Lions over Tigers 42-28 for Region Championship Three-peat

The CHS Lions needed one more win to close out the 2008 season with a Region 7AA Championship & a history making 3rd championship in CHS history. The Waverly Tigers were coming off of an impressive homecoming win over Houston County & with one more win they would have the Region Championship for their own. The Lions needed to make the short trip to Waverly to get this settled, with it ALL on the line...

Waverly won the toss & took the football. Danny Kim cranked the kick down the left sideline & the returner was stopped at the Waverly (W) 38. The Tiger QB rolls left looking for an open receiver in the "spread" offense that they run. He lets it fly...right to Brandon Shannon! Brandon tucks the interception away & sprints down to the W38, first down Lions!

Michael Gaskin takes the snap from Will Latendresse & gives it to Devon White. Devon powers in behind Elias Nazi & Davie Miller for a gain of 3. Andy Travis takes the ball around right end, gets blocks from Thomas Pierpoint & Sean Ellis at the corner, spins & drives forward for a 1st down at the 3 yard line, 1st down Lions! Ross Dudley dives over the right side for a short gain, go again this time behind Devon's block & he scores! Thomas has the snap, Michael places the ball & Danny Kim has #49 consecutive thru the sticks. 10:20 showing on the 1st quarter clock & Camden is up, 7-0.

Danny's kick is a low driving kick down the left sideline that is returned to the W26. They try a hand off to the right, but Dakota Summers & LJ are all over it, no gain! Their QB rolls left, but short-arms the pass & Brandon Shannon almost has another play, incomplete. The Lions defense convenes around the Tiger QB & the throw is almost caught by Andy, incomplete & they are punting it away. It's a high spinner that Patrick Hassel fields at our 42 with 9:19 left in the 1st quarter.

Andy's run ends with two flags on the field, holding on us + facemask on them = go again. Ross sprints around right end & hammers two Tigers into the sticks for a 1st down at the W45. Michael rols right, looks, is pressured & has to step out of bounds, no gain. The dive play is covered & an incomplete pass has Gaskin punting it for a fair catch at the W17.

Waverly puts together an 12-play scoring drive that ends with a run over left tackle for the score. The kick is good & with 3:07 left in the 1st, we are tied at 7.

The Tigers try a high short kick & Brandon Shannon fields it down the right side to the CHS 46 where the Lions start a 15-play scoring drive. Ross bangs into the left side of the line, runs over two blue men & has a 1st down at the W43! Andy gains 8 & the give to Devon is thru the line, he adds a cut to the left & has an open field! They chase him down at the 17, CHS 1st down, 2:20 left in the quarter. Andy dives thru the middle for 2. Ross around right end, cuts outside & gains 7. Michael on the keeper, no push, no gain, & that ends the quarter. We jump, 5 yards the other way, 4th & 6. Michael rolls left, looks, GO! He runs along the left side & dive thru for the 1st & goal at the 6! Ross runs it down close, but yet another holding flag makes it 1st & goal at the 12. A rare fumble is recovered by the Lions for a loss of 2. Andy runs around left end, is bottled up, but manages to get back to the 11. Michael rolls right, pass is complete to Ross down close...but another holding flag makes it 1st & goal from the 25! An incomplete pass at the left pylon to Patrick Hassel has the Lions going for it, pass is complete to Andy & a huge interference draws three-count ‘em-three flags & the drive is alive at the 10, 1st down! Whew.

Andy round left end, no gain. The double hand off ends up with Andy slanting thru the middle, adds a cut & pushes a Tigger into the endzone for the score! Danny's #50 kick in a row is ALSO good & with 8:30 left before the half, Lions lead 14-7.

Waverly starts at their 34 & manage one 1st down before they give it back on downs at the CHS 42. The Lions offense can't get it's claws in the Wavo turf either & three plays later Michael punts it deep center. Thomas Pierpoint & Jordan Murphy stop the returner at the W39 with 3:27 left before the break.

They line it up...and take a time out. Jordan meets the dive play right in the hole & spins him into the ground for a loss of 2. Brandon is all over a pass in the right flat, but can't hang on, incomplete. Another pass attempt, but this time it is caught...by Nick Ibarra! Lions ball off the interception at the W40 with 2:20 left.

...just enough time to string together a 6-play scoring drive! Devon starts it off with a dive up the middle, runs THRU two Blue Men for the 1st down at the 20! Ross in motion, runs wide left, big hit & pushes for a gain of 8. Flag. No flag. Test flag? Who knows...

Fake it to Andy, Michael keeps up the middle to make it 3rd & 1. Ross around left end, Dakota & Davie stay on their blocks & he has the 1st down at the 7! Time out Lions with 1:07 showing. Andy in behind Elias, puts his head down & blasts thru to the two yard line, time out CHS. The Blue Man Group is looking for Andy, or Ross, or...nope, wrong again as Devon hammers the left side & scores! Danny's kick hits the left stick & still falls thru & the Lions are up 21-7!

The high spinner is fielded along the left side line where Andy, Trevor & Tyler hammer the runner down at the W33. A run up the middle works ‘way too good & they have a first at OUR 35, time out Wavo. That halfback pass we have been warned about is incomplete, but the interference call makes it a 1st at our 30, 20 seconds left. No, wait, change the clock to 15.5 seconds. Thanks. Their quarterback keeps on a run to the 20 where he slides down to reduce his collision insurance & that ends the half with the Lions up 21-7.

Half time is all Waverly & the hot chocolate line is all consuming, just before Davie reminds them that we get the ball. Prolly a good idea to help them all we can...

