Fourth-down TD sinks Trojans

Fri, Aug 29, 2008    to del.icio.us

FRUITPORT — Reeths-Puffer senior quarterback Chad Anderson turned what seemed like the dreariest of situations into a game-changing and game-winning play for the visiting Rockets Thursday at Fruitport High School.

Facing a 9-7 deficit and a fourth-and-20 with 5 minutes, 37 seconds remaining, Anderson dropped back to pass, but his receivers were blanketed by the Fruitport secondary. His second option worked much better — Anderson scrambled, broke a pair of tackles, cut to the sideline and sprinted to the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown, giving the Rockets a 15-9 lead, which held up as the final score.

"I just tried to make a play," Anderson said, who finished with 106 yards rushing out of the Rockets' veer-option offense, and also threw a touchdown pass. "It was supposed to be a pass, but the play broke apart, so I just did what I could. I love to scramble, and I was able to make a big play."

Fruitport got the ball back with five minutes remaining, but two critical penalties and a stellar pass rush on quarterback Nick Brezina negated any chance of a Trojans' game-winning drive.

The setback was Fruitport's second straight to the Rockets in the annual rivalry. Last season's battle also went down to the wire, a 12-8 Puffer victory.

"It's tough because we had an opportunity to win the game," Fruitport coach Steve Wilson said. "Last year, we had three opportunities inside the 10 and failed to convert, so that stung a little more. This one though, it was just a good physical ball game."

Just like the 2007 contest, turnovers and penalties played a big role for both teams. Reeths-Puffer especially felt the sting of mistakes in the first half, as it had two scoring opportunities inside the 10-yard line that turned into zero on the scoreboard thanks to a turnover on downs and a fumble.

"Sometimes, those first games can be pretty ugly," said Reeths-Puffer coach Tim Odette, a former Fruitport assistant coach.

Fruitport ran the ball effectively in the first half and punched it into the end zone first, as Jake Wolfe scored from 16 yards out at 3:52 in the second quarter. The Trojans ran for 127 first-half yards, 85 of which came from fullback Blake Kelly.

Trailing 6-0 at the half, the Rockets' defense played with more aggressiveness on the line, limiting Fruitport to only 85 more yards the rest of the way.

"We did a good job of putting pressure on their quarterback, and we tightened (the defensive line) to answer their fullback trap," Odette said. "That gave our offense just enough chances to win the game."

"They made some adjustments, but for us, we did not finish our blocks," Wilson said. "But it did seem like (the Rockets) were more physical up front."

The Rockets took their first lead at 8:34 in the third, as Anderson completed a quick strike to running back Austin Chester over the middle. Fruitport's defender on the play dove at the ball in an attempt to deflect the pass, but Chester held on tight and scooted free for a 49-yard score. Jose Diaz's extra point gave Puffer the one-point lead.

Fruitport regained its slim lead after taking advantage of the Rockets' second fumble in the second half.

Fruitport's drive stalled at the 16-yard line, and the Trojans set up for a 33-yard field goal. An illegal produce penalty made the attempt 5 yards longer for junior kicker Cody Kryfka. The penalty didn't matter, as Kryfka's kick hit the cross bar and bounced through, giving him his first varsity field goal.

"We tried yelling to him that he had the tee lined up too far back, but he didn't hear us," Wilson said. "I told (offensive coordinator) Steve Horodyski that if he misses because of that, I'd be outraged. Fortunately, he got all of it."

Still, Anderson said the kick didn't discourage him or the rest of his Rocket teammates.

Anderson looked like he had orchestrated the game-winning score before his scramble. He connected on a 24-yard pass to a wide-open Caden Beals in the corner of the end zone, but the touchdown was negated due to Anderson throwing past the line of scrimmage.

A play later, Anderson made sure the touchdown counted.

"The play broke down and I noticed kids were flying around and our blockers sprung open some holes," Odette said. "But Chad made it happen. He's a good quarterback."

Cody Carmean led the Trojans' defense with 10 tackles, while Kelly added eight.

Kelly also paced the Trojans' ground game with 126 yards on 21 carries, although Puffer won the total yards battle at 288-228. Brezina threw an interception and only completed one pass for 16 yards.

"I like what we did (offensively) and that we were able to move the ball," Wilson said. "But I'd like us to be better physically up front, so we can run more of our basic stuff."

JUNIOR VARSITY: Fruitport defeated Reeths-Puffer Thursday, 36-18.