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Bulldog Player of the Week ~ Thursday, October 15, 2009
Bulldog Player of the Week — The Bulldog Player of the Week for his play during Gleason's win over South Fulton on Sept. 25 was senior Nicky Spain (left). The award, sponsored by the Bank of Gleason, is presented to one GHS Bulldog player for his effort on the field. On hand to present the award to Spain was Gleason head football coach Noah Lampkins. Photo submitted
'Maniac' Play Call Lets Dawgs Edge G'field in 2OT
By: Stephanie Sturgis - Press Sports Editor
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
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Splish splash — Gleason defensive end Ben Sumner (right) gets just enough of Yellowjacket Tyler Dunning to trip him and bring him down for a wet landing during the visiting Bulldogs' exciting 14-12 double overtime win. Photo by Stephanie Sturgis
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One Maniac was the difference in a double overtime clash for the ages between the rain-soaked and mud-spattered Gleason Bulldogs and Greenfield Yellowjackets last Friday night at Harris Field.
A defensive scheme the Dawgs call Maniac allowed Gleason to stop the Jackets' attempt at a game-tying run on the last play of the second overtime. The stop gave Gleason a thrilling 14-12 victory in what was a non-district match between the two county rivals.
Trailing 14-12 after Jacket senior Ty Smithson caught his second touchdown pass of the night on a quick slant from quarterback Dalton Potts on their first snap of the second overtime, Greenfield had to go for two points in an attempt to force a third overtime. Greenfield lined up at the 3-yard line with senior Tyler Dunning behind Potts in the Jacket backfield. Potts lofted a pitch to Dunning, leading him toward the left end of the line of scrimmage. In Dunning's path was Bulldog defensive end Ben Sumner who forced the Greenfield ball carrier back toward the middle where he was hauled down by the Dawgs well short of the goal line.
"Coach (Mike) Bennett put us in a defensive scheme there that we call Maniac. It’s more of a goal line pressure-type defense. We’ve got our ends wide. They have to get upfield and get contain. We were in the right place at the right time," a relieved Gleason head coach Noah Lampkins said of the game-ending play. "Had we been in our base defense, the way we would have normally lined up to that set, they probably would have scored." The tackle gave Gleason the 14-12 win and set off a huge celebration for half the players and fans in attendance. The other half on the Greenfield side were left desolated by the gut-wrenching loss.
"You always second-guess yourself when you have a play called that doesn’t work, but maybe we should have done something different there at the end, but it is what it is," Jacket head coach Jason Rodehaver said. "Our guys battled. Not very many people gave us a chance against a 4-2 Gleason team, but we gave them everything we had." The win improved Gleason's record to 5-2 overall, while the Jackets drop to 1-6.
The Dawgs return to District 13-A action this week when they visit the Huntingdon Mustangs in a key clash. The Jackets will also hit the road, traveling to Humboldt to take on the Vikings in a District 14-A meeting. Kickoff for both games is set for 7:30 on Friday night.
The entire first half was played in a steady, wind-blown rain that further saturated an already-wet field. As a result of the sloppy conditions, two staunch defenses had the upper hand throughout the contest. Gleason limited Greenfield to just one first down in regulation, that coming on the first play of the fourth quarter.
The Jacket defense twice held inside its own red zone, partially thanks to Dawg mistakes. The first quarter was a series of repetitive three-and-outs by both sides until Gleason, starting at the Jacket 43, picked up two first downs to reach the 21-yard line. A tackle for no gain by Chris McMullen was followed by a fumbled handoff for a five-yard loss. Cody Ezell ran for 12 yards to set up fourth-and-two from the 14, but a fumbled snap ended the Dawg scoring threat.
After another Jacket punt, Gleason again began to march. A 14-yard completion by Conner Verdell to Dalton Teeter was one big play, but Teeter later had the ball squirt out of his hands on a run. Potts recovered for the Jackets at their own 8. Again the Jackets were forced to punt when a facemask penalty helped stall the drive. Despite excellent starting position after the punt, three consecutive penalties against the Dawgs helped keep them out of the end zone just before the half and kept the score 0-0.
After halftime, neither team could gain an advantage until late in the fourth quarter. Greenfield failed to convert on a fourth down pass attempt to Steven Sawyers, giving the Dawgs the ball at their own 30 with 8:51 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Gleason then put together its most sustained drive. The Dawgs mixed runs up the middle by fullback Sam Cosby with scampers around the ends by Nicky Spain to move the chains three times and cross into Jacket territory for the first time in the second half. Facing fourth-and-three at the Jacket 37, Spain took the pitch, bulled past a tackler, vaulted over a downfield blocker and rumbled 25 yards to the 12. The Jacket defense stiffened and forced a fourth down at the 5. Lampkins opted to let the clock run down and called a timeout with 12 seconds left before trying a 23-yard field goal by Matt Mayo, who was perfect on all four PAT kicks the week before. After a low snap, Jacket Cody Worley got a hand on the low kick and blocked it to force overtime.
