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North Huskies vs Bosse Bulldogs - at Bundrant Stadium Sept 23, 2016

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Offense

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Game Recap

HUSKIES RUN PAST BULLDOGS 24-19

In a game that shouldn’t have been as close as the final score indicated, North overcame a pair of first quarter turnovers and surged back to take a 24-13 fourth quarter lead on their way to victory over Bosse.

“ONLY” 7-0 AT END OF FIRST QUARTER

North twice moved the ball deep into Bosse territory early in the game but could gain no points for the effort due to fumbles.  Despite a botched on-sides kick by the Bulldogs to begin the game and the Huskies accumulating 120 yards of total offense, North was unable to put points on the board until nearly the end of the first quarter.  Benefitting from 20 yards of Bosse penalties on a 43 yard drive, senior Shawn Coane scored on a two yard run to give North a 7-0 lead as the game entered the second quarter.

BOSSE TAKES A LEAD

The Bulldogs stopped committing penalties in the second period and started effectively running an option offense that gave the Husky defense fits.  For its part, the North defense became an active participant in Bosse’s success by committing a major penalty on each of two second period scoring drives by the Bulldogs.  With a pair of touchdowns coming just six minutes apart, North trailed 13-7 when they took over at their own 30 with three minutes to play in the first half.

SAMUEL SAVES A STALLED DRIVE

North utilized the remaining time on the clock well.  Coane ran for a short gain and then senior Daniel Sellers took a screen pass for another 12 yards and a first down.  A Bosse penalty set up first down and five and Coane ran for six to gain a first down and stop the clock.  A jet sweep to Zach Martin picked up another 11 yards and got out of bounds.  Coane took a quarterback draw play up the middle for another first down and the clock stopped again. 

At that point, the Huskies nearly self-destructed.  First they jumped off sides and then were whistled for holding.  Tyreak Cogdell nearly converted a long third down by gaining 14 yards to the 18 but ultimately the Huskies faced fourth down and called on kicker Thomas Samuel.  The junior salvaged the drive with a kick that split the uprights and the Huskies went into half trailing 13-10.

The missed scoring opportunities in the first quarter haunted the North faithful during intermission.

DFENSIVE ADJUSTMENTS

In the second quarter, Bosse’s option offense surprised North’s perimeter defense and the Bulldogs had consistently gained yards.  The Husky defense was notably more selective in how it contained the option in the third quarter and the results were immediately apparent.

Senior Jimmy Hoing dropped a runner for loss on the first play of the half.  Junior Eric McClain manhandled a dive back on second down.  Sophomore Braylen Neighbors dropped the option quarterback for no gain on third down.  Three plays had netted zero yards and the Huskies were back in control of the line of scrimmage.

Sophomore Carter Schmidt fielded the ensuing punt and showed fancy moves in returning the ball 16 yards to the Bosse 40. 

ANOTHER DRIVE STALLS—OR SO IT SEEMS

Coane added another long run and senior Cage Street gained 15 yards to take the ball to first and goal to go at the five.  Three plays failed to reach pay dirt and Samuel again took the field to attempt a field goal.  On the snap, the holder, senior Zach Martin, immediately pitched the ball to sophomore A.J. Wheeler who dashed two yards through the center of the line for a touchdown.  Samuel’s kick made the score 17-13 and North never trailed again.

DEFENSE STACKS UP THE BULLDOGS

Following an illegal blocking penalty on the kickoff return, Bosse was hemmed in at their 13 yard line.  Junior Caleb Hague held an option play to a four yard gain on the perimeter with a fine open field tackle.  A Bosse illegal procedure penalty immediately wiped out the gain.  McClain and Street combined to stop another option play on second down.  McClain then sacked the quarterback for a five yard loss on third down and Bosse was forced to punt from their end zone.

ANOTHER DRIVE STALLS—FOR REAL

Sellers ran for seven yards on first down.  Coane then ran wild for gains of 11 and 20 yards on consecutive plays and the Huskies had first down and 10 at the 12 yard line.  Three runs later North faced fourth and one at the three yard line.  Coane took the snap and was forced to reverse his field to try and gain the precious yard.  The senior yielded ground and was ultimately dropped for a nine yard loss.

SACK, SACK, SACK THAT QUARTERBACK

Bosse pushed their way out to the 28 yard line with short runs up the middle.  Captain Cage Street was in the hole on several of the runs, but wearing a cast on his left wrist.  The cast forced him to alter his tackling technique and plays that would normally have resulted in no gain netted a handful of yards as he was forced to rely upon team mates to help bring down runners.

At the 28, however, the ‘D-Line’ drew a line in the sand.  On first down, a blitz by sophomore Andrew Hendrickson stopped a runner for a three yard loss.  Fellow sophomore Drew Routh then sacked the quarterback for a five yard loss.  On third-down-and-‘forever’, Bosse dropped back to pass and McClain sacked the hapless quarterback for another loss.   Bosse was again forced to punt from their end zone.

COANE IS ‘THE MAN’

Some players simply rise to the occasion.  Senior Shawn Coane is one of those players.  He settled under the punt at the 42 yard line and simply ran through the opposition.  Dancing and darting his way to the 14 yard line, the Huskies were able to begin their first fourth quarter possession with a lead and the ball in the red zone.

Three running plays by Coane and the Huskies led 24-13 with 7:13 to play.  Little did anyone know it would be the last time North would touch the ball until the game’s final seconds.

BOSSE GAMBLES—AND WINS

The Bulldogs returned the ensuing kickoff to their 29 and knew they had to gamble in order to get back in the game.  Aided by a North pass interference penalty to extend the drive out to the 44 yard line, the Bulldogs converted a pair of fourth down and ‘long’ gambles as they put together a 15 play drive. 

The North defense stoically dug in and held runners to short gains.  The secondary deflected passes.  It appeared that Bosse was ‘dead’ twice in the drive, but their gambles paid off and they scored on a one yard run on third and goal with 2:14 remaining.  The lead was down to 24-19 after the Bulldogs failed in a two-point conversion attempt.

They then gambled with an on-sides kick and recovered the ball at the North 49 yard line.  With under two minutes to play, their comeback was in reach.

STREET STOPS THE THREAT.  PERIOD.

Much as Coane had put the offense on his shoulders to score the decisive touchdown, so too did Cage Street step up and end the threat.  After McClain stopped an option for no gain on first down, Street dropped back into coverage on second and long.  As the quarterback threw down field, Street tracked the ball on his personal radar, snagged it out of the air despite wearing a cast on his left wrist, and returned the interception to the Bosse 35 yard line.

Threat eliminated.  Game over.

The Huskies survived a run of good-luck by the Bulldogs and moved to .500 on the season.

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