Historic Dawg Playoff Run Ends with OT Loss

Stephanie Sturgis - Press Sports Editor

The Gleason High School football team notched a historic victory in its previous outing with the program's first TSSAA playoff win. Lake County made sure the Bulldogs didn't add another new chapter to the history book by nipping Gleason, 42-40 in OT.

The Gleason High School football team notched a historic victory in its previous outing with the program's inaugural TSSAA gridiron playoff win.

The Lake County Falcons made sure the Bulldogs didn't add another new chapter to that history book by nipping Gleason, 42-40 in overtime, to bring an end to the GHS season Friday night in Tiptonville. Mud, sweat and tears mingled together on the faces of the Gleason Bulldogs at the conclusion of their TSSAA Class A second round playoff game.

The Dawgs finished with a 6-6 overall record. Lake County improved to 8-4 and will next host the McKenzie Rebels in the Class A quarterfinals at 7 on Friday evening in Tiptonville. McKenzie advanced by stopping Union City, 17-14. Gleason overcame a 34-20 halftime deficit by blanking the potent Falcon offense after halftime. The Dawgs forced the extra session by scoring a tying touchdown with 4:08 remaining in the fourth quarter.

With the score tied at 34-all to start OT, Lake County won the coin toss and deferred, bringing the GHS offense out first. Gleason scored immediately as Zach Wallace raced around the left end for a 10-yard touchdown run. Opting to go for the two-pointer, Gleason handed the ball to Shadow Roney on a sweep that had frequently been successful in the second half. This time, Falcon defender Josh Bledsoe erupted into the GHS backfield to bring Roney down for a loss leaving the Gleason lead at 40-34.

Lake County's offense then knew they needed a touchdown and a conversion to win and advance in the playoffs.
Athletic freshman Carlos Young took the field at quarterback, lining up in the shotgun. On first down, Young kept the ball, but Gleason's Matt Mayo stopped him after a 2-yard gain. On second down, Young got around the left end and the LC receivers got the downfield blocks to free him for an 8-yard scoring run for a 40-40 tie. For their two-point attempt, Lake County trotted out Sam Hays at QB, signaling a pass was likely. Hays rolled to his right. With Mayo among the Dawg defenders closing in, Hays found receiver Dominic Kimble in the end zone. The completed pass to just inside the goal line set off a Falcon celebration. Rain fell prior to kickoff and throughout the first half before slacking off after halftime. The slippery conditions had an immediate impact on the game.

Starting at their own 34 after taking the game's opening kickoff, Lake County turned the ball over on the first snap of the game. A high shotgun snap sailed over Young's head and was recovered by Gleason's Dalton Teeter at the LC 9-yard line. Gleason's first snap was more successful, resulting in a 9-yard touchdown run by Alex Verdell who surged through the line and fought into the end zone. Zach Wallace, who had been highly successful on recent PAT kicks, missed the mark to leave the Dawgs' lead at 6-0 with just 14 seconds gone off the clock.

Starting their second drive at their own 35, the Falcons struck quickly as Young fired a bomb down the sideline to Kimble covering 65 yards to knot the score at 6-all. In what was an omen of the game-deciding play, Hays hit Kimble for the two-point conversion to move Lake County ahead, 8-6, with 20 ticks gone off the clock.

On the ensuing kickoff, a Gleason upback fielded the kick and opted to toss the ball back to Wallace who couldn't get a handle on the wet pigskin. Chris Rogers recovered for LC at the Dawg 8. Young picked up 7 yards on first down and Trevor Blythe got the final yard. The two-point run was halted leaving the Lake County lead at 14-6 just 90 seconds into the game. The Dawgs next converted a fourth-and-3 on a 41-yard Roney romp to the Falcon 16. The LC defense then held the Dawgs to four consecutive 2-yard runs and a turnover on downs. Lake County used seven plays to cover 92 yards. Ricky Boyd's hard-fought 8-yard TD run capped the drive. Young ran in the two-pointer to boost the LC lead to 22-6 with 3:55 still to play in the first quarter.

The Dawgs then got back in the game with a time-consuming scoring drive. The 17-play march covered 65 yards and took 9:04 off the clock. GHS converted three fourth downs including a 5-yard pitch to Verdell for the TD. Also, QB Nicky Spain twice found tight end Ben Sumner for 13-yard completions. Wallace ran in the two-pointer to cut the LC lead to 22-14 with 6:51 left in the half.