Greenfield had the ball first, starting at the 10-yard line. After a three-yard Dunning run, Potts was sacked for an eight-yard loss by Sumner and Teeter. On third down from the 18, Potts found Smithson for a 15-yard gain. On the next snap, the duo hooked up again for the three-yard touchdown slant. A fake on the PAT kick saw Smithson, the holder, hauled down by Ezell to keep the Greenfield lead at 6-0.
Gleason needed just two plays, both Spain runs, to tie. Spain's first carry was for a one-yard loss on a tackle by Dakota Bills before rumbling 11 yards for the tying touchdown. Mayo again trotted out for the kick. A low snap was scooped up by Mayo, who was tackled immediately to keep the score at 6-6.
It was the Dawgs on the spot to start the second OT. After Cosby was stopped for no gain, Ezell twice ran for five yards including a run to paydirt behind a block by Blake Taylor. Ahead 12-6, Lampkins opted for the two-pointer. Ezell, again behind a Taylor block, dove into the end zone for a 14-6 Dawg lead.
Greenfield needed just one play — the 10-yard Smithson catch — to come within a two-point conversion of a tie and set up the "maniacal" last play.
Both coaches had high praise for their opponent. "We didn’t execute well offensively. We didn’t block a soul. Part of that is because Greenfield was tenacious and schemed good," Lampkins noted.
The other head coach didn't neglect to mention his foe. "That was one of those games that you expect when we play Gleason. I tip my hat to Noah (Lampkins) and his team. It’s a big win for them," Rodehaver said. "Our guys are hurting, but that tells me they’ve given everything they had and they have something invested in this program. I dare you to find a team that’s 1-5 that plays any harder than my guys do. I’m proud of them and I love them for it." Source: Weakley County Press.
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Homecoming Doesn't Distract Dawgs from Taming Tigers
Stephanie Sturgis - Press Sports Editor
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
End Zone Awaits — Gleason senior Cody Ezell (right) follows the blocks of (from left) Ben Sumner and Matt Mayo during a 31-yard touchdown run. Ezell scored twice as the Bulldogs blazed past Bruceton to a 41-6 win. Photo by Stephanie Sturgis
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The 2009 Gleason High School homecoming festivities got all the attention before the kickoff. Once the clock started and the first kick sailed through the air, the Bulldogs were all business Friday night.
Gleason scored on its first possession and never looked back in blasting the visiting winless Bruceton Tigers, 41-6. "We came out and did what we wanted to do. We executed the offensive game plan pretty well, and we were very aggressive on defense. We didn't let (homecoming) affect us," GHS head coach Noah Lampkins said.
The win bumped Gleason's record to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in District 13-A. The Tigers fall to 0-6 and 0-3 in the district.
A 23-yard kickoff return by Nicky Spain gave the Dawgs excellent field position at the Gleason 42 for the game's first snap. Fullback Sam Cosby then blasted through a wide hole up the middle for a 25-yard gain, the first of his four carries for double-digit yardage in the game. Cosby then added runs of six and four yards, part of his team-high 84 yards rushing. "Cosby really had a good game. He ran hard tonight," Lampkins praised.
Senior Cody Ezell took over from there, taking the pitch from quarterback Conner Verdell and dashing around the left end behind the leading block of Matt Mayo for a 23-yard touchdown romp. Mayo booted the extra point through the uprights for a quick 7-0 Dawg lead with just 1:47 gone off the clock.
The teams then swapped a pair of punts each before Gleason got another good Spain return for 26 yards. The officials tacked on 15 yards for a Tiger facemask, allowing the Dawgs to start a drive at the Bruceton 35. On the third snap, Ezell raced 31 yards with Ben Sumner and Mayo clearing the way down the left sideline to pay dirt. Mayo again split the uprights for a 14-0 Gleason advantage with 2:38 still to play in the first quarter. In the next Tiger drive, QB Hayden Howell twice threw for 10-yard gains, finding Chandler Jordan and Bishop Haynes.
It appeared a block in the back flag would stall the drive, but Howell found Ryan Crouch on a passing route for a 26-yard gain to the GHS 29. A fourth-down completion and three Dawg penalties gave the Tigers a first-and-goal from the 4. Haynes needed one run to cover the distance to pay dirt. Logan Batte's PAT was wide, leaving the lead at 14-6 with 7:18 to go in the half.
