OCR Text |
Show f SEPTEMBER 7, 1983' Falcons Drop Bizzare Battle To Wildcats By KEITH DUNCAN Journal Sports CLEARFIELD - The next time Brent and Diane Hancock sit down to write their son around the world in Curtis, who is half-wa- y Korea, it wont be a letter handicapped with nothing unusual happening. Six plays later and of course by the gift Clearfield had just given them of excellent field field goal had won it. position, a Woods Cross -- ON THE contrary the letter will probably be full of details surrounding last Fridays wild and bizzare gridiron fiasco. Wild and bizzare is just what is was, and frustrating too for the Falcons who came up on the short end of a 3 score. Woods Cross meanwhile, rode the bus home with a 1 advantage in this young and vibrant series. 6-- 2-- IN THE TWO previous meetings between these county schools, a total of eight touchdowns were scored, but two sputtering offenses last Friday couldnt buy aTD. It was a couple of scraggly looking field goals by a Wildcat kicker than made the difference. Of course the unusual events of the evening didnt enhance either team's concentration. Lancer D Blanks Vikes 90 By KEITH going to get there anyway we can, said Kidd. It takes big plays both offensively and defensively to make it as a state playoff team and DUNCAN Journal Sports - LAYTON It has been stated by a famous philosopher that hope is knowing, no matter what your past has been, you have a spotless future. MORE THAN a dozen or so kids at Layton High really believe that line, enough that theyve forgotten the school had won only four games in the previous years and to believe they can actually go undefeated in 83. Viewmont became the latest victim to the new born competitive spirit at Layton, as the host Lancers shut them out last Friday night 0 before the first homestand of the season. 9-- once again the Lancers proved they could create them as several took place against the Vikings. ONE WAS the play of junior Mike Roberts who tackled a Viking in the end zone for Laytons first two points. That came after a very respectable drive by Layton that resulted in a fumble at the three yard line, thwarting a potential TD. Another was the interception by junior linebacker, Jim Batchelor. After Batchelors swipe and return, the Lancers nailed down their only TD of the night, a one yard Mike Tucker plunge. Kidds PAT made it 9-- 0. IT BECAME the second shutout in a row for the Lancer defensive unit who are rapidly earning a nickname as the Pay Me Now, Or Pay Me Later Squad. Sooner or later the defensive people at Layton come up with the big plays, picking off passes or banging people for fumbles and recovering them in one process. Laytons final tune-u- p before league play begins, will be another home contest against Woods Cross. The Wildcats are 0 with a pair of slim victories. BUT BACK to the hope for an unblemished record," finds one of the teams fine linemen, Dave Facer, making this comment, I was sure we'd be 0 at this point and I feel we can go undefeated if we bust our tails. The defensive tackle and offensive guard was quite confident after recording five unassisted sacks against Viewmont on Friday. That kind of confidence radiates throughout the entire club, but one of the teams leaders and the principle running back, Tom Kidd put things where they really were. We've got a good team, but weve still got areas to improve in. Once our execution gets better, itll be tough to beat us. ABOUT THE undefeated season, well, I think if you were to really delve into it youd find that each one of us wants to take one game at a time. We might lose a game, but I think youd find us fighting right back the next week. Our goal is to play on the carpet in November (make the playoffs in other words) and were 2-- 2-- THE BIG plays continue. Try junior Robert was returned 70 later nullified seconds was that TD and a yards due to a clipping penalty. Its the greatest to produce a big turnover on defense and turn it over to the offense to do their job, said Ferneaus interception that Fer-nea- u. Facers sacks were big plays everytime they happened, especially in the second half when Layton began to contain the scrambling Viking QB. It was a blast getting that guy, said Facer who has muscled up nearly 20 pounds over last season and has become one of the clubs finest linemen. THE LANCERS created some big plays against Bountiful the week before, but certainly didnt waste any against Viewmont for the second week. One reason for the consistency, according to Batchelor was A lot of us were playing in a varsity game for the first time ever last week against Bountiful, and speaking for ! myself, I literally got my butt kicked all over the field. But last Friday night was better, many of us felt much more relaxed, about the same kind of feeling we juniors had when we went undefeated as sophomores. And while on the subject of relaxation, Coach Gary Hansen admitted he felt the practices leading up to the Viewmont contest were too flat and much too low-keye- d. I WAS CONCERNED about it, said Hansen. Mainly because Ive always felt you play the game like you practice for it. Preparing to win is just about as important as winning itself. But the kids came out and play some good fundamental football, mixed with a few big plays which I thought was the key to our win. PAUL HERALD, of the teams senior linebackers, noticed the flatness through the week too. He commented, We were down for some reason, not really talking like we should have been. I even remember Coach Hansen coming up and asking me if I felt wed be ready for Friday. I told him wed get there, especially about the time we started getting taped and wrapped. And Layton did get