-Bulldogs Wear Down Jacks 48-38
By Brett Barnes
With 3:16 to play in the third quarter, the Oakwood Lumberjacks took the football and began another march down the field. Another touchdown looked to be inevitable and why not? The Jacks had moved up and down the field all night with relative ease despite the fact that they only had two players on their entire roster over 205 pounds. They had out-quicked, out-thought, and totally out-played the
home standing Bulldogs on this night, and now with a 38-27 lead and the ball, this touchdown would surely knock the Bulldogs out.
The touchdown never happened. After another pinpoint pass from Max Banke to Sam Falter, the football popped loose, and M-U’s Cole Pennington pounced on it giving the Bulldogs a chance. M-U took the gift and ran with it down the Lumberjack’s throat, completely dominating the fourth quarter, running away with an improbable 48-38 victory at Memorial Stadium.
The night was a defensive coordinator’s worst nightmare from play one. Touchdowns were answered by touchdowns and after the first quarter, Oakwood led 14-7.
On the last play of the first quarter, M-U mishandled a snap right near midfield, where Oakwood recovered. It took only one play to score when Banke broke free for a 51-yard touchdown scamper, and Oakwood looked to be in control at 21-7.
Despite a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty (one of 4, 15-yard penalties on the Bulldogs for the night), the Bulldogs drove and cut the deficit to 21-13 when Tyler Brown broke free at midfield, and powered his way 59-yards for a touchdown.
Then came the two key series of the first half. The Jacks drove all the way to the Milton 3-yard line facing a fourth and one. For the first time, M-U’s size advantage took over. The dive play came up short, and M-U had the football. However, one first down later, M-U fumbled at the 20-yard line, and the Jacks had the ball again.
Again they drove, this time to the M-U 1-yard line, but again Milton’s superior size held them out of the end zone, and the Jacks had to settle for a field goal by Bryan Koenig and a 24-13 halftime lead.
The second half looked like a video game with M-U’s Chris Boggs the unstoppable creation. Boggs rushed for 262 yards in the game, 221 of them coming after the half. He started the scoring in the third with a 69-yard touchdown, but that was quickly answered by Oakwood on another Falter 15-yard run. Falter’s touchdown was matched by M-U three plays later on another Brown touchdown, this time
from 52-yards. Oakwood responded just five plays later when Cory Carter bounced off no fewer than seven Bulldogs on his way to a 52-yard touchdown: Video game.
M-U’s superior size dominated the fourth quarter. A 9-play (8 runs), 45-yard drive ended in Brown’s third touchdown of the game cutting the deficit to 38-33.
Momentum had turned, and the Jacks just could not respond. Three plays netted only 2 yards, and the Jacks had to give up the football with 6:04 remaining in the game. It took one play for M-U to take the lead for good. The O-line opened another huge hole, and Boggs scampered virtually untouched 57 yards to pay dirt. For good measure, he added the two point conversion making the score 41-38.
Oakwood faltered again on an incomplete 4th down pass. M-U had the ball and needed just two first downs to run out the clock. They did better than that. Boggs added his third touchdown of the half this time from 34-yards out, and following Nick Field’s PAT, the scoreboard finally rested. Final score: 48-38.
M-U netted 492 total yards including two 100-yard rushers for the second week in a row (Boggs 262, Brown 181). Oakwood totaled 454 yards but only 29 yards in the fourth quarter. M-U stands at 2-0 with TIPP CITY waiting next week in what will be a battle of undefeated teams. Game time at Tipp 7:30.
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