MARLINFAN
11-24-2002, 10:36 AM
Like a feisty Texas cockroach, the Newton Eagles just wouldn’t go away. Finally, Marlin turned to its exterminator — its defense.
Matterial Richardson intercepted two Eagle passes in the final 35 seconds of the game — returning one for a 17-yard touchdown — to help Marlin fight off No. 7 Newton, 35-21, in a Class 3A Division II area playoff game Saturday night at Bower Stadium on the campus of Sam Houston State University.
The Bulldogs (10-2) move on to face La Grange in the regional quarterfinals next week at a site and date to be determined. Newton, which came into the game undefeated with a forfeit win over Jasper, ends the year at 10-1. It was the third playoff win over Newton in the last four years for the Bulldogs, who also defeated the Eagles in 1999 and 2000.
Marlin never trailed in the game and seemed in control throughout, but Newton refused to surrender. Down by only a touchdown at halftime at 21-14, the Eagles took to the air to rally. With just under five minutes to play in the third quarter, Newton quarterback Logan Greer hit Kedrin Seastrunk downfield, and the receiver broke a couple of Marlin tackles en route to a huge 79-yard gain to the Bulldog four-yard line. Newton’s Ty Hopkins ran the ball in a play later to the tie the game at 21-all.
The Bulldogs responded to the challenge, putting together a classic 16-play drive that encompassed more than seven minutes on the clock. D’Nerian Wrighter was the workhorse on the drive, and also punctuated it with a five-yard scoring run with 9:05 left in the game to give Marlin the lead again at 28-21.
Wrighter finished with 179 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 19 carries.
With the Bulldog fans chanting for defense, Marlin’s hard-hitting tacklers did the rest. The Bulldogs forced the Eagles into three-and-out series on their next two possessions, and then Richardson clinched the win by picking off a Greer pass at the 17 and jogging untouched into the end zone with 35 seconds left. Ball game, Bulldogs.
The junior cornerback also picked off another last-gasp pass by Greer with 14 seconds remaining.
The Bulldogs used their fleet feet to strike on their first possession of the game. After a 20-yard Newton punt, Marlin took over at the Eagle 47 and quickly moved downfield behind the running of Tank Smith and Wrighter. Then the Bulldogs took to the air for the capper, as Thaddeus Freeman rolled out of the pocket and connected with James Giddings for a five-yard touchdown six minutes into the game.
That was only the beginning. Wrighter showed off his wheels in grand fashion on the team’s next score, taking a handoff and darting through a hole up the middle, then slicing the opposite direction on a nice cutback move on his way to a 61-yard touchdown run. Daniel Ronquillo’s extra point gave Marlin a 14-0 lead.agle punt sent Marlin’s Richardson scrambling after the ball into his own end zone, while under pursuit from several Eagles. Richardson ended up batting the ball out of the end zone, and the Newton coaches immediately cried for a safety. But the officials ruled the play a touchback.
Marlin capitalized, zipping downfield and scoring on an 11-yard Freeman run to go up 21-7.
Newton may not have had good luck with the officials in the first half — the Eagles were flagged for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a matter of three plays — but they got a lucky bounce of the ball to pull within a touchdown before halftime. Greer lofted a high pass down the sideline that a Bulldog defender batted into the air, and was then grabbed by Newton’s Joe McLemore, who sprinted 64 yards for the touchdown.
Marlin dominated statistically if not on the scoreboard, outgaining the Eagles 363 yards to 280, and racking up 18 first downs to Newton’s six.
M (1st): James Giddings 5 pass from Thaddeus Freeman (Daniel Ronquillo kick); M (2nd): D’Nerian Wrighter 61 run (Ronquillo kick); N (2nd): Sam Foster 49 run (Lance Simmons kick); M (2nd): Freeman 11 run (Ronquillo kick); N (2nd): Joe McLemore 64 pass from Logan Greer (Simmons kick); N (3rd): Ty Hopkins 4 run (Simmons kick); M (4th): Wrighter 5 run (Ronquillo kick); M (4th): Matterial Richardson 17 interception return (Ronquillo kick).