up. They marched down and nearly scored on the opening drive and defensively let Viewmont have only three offensive plays in the first quarter. But even with the ball, Layton did something with it other than scoring like they would have preferred. DEFENSIVELY, Hansen made it quite simple. Weve shut out two teams in a row. What more can you say about that, there really isnt anything, he said. But besides the defensive showing and the lack of some points that should have been there, there is another ingredient that is propelling Layton football. KIDD SAID IT best. He stated, Coach Hansen seems like a different person. Hes changed a bit from last year. He leads in the times to be serious, but he is leading also when its time to have some fun or crack ajoke. I find him a little more loose which is making working for him more fun. Herald notices the same thing. I believe Coach Hansen knows hes got a winner with us. I think he felt the same way last year, but we let him down. Were playing a brand-nekind of football this year, said Herald. JUST AS Woods Cross had punted to end the third quarter, the stadium turned black only to be occasionally lit by a spectacular bold of lightning. It was just moments after the teams had taken to the gym, that the heavens Utterly opened and dumped the Pacific Ocean and half of the Atlantic on everyone not under cover. The game was halted for 45 minutes, just long enough for a person to wring out some water and for the lights to come back on. THE TEAMS came back to a field soggier than a bowl of com flakes in milk. The Falcons took possession first and sustained their only scoring drive of the night, a d FG by senior Ray Dixon. A burst by Tom Wood had plenty to do with the three points that tied the game IT APPEARED in this contest that right from the very beginning, Clearfield was destined to beat themselves by their own mistakes. From the opening play from scrimmage, to nearly the last, that was the story of this game. After Hal Moores kickoff return to Clearfield lineman jumped offsides to nullify a six yard gain. That was only the beginning. After the Gearfield defense had stopped k Woods Cross in their opening drive, a penalty on the punt gave the Wildcats a chance to punt again and as a consequence the second punt rolled dead deep into Clearfield territory and had the Falcons starting on their own five yard line. mid-fiel- face-mas- BOTH OFFENSES sputtered throughout the first half, in fact there wasnt enough positive yardage between either team to total over a 100 yards. Clearfield gained only 29 total yards during the first 24 minutes while Woods Cross managed 63 and a field goal to start the second quarter. The Falcons got off on the right foot to start the second half as they shut the Wildcats down in three plays and forced them to punt. After a Parry to Troy Barber pass for 17 yards and a Moore run for five more, the Falcons had nearly as much yardage in two plays as theyd amassed the entire first half. BUT CUTTING their throats again, the Falcons had a Jared Martin 57 yard run called back on a holding penalty. That was simply the story of the evening. Clearfield had another sharp drive going in their next series of plays, but an interception cut that one off too. h , The night wasnt played without some spectacular defensive plays too. One of the highlighted ones was a touchdown saving play by senior Kelly Hatch who was defending a Woods Cross receiver in the defensive seconTHE CONTEST proved to be fairly normal dary. Hatch reached up at the very last mountil the stadium clock quit ticking with just ment to swat a pass out of the hands of a over six minutes left. Its breakdown must Wildcat receiver. It would have been six points have been the bad omen that broke the Faif he hadnt. lcons back, because the next series of Clearfield plays were the difference in them losing WOOD, ON defense, had some fierce hitting and the Wildcats winning. tackles as did Steve Labato and Greg Folk. In three consecutive running plays, the FalSaid one Clearfield coach after the game, cons lost minus two yards and were forced to What a weird couple of games. We could punt. have and should have won both, referring to the Falcons two slim losses in early preTHE FIRST punt by Jeff Parry was called season. back due to an encroachment foul. He kicked again, but again it was brought back by a FalTHE COACH continued to say, If we con personal foul. The third try was chaos as would allow the other team to beat us, rather the snap from center was low and the kick went than ourselves, we might have a chance to only 25 yards. win. , 20-ya- w THAT LEAVES Hansen to comment. He said, Everything all goes back to the kids attitudes and commitment. These kids believe in themselves, which is something weve been lacking in for a few years. Those that havent been committed, are starting to become that way. Everyone is beginning to pull together. ONCE YOU start winning, other things just seem to take care of themselves. 1 Clearfield LAST WEEKS RESULTS REGION ONE SCHOOLS Sky View 0 Layton 9 Viewmont 0 Box . Elder 14 Woods Cross 6 Gearfield 3 Roy 18 Bountiful 0 Ogden 23 Weber 21 Bonneville 21 Mountain Crest 0 (This game not completed due to power outage. There were seven minutes still remaining.) REGION FOUR SCHOOLS Lomond 0 Ben Davis Woods Cross 6 Clearfield 3 19 Bountiful 0 Roy Layton 9 Viewmont 0 Highland 28 South 7 West 21 East 0 18 THIS WEEKS GAMES Gearfield at Davis Woods Cross at Layton Bountiful at Granger Skyline at Viewmont THIS WEEKS COLLEGE GAMES Utah at Arizona Brigham Young at Baylor Weber Statge (BYE) Utah State at Arizona State iy (0-- 2) at Davis 7:30 Woods Cross ; (2-- 0) at Layton (2-- 0) 7:30 d, xrf |