The Dawgs answered. Spain's 27-yard kick return got things rolling. Starting at the GHS 39, Gleason picked up four first downs on four consecutive snaps — a 13-yard Spain run, an 11-yard Ezell ramble, a 20-yard completion to Ezell and Spain's 17-yard hard run to the end zone. Mayo was good on the kick, and Gleason led 21-6.
Mayo made a big hit on the next kickoff to the Tigers, and three plays later, BHS punted. "Mayo and Hunter Morse at defensive tackle really disrupted their offense," Lampkins noted.
The Dawgs used five plays to cover 52 yards with Cory Frye catching a 10-yard Verdell pass at the goal line. Mayo's kick was good for a 28-6 halftime lead.
The first three drives of the third quarter ended with Bruceton throwing an interception and fumbling sandwiched around a Verdell interception. Gleason settled down and put together a 45-yard drive capped by a 15-yard Cosby scoring run. Mayo's kick gave GHS a 35-6 lead with 5:06 left in the third.
The Dawgs' final scoring drive in the fourth quarter was capped by Morse's 11-yard run to pay dirt. Blake Taylor's PAT kick was wide, leaving the final margin at 41-6 in Gleason's favor.
The Dawgs will next take on county rival Greenfield at the Yellowjackets' home field with kickoff at 7:30 on Friday night. Source. Weakley County Press
Gleason Player of the Week
Friday, October 2, 2009
Player of the Week — The Gleason Player of the Week for his play during the Bulldogs' contest vs. Halls was senior J.T. Waszkowski (right). The award is sponsored by The Bank of Gleason. On hand to present the honor in the form of an inscribed football was Gleason head coach Noah Lampkins. Photo submitted. Source NWTNtoday.com
Jr. Dawgs Use Quick Strikes to Stop Huntingdon
Sara Reid — Special to the Weakley County Pres
Friday, October 2, 2009 11:10 am
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A little help — Bulldog fullback Will Clark (center) provides a block for teammate Chase Ezell during Gleason's 38-14 win over the Huntingdon Mustangs last Thursday. Photo by Sara Reid
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GLEASON, Tenn. — The Huntingdon Middle School Mustangs took a stab, but ultimately could do nothing to stop the Gleason Junior High season-long hot streak.With a 38-14 win over the visiting Mustangs this past Thursday night, the Bulldogs now own a 6-0 record.
The Mustangs took first possession and gained just four yards resulting in a punt. Gleason took over on its own 30 and picked up three yards on first down from Will Clark. Ian Legens swept around the left side for 16 and Tanner Spencer found Reese Montgomery through the air for 18 yards.
From the Mustang 31, Cody Ezell and Clark gained three yards each, Ezell took a handoff 15 yards and Clark ran the final 10 yards to the end zone. Chris Copeland ran in the conversion and with 3:20 left in the first quarter, Gleason led 8-0.
The visitors held on to the ball for the remainder of the first quarter and scored on a 20-yard run to start the second frame. A successful conversion tied the score, 8-8.
Gleason came right back with an answer, however. Having a short field to work with, Copeland gained 14 yards on first down at the Mustang 44. Copeland followed with a four-yard carry and Legens finished off the drive with a 26-yard touchdown run. Copeland added the conversion and with 6:25 left in the first half, Gleason took a 16-8 lead.
The Mustangs turned the ball over on downs on their next possession and the Bulldogs needed just two plays before Legens took a handoff 63 yards downfield for another touchdown. Ezell ran in the conversion and Gleason jumped to a 24-8 lead with 1:09 left in the half.
The Mustangs quieted the crowd for just a second with an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, but the Dawgs again answered quickly when Tanner Trevathan found Montgomery for a 39-yard pass and six points. Copeland added the conversion and the Bulldogs led 32-14 at the break.
Keeping the visitors from reaching the end zone for the remainder of the contest, the Dawgs added another touchdown — a Trevathan 30-yard pass to Ethan Terrell — and cruised to a 38-14 win.
In the victory, Trevathan completed 5-of-6 passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Legens finished with 105 rushing yards and two touchdowns and Clark had 36 rushing yards and one score.
Gleason will next take its undefeated record to Dresden this Thursday night with kickoff at 6:30.
Gleason Bite is Bad for Uninspired SF
By KENNETH COKER, Messenger Sports Reporter
Monday, September 28, 2009
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Alex Gallien, Jared Fowler and J.P. Fowler team up to bring down Dalton Teeter.
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A week after taking Humboldt to the limit, an admittedly flat South Fulton turned out to be merely a speed bump for Gleason.
The Red Devils moved the chains for a first down just seven times and were held to 158 yards of total offense during their 34-21 defeat Friday at the Bulldogs’ field.
“It’s definitely a letdown,” second-year SF head coach Kelly Spivey confirmed afterward. “They (Gleason) gave a great effort and we didn’t. We didn’t make the plays we needed to and we’ve got to get better play from our linebackers.
