Winds of change
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This was a very interesting game to watch. It was obvious from the start that Trinity had nowhere near the foot speed that ETBU did; in fact, on the very first play, Chad Glover sped by the lineman assigned to him, knocking the ball loose from Trinity’s quarterback, Dan DesPlaines. ETBU linebacker Greg Washington scooped up the ball and ran untouched into the end zone. With just 12 seconds left, the ASC co-champions were up 7-0.
Given Trinity’s perplexing road play this season, it would be reasonable to expect the visitors to reel from this development. And, in fact, the Trinity offense was unable to get much of anything going its first two possessions. Runs to the outside, on plays that had worked all season, were consistently stuffed by ETBU’s pursuit. It was up to the Black Flag defense to finally turn the tide back in Trinity’s favor. On ETBU’s second possession, Johnson broke loose for four runs totaling 22 yards, and Van Cleave’s pass to Andrew Jackson set up ETBU in Trinity territory for the first time. TU’s Matt Woodchick intercepted Van Cleave’s next pass; absent any sort of running game, Trinity was able to knot the score at 7-all solely as a result of Dan DesPlaines’ passing.
ETBU started its next drive on its own 20, and in a perplexing call went for it on fourth-and-2 from their own 28. That attempt failed, as Wacey Clarke tackled Johnson for a short loss, but Trinity was unable to do anything with the ball. Eschewing the chance to attempt a 41-yard field goal into the stiff wind, DesPlaines’ pass to Kenny Brailsford fell incomplete. Once again, the Black Flag held, giving Scott Verhalen the chance to nail his best punt of the day, 52 yards into a 20-25 mph wind. Trinity then began a 14-play, eight-plus minute drive, which ended in frustration as Todd Canion’s 31-yard field goal attempt into the wind was wide left. Two fourth down conversions were for naught.
ETBU had dodged another bullet, but Trinity had its best pass pressure all day on the ensuing series. Van Cleave was sacked twice, was called for a delay of game, and on third and 17 threw a deep pass under pressure which was intercepted by Spencer Chase. Chase returned the ball 32 yards to the ETBU 20. Three plays and seconds later on the clock, Trinity had scored its second touchdown, but the extra point was pushed left. ETBU went into the locker room down 13-7 and had to consider themselves fortunate to be down by that small margin. And Trinity had to feel that, given their utter inability to run the ball outside that things were going pretty well.
Due to a blunder on the opening coin toss, ETBU not only had to kick off in the first half, but the second as well. Things didn’t start out well, as Trinity drove into ETBU territory from its own 20. Ray Glover stopped the bleeding, nailing Ray Valencia for a loss on third-and-short, and this time Trinity punted on fourth down. ETBU began its first drive of the second half on its own 15.
A short diversion: I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Charlie Chitwood at halftime as part of ETBU’s game broadcast. At one point he asked me what ETBU needed to do to get back in the game, at which point I mumbled something about getting the ball more to RoShawn Johnson. Well, guess what? First play, Johnson gets the ball and goes 85 yards down the right side for what seemed to be a touchdown. A late holding call on the 18 brought the ball back to the Trinity 28 (with a huge smile on his face, Johnson said after the game that “it didn’t look like a hold, because I set the block up good.”) Regardless, the six points came off the board, and when Michael Perez forced a fumble on the very next play, it looked as if momentum might have turned back Trinity’s way. But, three plays later, Micah Huckaby picked off a pass from a suddenly shaky DesPlaines, returned it to the four, and Johnson took it in on the very next play to regain the lead, 14-13.
Trinity’s tentative play continued on its next series, which resulted in no first downs and a punt. ETBU continued to administer large doses of RoShawn Johnson until, on second-and-17 from near midfield, ETBU picked up a safety blitz, Van Cleave waited for a streaking Jabori Jackson to clear, and with nobody within 5 yards of the receiver lofted a beautiful pass which Jackson ran under and into the end zone. Sean Struwe’s extra point made it 21-13 ETBU.
Now it was Trinity reeling. Another three-and-out and a 7-yard shanked punt into the wind gave ETBU the ball inside the TU 30, and Johnson and Van Cleave took advantage. Johnson ran twice for ten yards, Van Cleave turned a busted pass play into an 18-yard gain to the one, then called his own number twice, scoring on the second attempt. Scoring in less than two minutes for the third time in the quarter, Ralph Harris’ team found itself with a comfortable 28-13 lead late in the third quarter. And when Trinity again failed to mount a challenge on its next possession, it seemed as if it was all over but the shouting. Then, something strange happened.