Matterial Richardson intercepted two Eagle passes in the final 35 seconds of the game — returning one for a 17-yard touchdown — to help Marlin fight off No. 7 Newton, 35-21, in a Class 3A Division II area playoff game Saturday night at Bower Stadium on the campus of Sam Houston State University.
The Bulldogs (10-2) move on to face La Grange in the regional quarterfinals next week at a site and date to be determined. Newton, which came into the game undefeated with a forfeit win over Jasper, ends the year at 10-1. It was the third playoff win over Newton in the last four years for the Bulldogs, who also defeated the Eagles in 1999 and 2000.
Marlin never trailed in the game and seemed in control throughout, but Newton refused to surrender. Down by only a touchdown at halftime at 21-14, the Eagles took to the air to rally. With just under five minutes to play in the third quarter, Newton quarterback Logan Greer hit Kedrin Seastrunk downfield, and the receiver broke a couple of Marlin tackles en route to a huge 79-yard gain to the Bulldog four-yard line. Newton’s Ty Hopkins ran the ball in a play later to the tie the game at 21-all.
The Bulldogs responded to the challenge, putting together a classic 16-play drive that encompassed more than seven minutes on the clock. D’Nerian Wrighter was the workhorse on the drive, and also punctuated it with a five-yard scoring run with 9:05 left in the game to give Marlin the lead again at 28-21.
Wrighter finished with 179 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 19 carries.
With the Bulldog fans chanting for defense, Marlin’s hard-hitting tacklers did the rest. The Bulldogs forced the Eagles into three-and-out series on their next two possessions, and then Richardson clinched the win by picking off a Greer pass at the 17 and jogging untouched into the end zone with 35 seconds left. Ball game, Bulldogs.
The junior cornerback also picked off another last-gasp pass by Greer with 14 seconds remaining.
The Bulldogs used their fleet feet to strike on their first possession of the game. After a 20-yard Newton punt, Marlin took over at the Eagle 47 and quickly moved downfield behind the running of Tank Smith and Wrighter. Then the Bulldogs took to the air for the capper, as Thaddeus Freeman rolled out of the pocket and connected with James Giddings for a five-yard touchdown six minutes into the game.
That was only the beginning. Wrighter showed off his wheels in grand fashion on the team’s next score, taking a handoff and darting through a hole up the middle, then slicing the opposite direction on a nice cutback move on his way to a 61-yard touchdown run. Daniel Ronquillo’s extra point gave Marlin a 14-0 lead.agle punt sent Marlin’s Richardson scrambling after the ball into his own end zone, while under pursuit from several Eagles. Richardson ended up batting the ball out of the end zone, and the Newton coaches immediately cried for a safety. But the officials ruled the play a touchback.
Marlin capitalized, zipping downfield and scoring on an 11-yard Freeman run to go up 21-7.
Newton may not have had good luck with the officials in the first half — the Eagles were flagged for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a matter of three plays — but they got a lucky bounce of the ball to pull within a touchdown before halftime. Greer lofted a high pass down the sideline that a Bulldog defender batted into the air, and was then grabbed by Newton’s Joe McLemore, who sprinted 64 yards for the touchdown.
Marlin dominated statistically if not on the scoreboard, outgaining the Eagles 363 yards to 280, and racking up 18 first downs to Newton’s six.
M (1st): James Giddings 5 pass from Thaddeus Freeman (Daniel Ronquillo kick); M (2nd): D’Nerian Wrighter 61 run (Ronquillo kick); N (2nd): Sam Foster 49 run (Lance Simmons kick); M (2nd): Freeman 11 run (Ronquillo kick); N (2nd): Joe McLemore 64 pass from Logan Greer (Simmons kick); N (3rd): Ty Hopkins 4 run (Simmons kick); M (4th): Wrighter 5 run (Ronquillo kick); M (4th): Matterial Richardson 17 interception return (Ronquillo kick).