“I thought a few of our players played hard but, as a whole, the team didn’t. It goes back to practice. Every day wasn’t good (in the week leading to the game) and we tried to hide and mask it, but this result exposes it.”
On the flip side, Bulldog running back Nicky Spain did give his all, totaling 206 yards of total offense (123 yards receiving, 83 yards rushing) and three touchdowns.
Spain was the favorite target of Gleason sophomore quarterback Conner Verdell. Verdell, who finished the contest 9-of-11 for 139 yards, found Spain on seven occasions with two of those connections going the distance.
The passing proficiency did surprise Spivey, although he believes SF should have been capable of defending it.
“We worked on the run all week,” Spivey said. “They hurt us on some passes tonight that were basic and elementary. They ran some option, which we hadn’t seen on film, but it wasn’t anything we’re not accustomed to defending.”
On the other sideline, Noah Lampkins, in his eighth season at Gleason, was proud of his team’s effort, coming off the heels of a 41-0 thrashing against No. 4 McKenzie (Class 2A) a week earlier.
“I was concerned about how we’d come out after such a lackluster performance last week,” Lampkins said. “But our guys brought it from every position. I think my sophomore quarterback showed me exactly what he is going to be and Nicky Spain did a great job as a running back and as quarterback when we tried a little veer at the end.”
Meanwhile, South Fulton’s best offensive option was senior running back Jonathan Avent. Avent accounted for all three of the Red Devils’ scores.
Two of Avent’s touchdowns were of the rushing variety, while the other was an 82-yard kickoff return — during which he zigged and zagged his way through a host of Bulldog special teamers — to pay dirt.
Though not as flashy as Avent’s fourth quarter kick return TD, Gleason’s opening drive was just as effective.
The Bulldogs marched 65 yards on 11 plays with the series concluding when Cody Ezell scooted across the goal line from nine yards out for the initial score nearly halfway through the first quarter.
After exchanging punts, Avent knotted the game up on the first play of SF’s second drive of the contest with his 37-yard dash to pay dirt. Sam Curtis split the uprights with the point-after kick to put South Fulton (2-3) up 7-6 with just over three minutes to go in the opening canto.
SF held the lead for the next 12 minutes until just moments after a Curtis punt attempt, which was blocked by Ben Sumner, was picked up and returned to the Red Devils’ 18 by Ezell.
Two plays later, Verdell found Spain for a 13-yard TD connection to give Gleason a 12-7 advantage at intermission.
Ezell’s second touchdown of the evening — a 15-yard jaunt with 2:58 remaining in the third quarter — put the ’Dawgs ahead by two possessions and Verdell’s two-point conversion gave the hosts a 20-7 lead with one period remaining.
Avent kept SF in the game with a seven-yard scamper to the end zone on a fourth-and-goal attempt early in the final quarter, but Spain darted 25 yards for a score to end the following Gleason series and help the host team regain its double-digit cushion.
With the Bulldogs ahead 28-14 after Spain’s connection with Sam Cosby on the two-point conversion, Avent sprinted 82 yards on the ensuing kickoff to keep SF within striking distance at the 4:34 mark of the fourth quarter.
South Fulton attempted an onside kick, but Sumner skied to grab the pigskin off the bounce and avert disaster.
Down, but not out, the Redmen had their best defensive effort of the evening, forcing Gleason to punt after a five-play drive that netted 14 yards.
However, the end was near as Matt Mayo picked off JaQuay Garmon’s aerial offering on first down and Verdell found Spain for a 18-yard scoring connection with 13 seconds remaining to slam the door shut on the Red Devils’ chances.
Garmon, a freshman signal-caller who had thrown for a touchdown in all four of his previous outings, struggled through his fifth high school game. He finished the evening 1-for-15 with three interceptions.
Defensively, Cody Tatum made a team-high nine stops — three for a loss. Otherwise, J.P. Fowler and Alex Gallien were each in on eight tackles. Avent forced and recovered a fumble for SF and had five stops.
The Red Devils travel to Halls this Friday, while Gleason hosts Bruceton.
Sports reporter Kenneth Coker can be contacted by e-mail at kcoker@ucmessenger.com.