Casey O’Brian’s punt into the wind went only 25 yards, into a tangle of two players from Trinity and one from ETBU. The ball bounced into Brant McAdams’ hands, McAdams took off and ran into the end zone, and after some confusion the referees announced that the ball had bounced off ETBU’s Tory Barnes and into McAdams’ arms. Trinity thus got the ball back on ETBU’s 36, DesPlaines converted a fourth-and-5, then found Robert Kelner for his third touchdown of the day. The two-point attempt was no good; ETBU now led 28-19.
Tyrone Robinson got off a beautiful kick return, tiptoeing down the sideline to just past midfield. “We designed some returns for Tyrone,” said ETBU coach Ralph Harris. “TR is faster and more explosive; Jabori [Jackson] has a knack for seeing holes.”
Needing to run some clock to seal the victory, ETBU instead was held to its first three-and-out of the half. Scott Verhalen kicked a beautiful punt into the wind which was downed at the 2. A short run and pass got TU out to the 15, but an illegal procedure call pushed Trinity back five yards and wiped out a 15-yard gain. DesPlaines got off a pass while under heavy pursuit from Chad Glover, and out came what appeared to be a flag for intentional grounding. But there was a receiver in the vicinity; the flag was waved off, but on the next play Trinity was penalized again, this time for illegal procedure.
On second-and-20 from the 5, DesPlaines found Robert Kellner for 17, a personal foul call added 15 more, and from there DesPlaines methodically led the visitors on what ended up being a 98 yard drive, capped by an 11-yard touchdown throw to a wide open Jason Mendevil. By this time, the ETBU defense – which was on the field for more than 37 minutes in regulation – was starting to tire, and DesPlaines had more time in the pocket to find his receivers. The extra point was good, and now Trinity trailed by only two.
ETBU was again unable to sustain a drive, getting to midfield before stalling. Verhalen unexpectedly shanked a punt of his own. On Trinity’s second play, DesPlaines found Daniel Lacroix down the middle; Lacroix broke a tackle and scored on a 54-yard touchdown catch-and-run. Another two point attempt failed, but Trinity led 32-28 with less than three minutes left, and the home crowd was stunned into silence.
That silence wouldn’t last long. Starting at its 17, ETBU went on another lightning-quick drive, as Van Cleave once again recognized a Trinity safety blitz on second and long. This time he found Earl Morris, who cut back and ran 80 yards to provide ETBU with a three-point lead. But leaving any time on the clock that day was dangerous; Trinity drove 52 yards on 55 seconds before Todd Canion atoned for his earlier misses with a 37-yard field goal to tie the game with 57 seconds left. And even THAT was almost too much time, as Van Cleave brought ETBU back to the Trinity 30 with 3 seconds left. Struwe’s 47 yard attempt into a still-stiff breeze fell just short.
So off to overtime the game went; both teams scored touchdowns easily, but Greg Washington completed his perfect day by streaking through the middle of the line untouched, blocking the PAT, and sending Trinity home in the first round for the first time since their initial foray to the playoffs back in 1994. “The right side [of the line] was weak,” said Washington. “[a teammate] pushed the offensive lineman out of the way and I was through the gap.”
Trinity coach Steve Mohr seriously considered going for two at the end. “That’s why we called time out,” said Mohr. “I probably went against my gut feeling. I was for going for it but let myself get talked out of it.” Mohr continued, “It was a great football game; we might have been here until midnight [had the kick not been blocked].”
“Big plays are made by people with the courage and the faith to make them,” said ETBU coach Ralph Harris. “Hopefully we’ll have a chance to keep this miracle run going [against Lycoming].”
Regarding the difference in play between halves, Harris took responsibility: “I’m too conservative in coaching ... we joke about spotting the other team some points and then start playing. Here are the reins of a stallion that I need to let run.” Harris continued, “[Steve] Mohr made some remarkable calls. We had it won three times, and they yanked it back. They had it won once, and we yanked it back.”
While many in the crowd felt the officiating was suspect, coach Harris had this to say: “This is a good crew [who] worked the Stagg Bowl two years ago, good people ... I thought they did a good job.”
The East Texas Baptist Tigers overcame everything thrown at them on Saturday; as a result, a new team represents the ASC/SCAC this weekend. “16 teams are left standing,” concluded Harris, “without a doubt they [Lycoming] will be as good as anyone we’ve played.” Saturday’s game in Williamsport has the potential to be “as good as any one” ETBU has played, too. Good luck, Tigers!
Tidbits
ETBU’s Greg Washington was featured Monday [10 PM PDT, midnight CDT] on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines.” Despite having a camera crew at the game, ESPN did not get footage of Washington’s fumble return for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. “I hate that they missed that touchdown,” Washington said with a smile after the game. The show did use coaches’ video footage from behind and above the goalposts during Bob Ley’s interview of Washington following the piece.
