Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
Turnovers proved to be costly for the Madison County High School (MCHS) Cowboys as three fumbles and two interceptions stymied potential Cowboy scoring drives on Friday, Oct. 21, when the Cowboys suffered their sixth defeat of the season. The Cowboys were defeated by the Knights of Oakleaf High School, 27-21.
The contest began with the Cowboys moving the ball down the field from their own 20-yard line to within the Knights' five-yard line. But a fumble on the one-yard line kept the Cowboys from scoring on their opening drive. The Knights took over inside their own one-yard line. In a bold move, the Knights went for a fourth-and-one at their own nine-yard line and were stopped by the stiff Cowboys' defense. The Cowboys took over with a first-and-goal at the Knights' nine-yard line. The Cowboys again moved down to the Knights' one-yard line and, again suffered the same fate as on their first drive. A fumble gave the ball back to the Knights at their own two-yard line. The Knights put together a 98-yard scoring drive and with 2:10 remaining in the first period, the score was 7-0 in favor of the home team Knights. The opening quarter ended with the Cowboys moving the ball from their own 30-yard line, and the score 7-0.
Early in the second period, the Cowboys turned the ball over again with a fumble near mid-field, at the Knights' 47-yard line. The Cowboys' defense forced another turnover-on-downs at the Knights' 48-yard line. The Cowboys moved closer and on a third-and-12 play, Cowboy quarterback Josh Watts hit Ja'Ohn Jackson on a 21-yard touchdown connection. Keoni Nelson's point-after-touchdown (PAT) kick was good, and the score was tied at seven, with 7:24 still to play in the first half. The Knights took over at their own 24-yard line and quickly moved down the field for another touchdown. The score was 14-7, with 4:35 still to play until intermission. The Cowboys had a good kickoff return to put the offense on the field at the Knights' 42-yard line. The Cowboys moved the ball closer to set up a 30-yard Nelson field goal attempt that just barely missed its mark. The score remained 14-7, in favor of the Knights, at halftime.
On their opening drive of the second half, the Knights moved the ball 73 yards for another touchdown. The score was 21-7, with 7:29 remaining in the third period. Another good kickoff return, this time by Jonathan Akins, put the ball in the Knights' territory at the 42-yard line. The 48-yard, Cowboy scoring drive was capped off by a short touchdown run by John Christian. The score was 21-14, with 2:45 remaining in the third period. The Knights took over at their own 20-yard line, but their drive stalled and the Knights punted to the Cowboys. The punt pinned the Cowboys back at their own four-yard line, as the third quarter drew to a close.
The third quarter began with the Cowboys moving the ball out to their own 12-yard line, short of a first down. In a bold move of their own, the Cowboys successfully converted on a fake punt when Zavion Bryant took the snap and carried the ball for a Cowboy first down. The drive ended, however, with an interception that gave the ball back to the Knights at the Knights' 15-yard line. From there, the Knights were able to capitalize and score another touchdown, making the score 27-14, with four minutes remaining in the contest. The Cowboys began their next drive at the 25-yard line. Then Watts hit Akins on a short screen pass, then Akins showed his blazing speed when he worked his way to the sideline and raced 65 yards down the field for a Cowboy touchdown. The PAT kick was good and the score was 27-21, with 2:31 remaining in the game. The Cowboys attempted an onside kick, but the Knights were able to field the kick. From there they simply ran the clock down to seal their 27-21 win.
Despite the loss, the Cowboys played a tough game and had a well-balanced offensive attack. The Cowboys had a total of 157 passing yards and 178 yards on the ground, for a total of 335 yards of offensive production. The Cowboys also had a respectable seven-for-11 on third-down conversions.
The Cowboys (2-6) will have a well-deserved week off before finishing their regular season at home against the Raiders (3-5) of Rickards High School on Friday, Nov. 4. In their most recent game, the Raiders defeated the Trojans of Lincoln High School, 19-7. It will be Senior Night for the Cowboys, as they honor the seniors on the football team, cheerleading squad and band. The Senior Night ceremony will take place before the game. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.