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Timberwolves survive sloppy second half to hold off Thomastown |
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Saturday, 19 September 2009 |
By JAMES CARSKADON
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MABEN — West Oktibbeha’s defense held its ground in the second half to maintain the Wolverines’ 20-6 lead in Friday night’s win over Thomastown.
The win over the Bulldogs puts West Oktibbeha at 2-2 on the season, which doubles the team’s win total from last season. More importantly, the win moves the Timberwolves to 2-0 in district play, while the Bulldogs fell to 0-4 on the season.
“2-0 in the district, that is where we want to be,” T-Wolves’ head coach Adam Lowrey said of his team’s record.
West Oktibbeha was able to gain good field position when they recovered a surprise onside kick on the opening kickoff at the Bulldog 46-yard line.
The opening drive ended in a 34-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Von Smith to Dwight Quinn.
The Timberwolves’ following drive ended just short of a touchdown when Thomastown recovered a fumble on the 6-yard line.
However, the West Oktibbeha defense responded with a sack by John Coker, and then Jeremy Brown sniffed out a run in the end zone for a safety, giving them an 8-0 lead with 2:46 left in the first quarter.
West Oktibbeha had another break when Thomastown fumbled a punt return to give the Timberwolves possession on the 42-yard line. That drive ended with a Josh Poe 3-yard touchdown run to make the score 14-0.
The Timberwolves’ following drive led to their third and final touchdown of the game, a 4-yard pass from Smith to Tiberious Lampkin.
The touchdown put West Oktibbeha in the unfamiliar situation of being ahead 20-0 in the first half.
“They’re used to always fighting back. You gotta know how to win,” Lowrey said after the game.
While Smith had an excellent first half, throwing for 130 yards and two touchdowns, but he made a freshman mistake shortly before half time. With the Timberwolves driving at the Bulldog 14-yard line, Smith threw a pass that was intercepted by Nick Brown and returned 90 yards for a Thomastown touchdown. The interception return made the score 20-6 at the half, and that score would not change in the second half of the game.
“I had to tell Von to save the drive, and not save the play. Take the sack, throw it away,” Lowrey said.
The Timberwolves’ defense was able to hold Thomastown to -35 yards of total offense in the first half.
After the pick, the Timberwolves’ offense fell flat in the second half, and often hurt itself with bad snaps and fumbles.
A big part of the Timberwolves’ offensive struggles in the second half was the size advantage enjoyed by Thomastown on both the offensive and defensive lines.
“We couldn’t get on the edges, so we just decided to run right at them,” said Thomastown head coach Gary Anderson.
The Bulldogs’ offense was able to rush for 99 yards in the second half.
Thomastown saw two of its second half drives end on turnovers on downs, while its final drive ended when Jeremy Brown intercepted a Thomastown pass with 1:26 left to seal the game.
The Timberwolves lost freshman lineman Michael Graise to a turned ankle in the second quarter. The extent of his injury is still unknown.
While his players were looking forward to the Homecoming dance after the game, Lowrey and his squad will begin preparing for their matchup next week against Edinburg.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 20 September 2009 )
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