A 48-yard kickoff return by Blythe set up the next Falcon score. The 30-yard drive ended in unusual fashion. On third-and-five from the GHS 9, Kimble took a handoff and looked to be heading for a score, but a hit jarred the ball loose. Blythe fell on the ball in the end zone to stretch the lead to 28-14 after the two-pointer was stopped.
A 60-yard Dawg reverse by Wallace set up Verdell's third TD, this one covering 2 yards. An incompletion on the two-pointer left the LC lead at 28-20 with 3:02 left in the first half.

The Falcons weren't done, adding another score on a Hays to Kimble 13-yard scoring toss with 5 seconds left in the half. Lake County failed on its two-pointer to carry a 34-20 lead into the halftime break. The defenses controlled the third quarter until the Dawgs finally broke through. A 47-yard Roney run set up Wallace's 18-yard race into the end zone. Verdell ran in the two-pointer to cut the LC lead to 34-28 with a minute left in the third quarter.

On its next drive, Lake County converted one first down before the Dawgs forced a turnover on downs by twice stopping LC screen passes for losses. The Dawgs took over at their own 44 and used 6:18 and a dozen rushing plays to cover the distance. Verdell scored his fourth TD on a one-yard dance untouched over the goal line to even the score at 34-all with 4:08 left in the fourth quarter. The Falcon defense stopped Verdell a half yard short on the two-point attempt to preserve the 34-34 tie and set up OT.

Players wearing a Gleason football uniform for the final time were Alex Verdell, Caleb Johnson, Joseph Crocker, Zach Wallace, Gus Godwin, Cade Tolley, Hunter Trevathan and Shadow Roney. Source: Weakley County Press

Lake County Beats Gleason in Thriller

Gleason workhorse Alex Verdell got the carry and ran up the middle on a 2-point conversion in overtime as Lake County got the stop it so desperately needed.

Lake County quarterback Sam Hays found Dominic Kimble for the 2-point conversion for the 42-40 win after Carlos Young's 8-yard touchdown run.

Tied 34-34 at the end of regulation, Gleason got the ball first in overtime and quickly scored on a Zach Wallace 10-yard run.

Neither team had kicked an extra point or a field goal all game, and Gleason set up for the failed 2-point conversion that opened a crease for the Falcons.

Gleason's underdog story will have to wait for another year.

The Falcons offense looked unstoppable for the first two quarters of the game, scoring five touchdowns on only six possessions.

Gleason stormed back when Verdell scored three times in the first half to pull the Bulldogs to 34-20 at halftime. Verdell finished with four touchdowns.

The wet conditions really began to affect play in the second half and both teams struggled to keep drives going.

Gleason's three-headed running attack kept moving the football and an 18-yard run by Wallace late in the third quarter cut the Lake County lead to six.

After Lake County turned the ball over on downs to start the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs ran a 12-play, clock-controlling drive that ended with Verdell's fourth touchdown.

But his 2-point conversion run was no good, and Lake County kept the game tied up at 34.

Lake County had its best drive of the second half with three passes from Young to Kimble.

The Falcons had four tries from inside the 10-yard line and were not able to move the ball into the end zone for the go-ahead score.

Gleason only had 1:30 left in the game, but Bulldogs running back Shadow Roney had runs of 18 yards, 14 yards and 13 yards to put Gleason in Falcons territory.

A fumble by Wallace killed the drive - the fifth combined fumble of the game.

Lake County recovered with less than 30 seconds and heaved the ball deep from its own territory.

Kimble caught the pass at the 15-yard line, and the Falcons hurried down to spike the ball. They managed to get one more play off, but the pass to Kimble was well-defended, sending the game into overtime.

With the dramatic win, Lake County moves on to the quarterfinals of the TSSAA Class 1A state playoffs. They will face region rival McKenzie who beat Union City 17-14 on Friday. Source: Jackson Sun

Gleason Ready for Second-round Game

By Matthew Bornstein
Jackson Sun

GLEASON - Gleason's football team won five games this regular season. Last Friday, the Bulldogs won a sixth game 36-30 at Trinity Christian Academy.

"We tried to treat it like a regular season week," Gleason head coach Noah Lampkins said. "We didn't do anything special, didn't spend any extra time. We weren't always telling the kids 'You win or you go home.'"