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Legens Keeps Jr. Dawgs Unbeaten
Sara Reid — Special to the Weakley County Press
Thursday, September 24, 2009
GLEASON, Tenn. — Behind three touchdowns from Ian Legens and a characteristic second-half surge, the Gleason Junior High Bulldogs remain undefeated on the season at 5-0. Their latest win came this past Thursday night against the McKenzie Middle School Rebels as the Dawgs scored 22 unanswered points after trailing 8-0 to win 22-8. After taking first possession, McKenzie was quickly forced to punt. Gleason took over on its own 18 and picked up a first down on carries from Chris Copeland and Will Clark. Chase Ezell gained five on a handoff and Legens ran for six and a first down. Clark netted six yards on two carries, but Legens was limited to two yards on his next two carries and the Bulldogs turned the ball over on downs. McKenzie held possession into the second quarter, but on second and long, Tanner Trevathan picked off a pass. After a quick three-and-out, however, the visitors took over. From the Dawg 40, Eric Chavez ran into the end zone. With the conversion, the Rebels took an 8-0 lead with 3:55 left before the half. At their own 33, the Bulldogs gained 16 yards on a Clark carry and entered enemy territory on a five-yard gain from Clark. Continuing his hot streak, Clark picked up 21 and put Gleason at the McKenzie 23. Runs from Copeland and Ezell moved the Dawgs down to the 12 and though two passes from Trevathan fell incomplete, Legens took a handoff 12 yards around the left side for the touchdown. Clark ran in the conversion and the host tied the score 8-8 at the half. The Dawgs opened with possession in the third quarter and gained steady yardage while managing the clock. Down at the McKenzie 14, Legens ran in his second touchdown and, though the conversion failed, the Dawgs took a 14-8 lead with 2:33 left in the third. The momentum continued when McKenzie coughed up the ball on the kickoff and Ezell recovered.
Already deep in Rebel territory, the Dawgs ran out the clock in the third and punched in a five-yard touchdown from Legens to start the fourth quarter. Copeland ran in the conversion and the Bulldogs increased the lead and held on to make it a final, 22-8. The Dawgs will put their win streak on the line next against visiting Huntingdon tonight (Thursday) with kickoff at 6:30. Source: Weakley County Press. Big Second Quarter Buries Bulldogs |
| Tuesday, September 22, 2009 |
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Gleason, Tenn. —The McKenzie Rebels erupted for 28 second-quarter points to pull away from the host Gleason Bulldogs on the way to the 41-0 victory Friday night at Parks Edwards Field in Gleason.
The Dawgs (2-2, 0-2 District 13-A) picked up a first down in each of their first two drives, but were held to three-and-out series by the McKenzie defense in their next four possessions.
McKenzie (3-1, 2-0 District 13-A) fumbled to end its first possession and the Dawgs forced a Rebel punt to end the second MHS drive. The McKenzie punt boomed 52 yards and pinned Gleason at its own 17-yard line late in the first quarter.
The Dawgs again struggled to move the ball and punted to McKenzie. For the game, Gleason managed just 69 total yards of offense.
The Rebels started at the GHS 43 and needed nine plays to cover the distance. Quinton Bowden ran the final five yards for the opening touchdown with 11:11 left in the first half. Alex Rider kicked the point after for a 7-0 lead. Rider eventually hit 6-of-7 PAT kicks.
After another punt, the Rebs put together a five-play, 63-yard scoring march, including an 18-yard completion by Austin McKinney to Max Arnold, a 15-yard GHS penalty and an 18-yard run by Austin Taylor. Bowden ran it in from the 1 to double the MHS lead to 14-0.
The Rebs third score came on a Keon Williams 6-yard run to cap a short 41-yard drive with 5:00 left in the second quarter.
Jake Johnson was the third Reb to score in the half when he romped in from 3-yards out for a 28-0 advantage with 41 ticks left in the first half.
Bowden added a 16-yard TD run in the third quarter and Williams rambled in from 14-yards out in the fourth to conclude the scoring.
Gleason will next host South Fulton Friday night with kickoff at 7. McKenzie will host Humboldt at 7:30 on Friday night. Source. NWTNtoday.com |
Junior Dawgs Control Second Half in Downing Greenfield |
By: Sara Reid — Special to the Weakley County Press
Tuesday, September 15, 2009 |
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Road block — A pair of Gleason defenders, including Chase Ezell (left), stop Junior Yellowjacket Austin Pence during the Junior Bulldogs' 48-22 win over Greenfield last Thursday.
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GLEASON, Tenn. – After a dead-even first half, the Gleason Junior High Bulldogs poured on the yards and the points in the second half and took a 48-22 win over the Greenfield Junior High Yellowjackets this past Thursday night in Gleason.
The first half saw both teams not only put up the same number of points, 16, but also the same number of total yards, 181. Gleason put the momentum solidly in its favor in the second half, though, by out-scoring the visitors 32-6 and out-gaining them in yardage — 228-33.
The scoring started early as Jacket quarterback Austin Pence took the opening kickoff 85 yards back for the touchdown. Pence found Jeremy Lannom for the conversion and the visitors led 8-0 with 7:44 left in the first quarter.
Starting on their own 40, the Bulldogs picked up three yards on a handoff to Chase Ezell and Ian Legens swept around the left side for 57 yards and the TD. Will Clark ran in the conversion and the score was tied, 8-8, with 7:18 left in the opening quarter.
