By Stan Veitch/Sports Correspondent
If the rest of the Class 2A, Region 7 season goes anything like last Friday’s (Sept. 4) duel between Gaston and Section, there will be some great defensive battles.
The Bulldogs (2-0, 1-0 in the region) eked out a 12-7 victory over Section (0-2, 0-1).
Special teams mistakes were at the front of two of the three touchdowns.
Section owned a 7-0 halftime lead after David Atkins scored on a 6-yard run with 2:38 left in the second quarter. Alex Hernandez kicked the extra point.
The score was set up by an error on Gaston’s part. With 4:08 left, the Lions punted but the ball kicked off a Bulldogs leg and Michael Brown covered it. Section then needed only 12 yards to score.
The first time that the Lions had the ball in the second half, it was a different story on a punt. Punter Dustin Martin mishandled the snap and was downed 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage.
“We really didn’t make any changes at halftime,” Gaston coach Swane Morris said. “We just talked about effort. And a better effort is what turned the game for us.”
The Bulldogs had only to cover 15 yards and Jash Cammeron did the honors from 12 yards away. The extra point attempt failed, and with 8:15 to go in the third quarter, the Lions led 7-6.
Four plays later, Section quarterback Austin Lands threw downfield, only to watch Kevin Hollingsworth intercept the ball at the Gaston 28-yard line.
The 72-yard drive, the Bulldogs’ only sustained drive of the game, was helped along by a 38-yard run by D.J. Pope. With 3:17 left in the third quarter, Jordan Douglas’ 5-yard touchdown run settled the scoring. Gaston’s two-point conversion attempt failed.
Pope, who finished with 98 yards on 14 touches, had only two rushes for 5 yards in the first half.
“We were trying some different looks in the first half, letting some other guys run the ball,” Morris said. “Then we let him go in the second half, because he was fresh.”
Cammeron led the first half rushing attack with 21 yards on eight carries. He finished with 78 yards on 13 touches.
For the Lions, Dustin Martin had 17 carries for 54 yards.
“That was two good teams going at it,” Section coach Drew Davis said. “It was a night when the football didn’t bounce our way quite enough times.”
Next week, Gaston visits Ider and Section hosts top-ranked Fyffe in region action.
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{page:SectionBy Stan Veitch/Sports Correspondent
If the rest of the Class 2A, Region 7 season goes anything
like last Friday’s (Sept. 4) duel between Gaston and Section, there will be
some great defensive battles.
The Bulldogs (2-0, 1-0 in the region) eked out a 12-7
victory over Section (0-2, 0-1).
Special teams mistakes were at the front of two of the three
touchdowns.
Section owned a 7-0 halftime lead after David Atkins scored
on a 6-yard run with 2:38 left in the second quarter. Alex Hernandez kicked the
extra point.
The score was set up by an error on Gaston’s part. With 4:08
left, the Lions punted but the ball kicked off a Bulldogs leg and Michael Brown
covered it. Section then needed only 12 yards to score.
The first time that the Lions had the ball in the second
half, it was a different story on a punt. Punter Dustin Martin mishandled the
snap and was downed 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage.
“We really didn’t make any changes at halftime,”
Gaston coach Swane Morris said. “We just talked about effort. And a better
effort is what turned the game for us.”
The Bulldogs had only to cover 15 yards and Jash Cammeron
did the honors from 12 yards away. The extra point attempt failed, and with
8:15 to go in the third quarter, the Lions led 7-6.
Four plays later, Section quarterback Austin Lands threw
downfield, only to watch Kevin Hollingsworth intercept the ball at the Gaston
28-yard line.
The 72-yard drive, the Bulldogs’ only sustained drive of the
game, was helped along by a 38-yard run by D.J. Pope. With 3:17 left in the
third quarter, Jordan Douglas’ 5-yard touchdown run settled the scoring.
Gaston’s two-point conversion attempt failed.
Pope, who finished with 98 yards on 14 touches, had only two
rushes for 5 yards in the first half.
“We were trying some different looks in the first half,
letting some other guys run the ball,” Morris said. “Then we let him
go in the second half, because he was fresh.”
Cammeron led the first half rushing attack with 21 yards on
eight carries. He finished with 78 yards on 13 touches.
For the Lions, Dustin Martin had 17 carries for 54 yards.
“That was two good teams going at it,” Section
coach Drew Davis said. “It was a night when the football didn’t bounce our
way quite enough times.”
Next week, Gaston visits Ider and Section hosts top-ranked
Fyffe in region action.
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