Needing a victory to control their own playoff destiny, the Keystone Height Indians were unable to defeat the Bolles Bulldogs. Following the 41-6 defeat, the Indians now look for some help from West Nassau to legitimately keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Indians (4-2, 2-2) struggles against the Bulldogs (6-0, 4-0) started from the first play of the game. The special teams for the Indians gave up a 75 yard kick off return for a touchdown. The play was called back on a holding call against the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs offense started on their own twenty four yard line after the penalty. Junior RB Stephen Barnett got the running game started with a two yard run, followed by a six yard gain. Sophomore quarterback Chandler Carr completed four passes for fifty one yards on the opening drive. Carr would finish the night 10 of 17, for 195 yards and three touchdowns, no interceptions. Once the Bulldogs offense was inside the twenty five yard line of the Indians, they would finish the drive how they started it, on the ground. Barnett ran five straight times for twenty two yards and a score. The Bulldogs offense would use up just over six minutes on the opening drive.
The Indians received the ball and started from their own twenty yard line. The running tandem of Greg Taylor and Matt Story looked as if it was going to be in high gear right from the first offensive snap. Story had a gain of eleven yards, which was followed by a run of twelve yards by Taylor. After combing for a total of just thirteen yards on the rest of their opening drive, the Indians gambled on a fourth and six. The pass would sail out of bounds incomplete. The Bulldogs wasted little time to take advantage of the Indians missed opportunity. Carr found senior wide receiver Kenny McClain wide open for a fifty nine yard pass reception that ended in a touchdown.
Down 14-0 in the beginning of the second quarter, the Indians tried to establish their running game once again. Taylor and Story would combine for twenty yards on their second offensive series. The two running backs had an uncharacteristic night. Story would finish with 51 yards on 17 carries and Taylor had only 99 yards on 20 carries. Both backs would finish the night without getting in the end zone. This would be the first game that neither back had a hundred yards rushing and were both held scoreless. The Indians ball control offense was only able to keep the Bulldogs high powered offense off the field for three and a half minutes.
The Bulldogs would again strike quickly. Junior Matt Barnes was able to break free from the Indians defense for a gain of forty four yards. Barnes was kept from scoring by a determined Cameron Yarbrough. Yarbrough was able to catch Barnes from behind, even though Barnes had an eight yard head start. Unfortunately Yarbrough and the rest of the Indians defense were unable to stop Julian Vanscyoc. The Sophomore kicker connected on a thirty yard field goal to put the Bulldogs up 17-0.
The Indians were unable to gain another first down for the remainder of the first half. However the Bulldogs were able to add another touchdown. Sophomore RB Jawan Jamison would score from twenty four yards out with only 3:54 left on the clock. The Bulldogs defense would hold the Indians to a quick three and out and give their offense another chance to score. The Indians would only give up a four yard run on the drive. But for the Indians there just was not enough time left on the clock. They would run four plays and go into the locker room down 24-0.
The Indians would receive the second half kick off and start on their own twenty yard line. Unable to get the offense going, the special teams were forced to punt. Standing back at his own ten yard line, Senior Ryan Miller lost his grip on the football and tried to scramble for the first down. The Bulldogs put pressure on him and Miller got a kick away that went off the side of his foot. The punt netted negative ten yards. The Bulldogs were going to continue what they had done in the first half. Take advantage of an Indian’s mistake. Three plays following the bad punt, Carr’s deflected pass found Senior Tight End Mikey Triglia in the end zone.
Down 31-0, the Indians would put together their best offensive series. They would open up the drive with some trickery. Yarbrough would gain twenty nine yards on a receiver end around. Story and Taylor would have their best out put of the night since the opening drive. The two would run for a total of thirty yards and get the offense down to the two yard line. Yarbrough would haul in a touchdown pass from quarterback Clayton Mosley.
Mosley would be asked too do much more offensively this night than he has been in the past. He would struggle facing the Bulldogs defensive scheme. Mosley would finish the game 6 of 15 for 43 yards, 1 td and 1 int. For the Indians offense they eliminated the chance of a shut out, unfortunately their ball control style offense cost them over seven minutes on the one scoring drive.
Once again the Bulldogs would answer quickly. On their third play following the Indians touchdown, Carr completed a pass of eighteen yards. Sophomore WR Desmond Cooper would then separate himself from the Indians secondary on his way to a sixty nine yard touchdown.
With the game in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs were seemingly content to run the clock as much as possible. But following an arrant pass from Mosley and an interception return of fifteen yards by Senior DB Raphael Johnson, the Bulldogs added three more points on a twenty seven yard field goal by Vanscyoc.
Following the game coach Dickenson acknowledged the Indians would’ve had to play their very best game to beat Bolles. “They are a great group of kids, they are well coached and they can score at anytime. Our kids played hard; unfortunately we just had too many mistakes. You can not have mistakes against a group of skilled athletes such as theirs.”
Keystone will face Ribault next week. Bouncing back with a victory and a little help from around the district, maybe the Indians will get another shot at the Bulldogs.
Bolles 14 10 14 3
KH 0 0 6 0
B Barnett, 2yrd td run; PAT Vanscyoc
B McClain, 59 yrd td reception; PAT Vanscyoc
B Vanscyoc, 30 yrd field goal
B Jamison, 24 yrd td run; PAT Cherry
B Triglia, 1 yrd td reception; PAT Cherry
KH Yarbrough, 2 yrd td reception; failed PAT
B Cooper, 69 yrd td reception; PAT Cherry
B Vanscyoc, 27 yrd field goal
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