The Yellowjackets took possession at their own 36 and gained two yards on the ground from Tanner Smithson. On a second carry, Smithson picked up nine and a first down, but fumbled the ball for no gain on his next run. Pence was stopped by Legens for no gain, but ran for 12 yards and a first down on third-and-long.
Jeffery Johnson gained nine up the middle and another nine plus a first down at the Gleason 17. Pence lost a yard on a keeper and Johnson was stifled for no gain by Will Clark and Archie Rich, but Pence pushed his way down to the 1-yard line and punched in the touchdown. He connected with Xzavier Alley for the conversion and Greenfield took a 16-8 lead at the end of one stanza.
Gleason started the second quarter from its own 43. Tanner Trevathan gained two yards and Clark turned in a four-yard carry. Legens was pulled down in the backfield for a loss of three by Joshua Lasater, but picked up 14 on his next carry.
To cap the drive, Trevathan aired it out to Reese Montgomery for a 39-yard touchdown. Chris Copeland ran in the conversion and the score was tied again, 16-16, and it remained even through the rest of the first half of play.
To start the third, Gleason was flagged with a penalty to start on its own 20. Legens ran for 20 yards on two carries, Ezell swept around for 15, Clark gained five yards and Legens ran for 12 and a first down.
Ezell followed with a 12-yard run and Clark picked up three up the middle putting the Dawgs on the Greenfield 18 and setting up an 18-yard touchdown run from Ezell. Legens was stopped on the conversion attempt, but Gleason took a 22-16 lead with 4:28 left in the third.
Greenfield came roaring back. Starting on the Gleason 46, Pence gained two on a keeper, but Smithson fumbled and recovered for a four-yard loss. Pence found big yardage on the ground and aided by a personal foul penalty, put the visitors at the 15.
Johnson gained seven on a carry and Pence carried for six down to the 2. Johnson ran in the touchdown, but on the conversion attempt, Pence’s run was stopped and the score was tied yet again, 22-22, with 1:08 left in the third.
On the kickoff, Ezell returned the ball 57 yards to the Jacket 13. Copeland needed just one play — a 13-yard carry — to put the Bulldogs back in the end zone. The conversion failed, but Gleason took a 28-22 lead and never relinquished it.
The home team didn’t slow down in the final quarter as it put 20 more points on the board in the form of a two-yard run from Clark, a 44-yard run from Copeland with a conversion pass from Trevathan to Montgomery and a 70-yard interception return by Legens with time expiring. When the smoke cleared, Gleason was on top, 48-22.
Legens had 113 rushing yards and a touchdown and a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown. Copeland had 128 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Clark had 24 yards and a touchdown. Ezell had 61 yards and a touchdown and Trevathan went 4 for 4 with 74 yards passing and a touchdown.
Acting in a versatile role for the Dawgs, Montgomery had three catches for 54 yards and a TD and recorded three tackles, two of which were for losses.
For Greenfield, Pence had 63 rushing yards and a touchdown and an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Johnson had 45 rushing yards and a touchdown. Source. Weakley County Press
Dawgs Run Inside, Outside to Win
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
GLEASON, Tenn. — The Halls Tigers are probably still trying to figure out the Gleason Bulldogs' rushing attack after falling 28-6 to their host Friday night at Parks Edwards Field.
Gleason's ground attack was two-pronged with fullback J.T. Waszkowski pounding the middle and Dalton Teeter burning up the edges. Waszkowski finished with 142 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, while Teeter blazed to the end zone twice and rushed for 146 yards on 11 carries for the Dawgs (2-1, 0-1 District 13-A).
The Halls offense is likely still shaking its head too. The Bulldog defense, led by Matt Mayo, limited the Tigers (2-1, 0-0 District 14-A) to just 146 yards of offense.
Gleason came up with a big defensive stand in its own red zone and forced a turnover on downs to end Halls' second possession of the night. The lone Tiger TD came late in the game after the Dawgs fumbled deep in their own territory.
Gleason recovered an onside kick to start the game for good field position at its own 47. Waszkowski romped 20 yards for the score and Mayo's PAT provided a 7-0 lead just under over two minutes into the game.
The Dawgs never trailed.
Following the clutch defensive stand, Gleason marched 90 yards and scored on a 41-yard Teeter touchdown run. Mayo's kick lifted the lead to 14-0 early in the second quarter.
The GHS defense then forced a three-and-out series by Halls. On the ensuing drive, Teeter ran four yards for his second touchdown and a 20-0 lead.
The final Gleason score came mid way through the third. The Dawgs recovered a Tiger fumble and the ensuing 64-yard drive was highlighted by Teeter runs of 39 and 22 yards. Sophomore quarterback Conner Verdell capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge.