Oh yeah, it was the first round of the TSSAA playoffs. And that was the first-ever playoff win in seven tries for the tiny Weakley County school, with 575 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. In the previous playoff trips, Gleason was outscored 204-39.

"It's great. We've had that on our minds all year," senior fullback Alex Verdell said of winning a playoff game. "It's just great to feel like we've accomplished it." Verdell said after playing and celebrating the victory, he somehow slept on the bus ride back. But the normally quiet bus was "pretty wound up."

Just 169 of those Gleason students are in high school according to the fall 2008 enrollment, making it the second-smallest football-playing school in Tennessee. About 40, or about half the boys in the school, play football. That's another first.

This is the first time the has had more than 30 students come out and play. Success in 2007, when the Bulldogs finished 7-3 before losing to Fayette Academy 14-6 in the first round of the playoffs, added interest at the school known for its girls basketball success. "It [last year] helped a lot. It put a lot of confidence in us," senior back Zach Wallace said. "We expected a lot and just came out and did it this year."

This is the first time in school history Gleason has made the football playoffs in back-to-back seasons.

Lampkins, a Gleason alumnus who played college football at Lambuth, said last year's team was just satisfied to be in the playoffs coming out of a tough Class 1A region. "I think it's helped us this year." Winning the first game helped the team even more. "I think it changes some expectations. Kids believing that they can do things," he said. "Confidence will go a long way in Single-A football.

Another goal has been checked off the coach's list. Lampkins had already changed the attitude of the program and the team is winning regularly in the regular season. Now, the Bulldogs are no longer satisfied with just making the playoffs. "We tell the kids there are bigger and better things than the first round of the playoffs," Lampkins said. Like the second round. And what about the state quarterfinals?

"We're kind of in uncharted territory," Verdell said. "We're just looking at this week [at Lake County, a team Gleason beat 30-18 earlier this year]. We're going a week at a time however far we go."

Next on the list of goals for Lampkins: Becoming a consistent region power, like 2007 state runner-up McKenzie. "We're almost there," Lampkins said. "We're not quite there, but we're getting there. " Source: Jackson Sun..

Dawgs Make History with Upset Win Over TCA

By: Stephanie Sturgis - Press Sports Editor

Sealed off — Gleason's Shadow Roney (right) gets two solid blocks from teammates (from left) Ben Sumner and Matt Mayo in the Bulldogs' 36-30 win over Trinity Christian Friday night.

The Gleason Bulldogs exorcised their playoff demons with a first-round road victory in the TSSAA football playoffs Friday night in Jackson. Bulldog history was made when Gleason (6-5) earned a 36-30 win over the host Trinity Christian Academy Lions (5-6)for the first TSSAA playoff win for the program.

"I told the guys we will worry about history and all that when the season is over. Right now, we'll worry about whoever it is we play next," an elated Gleason head coach Noah Lampkins said after the first-of-its-kind win. In order to break the spell that had seen the Bulldogs lose in all six of their previous postseason appearances, Lampkins insisted that his team not do anything out of the ordinary in preparation. "We didn't treat (this game) any different all week long. We treated it just like any other game," Lampkins said. "That's what we're gonna do next week. We're not gonna do anything extra special. We're just gonna do what we do."

The Bulldogs' next game will find them facing a familiar foe — the Lake County Falcons — with kickoff at 7 on Friday night in Tiptonville. Gleason, the No. 4 team in Region 7-A, defeated the Falcons, 30-18, in their fourth game of the season. Lake County eventually finished the season on a roll that carried it to a second-place finish in Region 7-A. The Falcons advanced to the second round of the playoffs by edging the Fayette Academy Vikings, 32-28. The Dawgs, behind a strong effort from its offensive line, rushed for 443 yards with three backs each accumulating more than 100 rushing yards. "Our offensive line stepped up and blocked. Everybody's talked about our skill guys all year, but those guys up front deserve credit," the Gleason head coach pointed out. "We whipped them up front, especially in the second half. We smashed them." The GHS offensive line was comprised of James Owen at center, Matt Mayo and Caleb Johnson at the guards and David Ivy, Jordan Howington and Gabe Lowrance at the tackles. Howington was knocked out of the action in the fourth quarter, so Lowrance, a freshman, was called upon to step up in a big situation. "I told him to just get out there and do it. If you've got any questions, ask David (Ivy)," Lampkins said.