The Tigers try to line drive kick, but Nick Ibarra ends up with the ball & speeds to our 47, 1st down. The Lions offense is on the field to start a 6-play scoring drive with a Devon run for 5. Again outside left, no gain. Andy around left end for a good gain, but the false start flag moves it 5 the other way. Michael rolls right, spots Ross open over the middle & the pass is good for a 1st at the W40! Michael has the quick give to Devon slanting to the left, & he is gone to the 3 yard line! Ross carries the mail inside behind Will & Elias, rolls a Tigger backward, cuts left & scores! Danny's kick is good & with 9:28 left in the 3rd, Camden is up 28-7.

Waverly starts at their 35 & the Lions defense delivers a 3 & out with big hits by LJ, Summers, Ibarra, Dudley, Murphy, & a tackle from behind by Dakota to bring out the punter. Patrick Hassel fields the punt, runs right, adds a stiff arm & has the ball out to our 35.

The Lions offense can't get rolling & Michael's hard count doesn't draw them off sides, time out, & the punt is away. We down it at the Wavo 25 & the Lions defense is back on the field with 5:25 left in the 3rd.

Waverly strings together a 17-play scoring drive that finishes over in the 4th quarter with a time out & a pass completion at the left pylon for the score. A push up the middle gets one hand up for the block & it's a 28-13 game.

The Tigers try the onside kick, has the high bounce at the left side line...but the ball is out of bounds & it's ours at the 33. the Lions offense is held to three & out, so Michael drills a low driving punt down the their 12.

The Tigers offense is cookin' & they string together a nine play scoring drive that ends with Michael Purcell grabbing the intercepted ball away for the score! Their two-point conversion play is a completion at the left side of the endzone & with 4:24 left to play, Tigers cut the gap to 7, 28-21.

Waverly tries another onside kick, but one early Tiger touch makes it Lions ball at the W49. Travis behind Miller, gain of 2. Dudley outside left, hit quick but powers forward for a gain of 2. Three minutes left in the game, Dudley again around left end, cuts outside & blisters the left side line. One Tigger has a shot, but Ross shrugs him off & scores! Danny's kick is good, CHS 35, Wavo 21.

Kim hits a high short kick left, they try the throw back left & the runner breaks thru the first wave-oh, but Andy is there to stop him at their 21! Great play! Trevor Latendresse delivers a big QB sack & it's 2nd & 14. The Tigers are a mess & a flag for illegal sub (too many men on the field) moves them back s'more. A flag at the snap for a Tiger jump moves it back 5. They complete a pass over the middle where Nick Ibarra rides him down, 3rd & 8. The next pass is into the right flat, but Ross Dudley is ready & intercepts! His runback along the left side line ends up in the endzone, touchdown Lions! Danny smoothes another one thru & with 1:43 left to play, Camden has it 42-21.

Danny kicks it along the left sideline & Blake Riley has the stop at the W45. All the young Lions are on the field on defense & 7 plays later Waverly scores on the QB keeper. Their kick is good & it's 42-28 with 10.3 second left. Yet another onside kick is covered by Camden & Michael runs the victory knee to perfection, game over, Region Champs, 42-28.

Some stats of interest:
First Downs: CHS-13, W-15
Rushes/Yds: CHS-40/291, W-28/119
Passing Att/Comp/Yds/Int: CHS-4/1/15/0, W-39/22/289/3
Fumbles/Lost: CHS-0/0, W-3/1
Penalties #/Yds: CHS9/68, W-5/35

CHS Leading Rusher: Ross Dudley, 15 carries for 106 & 4 TD's

CHS Leading Tacklers:
Nick Ibarra, 11 total, 5 solo, 1 for loss, 1 Int
Andy Travis, 9 total, 4 solo, 1 batted pass

Talking with Lions Head Football Coach Kevin Ward after the game:
"It was a good win for us against a good football team, a day early, with a lot of things that we had to adjust to. We didn't play our best football tonight, and that is disappointing. You want to be peaking at this time of the year, maybe next week we will see our best game. Waverly had a good game plan against us & executed it well! We caught some breaks & also made a few plays when we had too, very proud of our Seniors. They will graduate with three consecutive Region Championships, never been done here!"

On the refs "portion" of the action:
"I think they did a good job, they missed some things on both sides. When Waverly touched the ball early on the on-side kick, you are going to see a lot of referees that won't call that. They made the correct call & at that point in the game, it was very crucial for us! I just felt like if they had gotten the ball right there, they would have scored & the outcome might have been different in overtime! We made them pay, took it down & scored. Then on the next series got an interception & scored, so it really was a momentum swing."

On the preparation by the team:
"We didn't have a great week of practice, I knew they weren't ready to play before the game, they weren't as focused as they needed to be. I knew there was a possibility that we would have a let-down. The quick start with the interception, took it down & score, I thought maybe I was wrong. Not taking anything away from Waverly, they are a good football team & deserve to be in the playoffs. They deserved to win a Regional Championship, but we were able to not play our best ball & still bring back a win."

On the almost 300 yards passing & 120 rushing yards Waverly hung on us:
"As strange as it sounds, I was proud that our defense didn't give up a "big" play. They had to go 12, 18 plays to score.

On some of the big plays the Lions made:
"We made some big plays, the coverage of the throw-back pass on the kickoff. We told them that it was coming & Andy did a great job of covering it. Almost could have had a jump on it for an interception! We had a lot of plays by our Seniors, plus Devon stepped up huge. We were physical tonight, didn't win all of the battles, but enough to win."

On the Waverly defensive strategy:
"Seemed like they were trying to take Andy & Ross out of the game as much as they could. More or less, making our quarterback & fullback beat them. We had to try to take advantage of some things that they were giving us. We didn't run some routes like I wanted us to, didn't pass protect as well as we needed, but Devon & Michael played well enough that it loosened up for Ross & Andy later."

Go Lions!