Grant Dew scored Halls' TD on a two-yard run following a fumble after the game was well in Gleason's hands. Source. Weakley County Press. |
Late Cooper TD Lifts War Eagles Over Bulldogs in
24-22 Thriller
By Lindsey Arnold
arnold@mckenziebanner.com
 ATWOOD (September 4) The Bulldogs (1-1, 0-1) of Gleason High School sought a crucial early-season district win over West Caroll’s War Eagles (2-0, 1-0) Friday night, a week after blanking Fulton City 50-0. West Carroll began their season with a 36-27 defeat of South Fulton a week prior.
The host War Eagles won the opening coin toss and elected to receive. A well-executed, well-paced drive went into Gleason territory, but stalled at the Bulldog 22-yard line as West Carroll quarterback Cody Nelson was dropped for an eight-yard sack on fourth down.
Gleason took over at their own 30-yard line with 7:03 remaining in the first quarter, but went three and out. A third down sack for a seven-yard loss by War Eagle Carson Suite preceded a Bulldog punt.
Beginning at the West Carroll 45, senior tailback Travis Myles zipped up the middle for a seven-yard gain. Myles’ brother, junior wingback Bracey, took a second down toss on the following play 54 yards for a score. Nelson slammed in for a successful two-point conversion and the War Eagles led 8-0 at the 4:25 mark.
The Bulldogs were in trouble early on the next drive as an illegal block and an offsides penalty had them facing third down and 22. Gleason all-purpose senior Nicky Spain took a sweep 19 yards before fullback Dalton Teeter smashed for the first down with a 12yard carry. Bulldog quarterback Connor Verdell completed a 7yard pass before JT Waszkowski burst for a first down to close the first quarter.
Fullback Hunter Morse carried a third down rush 10 yards to the West Carroll 11-yard line. Stalled in the redzone, Gleason faced a fourth down and four when Spain trotted in for a five-yard touchdown. Verdell completed to Spain in the corner of the end zone for a two-point conversion as the game knotted 8-all with 9:50 remaining in the first half.
On the ensuing drive’s first play War Eagle T. Myles rushed for 12 yards to the West Carroll 46. Three plays later, facing fourth and three from the Bulldog 47yard line, a Nelson pass was deftly swiped mid-air for an interception by senior lineman Ben Sumner.
Gleason then capped a 13-play scoring drive via a nine-yard touchdown sweep by Spain to take a 14-8 lead. Senior Cody Ezell powered past the goal line for two points and the Bulldogs led 168 with 41 seconds on the clock. Following Gleason’s kickoff, West Carroll rushed once for no gain to close the half.
Speedy Bulldog Spain brought the second-half opening kickoff to near midfield before having the ball stripped and recovered by West Carroll at the 50.
West Carroll couldn’t take advantage of the sudden takeaway though as a third and short fumble recovery lost five yards, forcing a punt on fourth down.
From the Bulldog 17-yard line, Verdell launched a second and nine pass into the hands of War Eagle defensive back Andrew Wainscott for an pivotal interception.
On the ensuing possession, following a holding penalty on third down, West Carroll stood at the Gleason 30-yard line in a fourth and eight situation. Quarterback Nelson dropped back, juked right and tossed a precise completion to B. Myles for a 30-yard touchdown. Fullback Cooper pushed the pile for two points and tied the game at 16-16 with 7:07 remaining in the third quarter.
Gleason answered with an eight-play, 5:02 drive featuring a 23-yard Verdell completion to Spain, a 14-yard Spain scamper and a 12-yard touchdown stroll by sophomore fullback Sam Cosby. In what proved to be a pivotal stand, War Eagle T. Myles tackled Cosby short of the goal line as the Bulldogs took a 22-16 lead at the 2:05 mark.
Taking over at the West Carroll 34, War Eagles T. Myles sped for 22 yards. Facing third and one, West Carroll earned a first down to close the third quarter as Gleason’s defense was drawn offsides.
Nelson completed a nine-yard pass to Wainscott before Cooper rumbled four yards on third and three. T. Myles slammed ahead for a 14-yard pickup before a Suite fumble was recovered by Bulldog Cory Frye in the end zone for a touchback.
The Bulldogs started the ensuing drive strong with two nine-yard rushes from Cosby, but sputtered thereafter and punted to the West Carroll 31-yard line following a third and long incompletion.
The War Eagles then proceeded with a methodical, six-minute, 69-yard, 15-play drive that had the home stands rattling. Nelson was sacked for a two yard loss, Cooper rumbled for nine yards and T. Myles converted a first down with a four-yard scamper. B. Myles went across mid-field for an eight-yard gain and Cooper smashed three yards for another first down. Later on second and nine, Cooper plowed for nine yards. With the clock winding below the 3:00 mark, T. Myles rushed four yards on second and four.
