Published: September 05, 2008 10:48 pm            

Goal-line stand propels Bruins to victory

LIZTON — Tri-West didn’t hold its opponent scoreless for the third game in a row, but in Friday’s victory over Lebanon, the defense was once again the star of the show.

Trailing 14-10 with less than four minutes to play, the visiting Tigers faced a 4th-and-goal from the Bruins’ 3-yard-line. Lebanon running back Kameryn Wright tried to punch in the score, but was denied the go-ahead touchdown at the goal line by Bruin defenders Collin Alvernaz and Drake Gadberry.

The Bruin offense ran out the clock on the ensuing drive to preserve the 14-10 victory.

“It was huge for the defense to get that stop there,” Tri-West coach Chris Coll said. “If Lebanon went up there, we would have had to drive the field and we were able to drive just twice tonight and other times we went nowhere. We weren’t in a rhythm offensively.”

Brock Sellers and Alex Stahl each grabbed an interception while Caleb Ross rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown to lead Tri-West (3-0).

“Our defense played great the whole game,” Coll said. “It kept us in there and didn’t give up the score. Lebanon is a good football team and is well-coached.”

Wright led the Tigers (0-3) with 84 yards rushing and a touchdown.

An incompletion, a 10-yard sack of quarterback Jake Allen, and a Ross run for a loss meant a three-and-out for Tri-West on its first drive. Bruin punter Drake Gadberry was drilled on the ensuing kick, but the officials waved off a roughing the kicker penalty due to the ball being tipped.

On their opening drive, the Tigers marched to the Tri-West 11-yard-line, where they faced a 4th-and-10 situation. Lebanon quarterback Matt Beard opted to throw for the endzone, but found a player in the wrong colored jersey, as Sellers came up with the interception at the Tri-West 4.

Backed up near their own goal-line, the Bruins called two straight running plays for Ross to get some breathing room. But Allen was sacked for a 7-yard loss on the next play, giving Lebanon the safety and a 2-0 lead with 5:45 to go in the first.

Stahl came up with his interception on the next drive, and this time, the Bruins capitalized on the turnover, when Ross punched in a 27-yard touchdown to make it 7-2 Tri-West with 3:09 left in the first.

The teams traded punts until late in the first half, when Bruin running back Thomas O’Neal fumbled the ball on his first carry of the game deep in Tri-West territory. The Tigers took advantage of the costly mistake, pounding the ball into the endzone on a 13-yard TD run from Wright.

A successful two-point conversion gave Lebanon a 10-7 lead heading into the locker room.

“I challenged the defense to keep doing what they were doing because they were playing great,” Coll said. “I told the offense to step it up and they did much better in the second half. They took better care of the ball and we had better field position.”

Lebanon was forced to punt on its first three drives of the second half, but on Tri-West’s opening possession, Allen capped an eight-play, 63-yard drive with a 4-yard TD plunge that proved to be the game-winning score.

Both teams continue Sagamore Conference play Friday, when Tri-West hosts North Montgomery and Lebanon hosts Frankfort.



kevin.leibrock@flyergroup.com

        

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