Sports
Football: Creekview tops rival Newman Smith in triple overtime
By Justin Thomas, jthomas@starlocalnews.com
CARROLLTON — The Creekview and Newman Smith football teams each played with the urgency of squads looking to avoid 0-2 starts in District 10-4A Thursday, battling it out until the final seconds of the fourth quarter and then some at Standridge Stadium.
After three overtimes, it was the Mustangs who got a leg up in playoff positioning, outlasting the Trojans, 37-34, following a 9-yard touchdown run by Adrian Williams.
The touchdown was good for the win after the Trojans had to settle for a field goal on the first possession of the third overtime.
“What a great game,” said Jay Cline, Creekview head coach. “It was back and forth the whole way and it seemed like anytime somebody would get momentum, the other would take it. It was a lot of fun and (Smith) coach (Paul) Ressa and I are good friends. He’s my mentor, so that was a lot of fun.”
“That was a terrific high school game right there,” Ressa added. “That’s what rivals are supposed to do. Coach Cline did a great job. They ran the ball when they had to and we couldn’t stop it.”
After failing to record a first down in the third quarter, Creekview rallied for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to even the score, 21-21, when Omar Pereira recovered a fumble in the end zone on a Dylan Kittrell rush from the 2-yard line with 2:42 remaining. The Mustangs then got a quick three-and-out and moved deep in Smith territory, settling for a 22-yard field goal in the waning seconds to win the game but the kick was blocked to force overtime.
“We just kept pounding and working and working,” Cline said. “And then we finally started having some success.
“I told our coaches we have to get [our blocking on kicks] fixed on Monday because it is going to cost us. But I just told the kids the same thing I always tell them. That play is over. Flush it and move on to the next one. There ‘s a lot of football to still be played and they regrouped well.”
Smith scored on its second possession of the game on a 5-yard plunge from Andy Wordlaw to grab the early advantage, 7-0, but Creekview responded with a pair of touchdown runs of their own to lead, 14-7. Blough recorded the first score, while Williams followed with the second.
Blough’s final numbers included 19-of-30 passing for 219 yards to go with 51 yards rushing and two scores. Williams and Deven Barnes posted 76 and 40 yards on the ground, respectively.
Creekview had a chance to extend its lead in the second quarter, moving inside the Smith 10-yard line, but the drive stalled on an interception by Smith’s Keith Burse.
Two possessions later, the Trojans evened the contest when Alonge Brooks capped a five-play, 69-yard touchdown drive with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Cole Brewer. The drive also saw Brewer complete all four of his passes for 64 yards.
Smith gained its second lead of the game early in the third when Wordlaw pounded one in from 15 yards out.
Wordlaw finished the contest with 63 yards on 12 carries, while Brewer gained 103 yards on 26 carries to go with 174 passing yards.
“We were trying to hit them out wide and then try to get them up the middle and that opened some other things up,” Ressa said. “But they made the adjustments they needed to make.”
The teams traded field goals on their first overtime possessions with Blough and Brewer following with touchdown runs on their respective second series.
Creekview continues in district at 7:30 p.m. Friday when it hosts Forney.
“The kids refused to lose,” Cline said. “When we got down or something went wrong, we just refused to lose and kept working. I was really pleased with the attitude and the effort.”
Smith hopes to bounce back at the same time and date at Terrell.
“We have an extra day to get ready for Terrell and coahces start working tomorrow. We’ll clean it up and put it to bed and by this time tomorrow this one is over.”
After three overtimes, it was the Mustangs who got a leg up in playoff positioning, outlasting the Trojans, 37-34, following a 9-yard touchdown run by Adrian Williams.
The touchdown was good for the win after the Trojans had to settle for a field goal on the first possession of the third overtime.
“What a great game,” said Jay Cline, Creekview head coach. “It was back and forth the whole way and it seemed like anytime somebody would get momentum, the other would take it. It was a lot of fun and (Smith) coach (Paul) Ressa and I are good friends. He’s my mentor, so that was a lot of fun.”
“That was a terrific high school game right there,” Ressa added. “That’s what rivals are supposed to do. Coach Cline did a great job. They ran the ball when they had to and we couldn’t stop it.”
After failing to record a first down in the third quarter, Creekview rallied for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to even the score, 21-21, when Omar Pereira recovered a fumble in the end zone on a Dylan Kittrell rush from the 2-yard line with 2:42 remaining. The Mustangs then got a quick three-and-out and moved deep in Smith territory, settling for a 22-yard field goal in the waning seconds to win the game but the kick was blocked to force overtime.
“We just kept pounding and working and working,” Cline said. “And then we finally started having some success.
“I told our coaches we have to get [our blocking on kicks] fixed on Monday because it is going to cost us. But I just told the kids the same thing I always tell them. That play is over. Flush it and move on to the next one. There ‘s a lot of football to still be played and they regrouped well.”
Smith scored on its second possession of the game on a 5-yard plunge from Andy Wordlaw to grab the early advantage, 7-0, but Creekview responded with a pair of touchdown runs of their own to lead, 14-7. Blough recorded the first score, while Williams followed with the second.
Blough’s final numbers included 19-of-30 passing for 219 yards to go with 51 yards rushing and two scores. Williams and Deven Barnes posted 76 and 40 yards on the ground, respectively.
Creekview had a chance to extend its lead in the second quarter, moving inside the Smith 10-yard line, but the drive stalled on an interception by Smith’s Keith Burse.
Two possessions later, the Trojans evened the contest when Alonge Brooks capped a five-play, 69-yard touchdown drive with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Cole Brewer. The drive also saw Brewer complete all four of his passes for 64 yards.
Smith gained its second lead of the game early in the third when Wordlaw pounded one in from 15 yards out.
Wordlaw finished the contest with 63 yards on 12 carries, while Brewer gained 103 yards on 26 carries to go with 174 passing yards.
“We were trying to hit them out wide and then try to get them up the middle and that opened some other things up,” Ressa said. “But they made the adjustments they needed to make.”
The teams traded field goals on their first overtime possessions with Blough and Brewer following with touchdown runs on their respective second series.
Creekview continues in district at 7:30 p.m. Friday when it hosts Forney.
“The kids refused to lose,” Cline said. “When we got down or something went wrong, we just refused to lose and kept working. I was really pleased with the attitude and the effort.”
Smith hopes to bounce back at the same time and date at Terrell.
“We have an extra day to get ready for Terrell and coahces start working tomorrow. We’ll clean it up and put it to bed and by this time tomorrow this one is over.”
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