Facing third and eight at the Bulldog 21-yard line, Cooper smashed through for seven yards. With less than 1:30 remaining, Quarterback Nelson took a fourth-down sneak to the Gleason nine for a first and goal. B. Myles swept outside for eight yards to the Bulldog one. With 1:07 on the game clock, Cooper dove into the endzone to tie the game at 22-22. Going to the senior fullback once more, West Carroll took a 24-22 lead as Cooper smashed past the goal line for the go-ahead two point conversion.
Forced to go for deep sideline passes, Gleason’s Verdell tossed incomplete twice as the clock ran under 1:00. A complete pass to Frye earned a first down, but two incompletions followed as time exhausted with the War Eagles earning a hard-fought, heartfelt district victory.
West Carroll Head Coach Josh Fronabarger commended Bulldog Head Coach Noah Lampkins’ crew following the contest, “Give credit to Gleason. Those kids battled and stayed right there all night long. They were physical.”
Regarding turnovers, Fronabarger said, “The two stops we got coming out of (halftime) were huge. I felt like it turned the momentum and got us back in it and settled us down.”
On the tying touchdown toss from Nelson to B. Myles in the third quarter, “Bracey made great catch and Cody did well to buy time and keep the play alive.”
He summarized, “It was a total team effort. You talk about being gutsy and gritty, that was a character win.”
Looking ahead he mentioned, “Our expectations are the same as any (other time). We’re going to line up and play to the best of our ability, give it our best effort and whatever happens happens. That doesn’t change week in and week out.”
Gleason, 1-1, next hosts Halls (2-0) on Friday, September 11 while the War Eagles travel to Greenfield (0-2) for their first road game of the season. Both games kickoff at 7:30 p.m. Source: McKenzie Banner; Picture Credit: Carroll County News-Leader.com.
Gleason Middle School Bulldogs Nip CMS Tigers, 32-0
By Ernie Smothers
smothers@mckenziebanner.com
BRUCETON (August 27) In middle school football action, Gleason utilized a powerful rushing game and stingy defense to blank the Hollow Rock-Bruceton Central Middle School (CMS) Tigers, 32-0.
Utilizing the strong rushing of Ian Legens, Chris Copeland and Will Clark, Gleason capped their first scoring drive at the 1:49 mark of the first quarter as Chase Ezell raced through a gap in the right side of the Tiger defensive line for a two-yard touchdown. Gleason added the two-point conversion via Leggins run to lead CMS, 8-0. The Tigers battled back via rushes by Kaelin Willis and Adam Perkins to move the ball across mid-field down the Bulldog 26. A five-yard illegal motion penalty against Central on fourth and three moved the ball back to the Gleason 31. Rolling out of the pocket, Tiger quarterback Colin Roberts fired a completion to Perkins who was brought down at the 28, turning the ball over on downs to the Bulldogs.
Responding quickly, Bulldog quarterback Tanner Trevathan fired a pass to Reese Montgomery in the right flat. Gathering in the strike, Montgomery raced 72 yards down the right sideline to paydirt at the 2:14 mark of the second quarter. Bulldog Clark battled up the middle to score the two-point conversion as Gleason increased its lead to 16-0 at the half.
Resuming play in the third quarter, Gleason, led by defenders Zach Ivy, Drake Damesworth and Copeland, forced Central to punt following a three-and-out. Tiger Brian Douglas’ long, booming punt was returned to the Bulldog 30.
Employing the rushing of Legens and Clark, Gleason marched the ball to the Bulldog 46. At the 3:39 mark of the third quarter, Copeland raced around the left end en route to a 54-yard touchdown. Gleason added the two-point conversion via a pass completion from Trevathan to Ethan Terrell as Gleason widened its lead, 24-0.
With 2:10 remaining in the third quarter, Gleason recovered an errant pitch attempt from Tiger quarterback Roberts to take possession at the Bulldog 36. Fighting back, Tiger defenders Perkins and Douglas forced Gleason to turn the ball over on downs following a fourth down and seven failed pass attempt.
Following Bulldog Copeland’s tackling Tiger Willis for a four yard loss, Central failed to complete consecutive passes, forcing Douglas to punt away at the 5:11 mark of the third quarter.
Beginning its final scoring drive at the Bulldog 45, Gleason utilized the rushing of Copeland to move the ball to the Tiger 9. Following the Bulldog offensive line surge, Copeland bulled to the Tiger 2. With 4:16 remaining in the contest, Bulldog Ezell raced into the end zone. Gleason converted the two-point conversion to lead and ultimately defeat Central 32-0. Source: McKenzie Banner. |
