receiver.

The Cougars were without starting running back Uriah Hammond, who may have suffered a concussion in the final plays of the first half. The Cougars have limited substitutes, as their team, and school, is about half the size of Monelison.

“The kids we had played hard,” said Cougars coach Jason Cox. “I think we had a good season (3-5). Monelison out-played us today. They have a good team.”

The Trojans needed just one play to get a score early in the third quarter. Abell found wide receiver Chris Grubbs deep down the sideline for a 61-yard touchdown pass. Abell and Grubbs paired up again the next offensive possession for a one-play, 55-yard touchdown pass. Grubbs, who wears the same No. 84 jersey as his senior tight end brother, Taylor, said making those big plays were difficult.

“The cornerback was always covering me real hard,” Grubbs said.

Between Grubbs touchdowns, the Cougars got on the board in what Cox described as a “crazy play.”

At the Trojan’s 46, the Cougars had their best offensive field position to start a series. On a third-and-15, Dreyer’s pass was intercepted by Trojan John Tomlin. Immediately surrounded by Cougars, the ball popped loose and Amherst Sidney Sandidge came up with it. He turned and ran for a 42-yard touchdown.

Monelison’s defense held the Cougars through the rest of the game, including a fourth-and-goal stop on the six yard line. The Trojan’s scored again in a three-play possession early in the fourth quarter. Running back Brent Ferguson broke a tackle and ran in a 5-yard touchdown.

The Trojans (6-1) dedicated this final game of the season to volunteer coach Fred Garland, or “Coach Poo,” who passed away on Oct. 26. Garland’s son, Jarrett, was the starting nose guard for Monelison.

“He was a big influence on our team,” Abell said.

As per tradition, the game concluded with a speech by Lancer varsity coach Cecil Phillips. Phillips introduced himself and congratulated the teams, which have both adopted his new Wing-T offense in preparation for high school. Phillips also impressed the players with the amount of weight the varsity lifts, and encouraged the middle schoolers to come out in January and start lifting.

“You can do the same, but it takes a tremendous amount of commitment,” Phillips said.

He also placed emphasis on the fact that the players before him, in Trojan gold and Cougar blue, were soon to become Lancer maroon. For Amherst’s Sandidge, the idea that they would be “one” wasn’t too far fetched.

“I got friends playing on (the Trojan team). I got cousins playing on it,” Sandidge said. “It feels like playing backyard football again.”