Trinity quarterback Dan DesPlaines and running back Matt Federle have a year of eligibility remaining and intend to use it, according to those inside the program.
South Region Predictions
Last week: 3-0 (given that I didn’t make a hard prediction on ETBU-Trinity)
No. 4 seed East Texas Baptist (9-2) at No. 1 Lycoming (8-1)
Right now the Saturday forecast is for it to be cold in Pennsylvania – at least if you’re from Texas. That combined with the rigors of traveling and ETBU’s lack of road playoff experience will tilt the scales in favor of the Warriors. A pity, because I don’t particularly care for Lyco’s refusal to play anyone outside their conference, and a win will make them look good.
No. 3 Bridgewater (10-1) at No. 2 Christopher Newport (8-2)
Both teams struggled to win at home last week. BC had to make a goal-line stand against playoff rookies Waynesburg (9-2) to preserve the victory, and BC had to come back against Muhlenberg (7-3) and turn back a later Mule drive with a fourth-down sack. BC ain’t Muhlenberg, and they’re not the same team that turned in a losing performance in week four. BC’s not going to throw four INTs in a half, either.
Interesting note: The 20 points scored by the Mules were the most allowed by CNU since Week 1. At least for now.
Around the Region
ASC All-Conference Honors for 2003-04:
Offensive POY: Cody Fredenberg, QB, Sr., UMHB
Defensive POY: Tony Salazar, FS, Sr., UMHB
Tri-Offensive Lineman: Adam Hernandez, OG, Jr., HSU; Matt Miller, Sr., OT, Lousiana College; Jeff Oliver, Jr., UMHB
Defensive Lineman: Keith Zunker, DE, Jr., UMHB
Freshman: A. J. Edwards, RB/RET, Fr., JPU
Coach of the Year: Ralph Harris, ETBU
Full release: http://www.americansouthwestconf.org/media0304/31119football-allconf.pdf
SCAC All-Conference Honors for 2003-04:
Co-Offensive POY: Lorenzo Engleman, RB, Sr., Centre; Daniel Swanstrom, QB, Jr., Rhodes
Defensive POY: Jarrod Smith, DL, Sr., Trinity
Special Teams POY: Jamarcus Shepard, KR, Jr., DePauw
Coach of the Year: Joe White, Rhodes
Full release: http://www.scac-online.org/football/03all-scacfootball.pdf
Game of the Week (time local):
No. 16 East Texas Baptist (9-2) at No. 18 Lycoming (9-1), Williamsport, Pa., 12 p.m.: The formula for ETBU this week has to be similar to what got them the win last week: RoShawn Johnson left, RoShawn Johnson right, RoShawn Johnson up the middle interleaved with judicious use of Phil Van Cleave’s arm. Add a liberal portion of Greg Washington and Littleton Dean with a touch of Micah Huckaby and Chad Glover; stir until done.
Van Cleave can’t win it by himself in Williamsport; the Warriors have allowed less than 85 yards per game on the ground, which will make this a challenge. The Tigers need to keep from having as many offsides penalties called, too. My pick above notwithstanding, ETBU can win this game. I doubt Lyco has seen a team this fast, and if the turf in Williamsport is in good condition, Johnson should be able to make the cuts which make him such a dangerous runner. ETBU must also take care to not read too much into the win against Trinity; more than one person in Marshall actually said they thought last week’s game would be the toughest test the Tigers would face in the postseason. Perhaps in the sense of getting the first-ever playoff W in school history, but there remain plenty more challenging games against the 15 other teams left in the bracket.
Don’t you love how the D3football.com voters actually have the No. 4 seed ranked higher than the No. 1 seed? Maybe next year, we should let them pick the playoff teams and seedings, too.
Next week: This is it for me this year, though we’ll probably look back after the season’s done to see what, if anything, we learned about football in the ASC and SCAC. I’ve really enjoyed having the opportunity to work with the coaches and SIDs in the region. Thanks to everyone who has been so helpful with information for the column, and a special word of thanks to Pat Coleman. Pat cleans up my trash almost every week (sometimes twice a week) to give you something that has some resemblance to decent sports writing. Any shortcomings in that regard are strictly my fault, not his. Thanks for the opportunity, Pat. (ed note: No problem!)
I hope you’ve learned a thing or two this year – I certainly have. With luck, I’ll see you here again in about nine months.
Comments? Complaints? Praise? Have an interesting story idea for an upcoming column? Think your team isn’t getting enough coverage? If so, contact me: ron.boerger@d3football.com