Gleason's defense also had a big night, frustrating the TCA offense and quarterback Jabriel Washington most of the game. The Lions struck first in the game, taking the opening kickoff and marching inside the Gleason red zone. A completion from Washington to Dylan Yates covered 19 yards and set up Trinity at the GHS 15-yard line. Then the Dawg defense did its job on the next three downs forcing TCA to call on its place-kicker Josh Lenoir for a 30-yard field goal try. The kick was good, putting the Lions on top 3-0 with 8:20 left in the quarter.

The Dawgs didn't need much time to take their first lead. On the first snap, Shadow Roney erupted around the left end for a 65-yard touchdown romp. Zach Wallace booted the PAT to give Gleason the 7-3 edge with 8:05 to play in the opening frame. The next three drives ended in two TCA punts and a GHS turnover on downs. Gleason then padded its lead with a 12-play drive that covered 69 yards and took 5:09 off the clock. The Dawgs overcame a holding penalty that negated a 66-yard touchdown catch and run from quarterback Nicky Spain to Wallace. Gleason converted twice on third down, including an 11-yard rumble by Alex Verdell to convert a third-and-six. A Roney 15-yard romp set up first-and-goal from the 10 and Verdell took care of things from there on the next play. Wallace's kick boosted the Gleason lead to 14-3 with 10:18 left in the first half.

TCA showed off its big-play potential on the ensuing drive as Washington lofted a pass to Hagan Nelson just over the outstreteched hands of a defender. The scoring strike covered 66 yards down the right sideline. Lenoir's PAT sliced the Gleason lead to 14-10 with 9:42 remaining in the second quarter. The Dawgs again marched deep into TCA territory, but came up a yard short on fourth down at the Lion 20. Trinity converted two third downs, including a prayer of a Washington pass over the middle that Yates leapt and caught for a 29-yard gain. Washington's 30-yard run moved them to the Gleason 21, but once more the defense held. TCA again called on its kicker for what would have been a 38-yard field goal attempt, but a high snap thwarted the kick and gave GHS the ball at its own 41.

The Lion defense made the next big play. Joey Hanson picked off a Spain pass downfield when the GHS receiver ran a different route. Starting with just 1:16 left in the half and at their own 33, the Lions took the lead on the final play of the second quarter when Washington found Hanson wide open in the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown toss as time expired. Lenoir's kick pushed TCA's lead to 17-14 at the break.

Gleason took the kick to start the third quarter. On the second snap, the Dawgs' fates went from disastrous to advantageous. Spain pitched to Wallace who bobbled the ball before gaining control and racing 69 yards to pay dirt thanks to blocks from Johnson and Verdell. Wallace's kick set Gleason's lead at 21-17. TCA converted a first down on its next drive before Roney swatted away a fourth-down pass.

The Trinity defense next forced a Gleason three-and-out. Then the Lions imploded with three penalties, one of which negated a 71-yard TD. TCA was again forced to punt. Starting at their own 33, the Dawgs put together a nine-play drive that lasted nearly five minutes. A Spain keeper converted one third down and a TCA personal foul added to the drive. Eventually Verdell scored on a 3-yard surge up the middle. Wallace added the PAT kick for a 28-17 lead with 9:15 to play.

For the second straight drive, TCA failed to convert on fourth down to give Gleason the ball. The Dawgs made them pay with another punishing drive on the ground. Wallace finished off the march with a 7-yard run to paydirt. Wallace also bulled his way over the goal line to convert the two-pointer for a 36-17 lead with 3:48 left in the game.
TCA needed less than a minute to score thanks to a trick play. Washington hit Hanson on a pass to the flat and Hanson lateralled to Nelson who finished the 40-yard touchdown toss. An incompletion on the two-point pass left the Gleason lead at 36-23 with 2:51 left to play. TCA recovered the onside kick and scored on fourth down — a 48-yard pass to Nelson. Lenoir's kick sliced Gleason's lead to 36-30 with 1:56 remaining. TCA tried another onside kick, but Verdell recovered for GHS. Roney then moved the chains refusing to go down on a run to allow the Dawgs to run out the clock and claim victory. Source: WeakleyCounty Press.

Lake County Beats Gleason in Thriller

Gleason Ready for Second-round Game

By Matthew Bornstein Jackson Sun

By Matthew Bornstein
Jackson Sun