[an error occurred while processing this directive]
|
| SURE TACKLE- Seth LeBlanc (11) brings down Corrigan-Camden’s Chase Ford (10) last Friday in Huntsville. Alo in the photo for Hamilton are Maycon Stork (61) and Jordan Ernstes (33). Staff Photo |
The game was much closer than the final score. Statistically, it was a near dead heat. Hamilton rushed the ball 49 times for 188 yards, while Corrigan toted the ball 38 times for 180 yards. Hamilton was four for nine passing for 47 yards and Corrigan was five for nine for 64 yards. Hamilton had 15 first downs and Corrigan 16.
The score was tied in the fourth quarter 15-15, before Corrigan added two touchdowns.
Hamilton actually domi-nated the first half of play, despite going to the locker room tied at seven.
Hamilton won the toss and deferred the decision to the second half. Corrigan chose to receive. On consecutive run-ning plays, Hamilton linebacker Truman Baize led a defensive charge that held Corrigan to only two yards. Baize would continue to lead the defensive effort throughout the game, making tackles all over the field.
On third down Corrigan went to the air, but a wide-open receiver dropped the ball to force a punt on fourth down.
Jorden Lowe had a nice 17-yard punt return for Hamilton, setting up the offense at the Hamilton 43.
The red and black Bulldogs put together a 14-play drive that ended in a three-yard touchdown run by Lowe. Abby Lozano added the extra point to give Hamilton a 7-0 lead with 4:24 left in the first quarter.
The biggest play of the drive was a 21-yard pass from Baize to James Ratliff off of an end around play when Hamilton faced a fourth down and 17 from the Corrigan 35.
Hamilton allowed the Corrigan offense only three first downs in the first half, forced them to punt twice and had an interception by Lowe.
But midway in the second period, Corrigan tied the score when Pedro Lazcano stripped quarterback John Galindo of the pigskin and returned it 45 yards to pay dirt. Uriel Luna added the PAT. Galindo had kept the ball on what appeared to be a busted play. He ran into the middle of the line and many Hamilton fans thought that his progress had been stopped and that the play should have been whistled dead before the turn over.
Hamilton suffered another fumble on its next possession after picking up a first down, but this time the defense stepped in to prevent any further damage. Cole Wells and Acy May teamed up to stop Corrigan at the Hamilton 40 on first down after a one-yard gain and on the next play Seth LeBlanc set Corrigan back eight yards on an unsuccessful reverse.
After an incomplete pass on third and long, the Bulldogs went to work at their own 29-yard line following a 19-yard punt.
But this time the Hamilton offense could not get untracked. On fourth down and six, Keith Gardner got off a nice 35-yard punt. Corrigan picked up one first down before the first half clock expired with the score still tied at seven, but with Hamilton fans feeling pretty confident.
Jordan Ratliff brought the second half kickoff back to his own 42 to set the Hamilton offensive up with good field position. But after nice eight-yard gain on first down by LeBlanc, a holding penalty on second down effectively stopped the Bulldog drive.
Gardner got off another nice punt, 33 yards, and Corrigan took possession at it own 25.
May dropped running back James Pickrom for a two-yard loss on first down and on the next play Baize and Ethan Brown threw Horace for an additional two-yard loss. But on third and 14, Chris Drayton was able to connect with Chase Ford for 21 yards and a first down.
Seven plays later, on fourth down from the half-yard line, Brodrick Mays found the end zone. Joe Morales set up as holder for the extra point attempt, but after taking the snap he raced around the right end for a two-point conversion and a 15-7 lead with 5:15 left in the third quarter.
The biggest play in the drive was a 41-yard run by Mays after he appeared to be stopped on third down in his own backfield. He slid away from several would-be-tacklers to set up the go-ahead TD.
But Hamilton responded with the longest sustained drive of the night for either team. They held the ball for 16 plays to drive 67 yards and a touchdown. LeBlanc claimed the TD on a six-yard run around his left end. Galindo threw a strike to LeBlanc just across the goal line to add the tying two-point conversion.
The score came with 10:30 left in the game. The Bulldog drive ate up almost seven minutes of game clock.
But in championship form, the Corrigan team responded. Starting from their own 22, they drove the distance in eight plays. Horace dove into the end zone for the final go-ahead score from the one-yard line with 6:49 left to play. He also took the ball around the right end for the two-point conversion.
In the drive, he had carries of 19 and 20 yards to eat-up large chunks of real estate and Drayton also had a big 16-yard pass to James Pickrom.
Starting from their own 38, the Bulldogs seemed poised to answer. On first down, Garet Box gained 14-yards racing around the right end and down the sideline in front of the Hamilton bench. Hamilton coaches thought he had much more, but the officials ruled he had stepped out of bounds.
Hamilton was in Corrigan territory, but from there the drive fizzled out after a couple of two-yard losses. Corrigan took over on downs at midfield with 4:30 left in the game.
They used two minutes of the remaining clock to drive 50 yards in seven-plays to put an insurance TD on the board. Mays scored on a three-yard dive play and Luna added the PAT with just over two minutes left to play.
Hamilton started with good field position at their own 45 yard line after a 20 yard kick return by Jordan Ratliff. Hamilton picked up one more first down on a 13-yard pass from Galindo to Jordan Ernstes, but ran out of downs at the Corrigan 28.
Corrigan was able to take a knee twice to end the game and Hamilton’s season.
But if the loss was disappointing for the Hamilton team, coaches and fans, it will not be what is remembered about this season. Two earlier wins will be - for years to come. The Bulldogs’ 19-14 win over Clifton to keep playoff hopes alive nine weeks into the season and then last weeks’ 43-21 win over the number one rated, defending state champion Mart Panthers to claim a bi-district trophy will not soon be forgotten. These two games were certainly two of the most enjoyable games in Hamilton fan memory.
This was the fourth consecutive season for the Bulldogs to advance into the state playoffs. Bulldog players and coaches have a lot to be proud of in this 8-4 season.