Scoop27
09-24-2016, 09:59 AM
EL CAMPO — Hit with the turnover bug late in the District 12-4A Division I showdown with El Campo on Friday cost the Columbia Roughnecks in a 42-28 loss at Ricebird Stadium.
Of the seven turnovers in the game, four came in the second half after Columbia (0-1, 3-2) trailed only by a touchdown, 21-14, going into the final 12 minutes of play.
“We had opportunities, but turnovers just killed us tonight,” Columbia coach Brent Mascheck said after the tough loss.
“Hats off to El Campo. They are a great program, and they probably caused some of them but we just had the worse time to have turnovers in the game.”
Columbia got the ball for the first time in the third period when Jose Zaragoza blocked an El Campo punt setting the Roughnecks up at the Ricebird 38-yard line with 7:36 left.
However, on first down at the 17-yard line, Josh Jimenez fumbled the snap, giving it back to El Campo.
But the Roughneck defense got the ball back when Desmond Allen recovered a Ricebird fumble at their own 45.
With runs from quarterback Michael Carlson, Saylaion Dunlap and Chandler Cook the ’Necks found themselves at the El Campo 30-yard line. On second and 12, Carlson went for a 12-yard run but was smacked and fumbled the ball with Tariq Barron recovering the ball.
Starting at their own 13-yard line, the Ricebirds went 87 yards in seven plays, with junior Nery Enriquez (19-157 rushing) finishing it up with a 2-yard plunge for a 28-14 lead.
Dunlap fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and El Campo capitalized with De’Andre Gibson covering the last 4 yards, making it 35-14 with 9:06 left in the game.
Columbia coughed it up one more time on its next drive when Jarrett Brown threw an interception.
“I thought we just gave the game away there, but our kids came out early and we had a great plan, and they executed it and played well early in the game,” Mascheck said. “We had to throw the ball and had some good completions early because we needed to loosen them up defensively, which we did.”
The turnovers started early for the ’Necks throwing an interception on their first drive of the game.
In three plays, the Ricebirds got on the board first as Enriquez made them pay with a 43-yard burst into the end zone for a 7-0 lead.
Columbia answered with a five-play, 75-yard drive. Dunlap took the ball at midfield and put quite a juke on a defender at the 25-yard line to clear his path to the end zone. The run made it 7-7 with 8:27 in the first period.
Defensively, the Roughnecks answered the bell, getting some big hits on Enriquez and company on El Campo’s next drive, stopping them on fourth and four at the ’Neck 18.
The stop energized the Roughnecks, who turned it into points.
Jimenez found Cook on a 72-yard catch and run to the Ricebird 12-yard line. Dunlap ran it in from the nine, giving Columbia a 14-7 advantage with 1:48 left in the first.
While the ’Neck defense made back-to-back stops on the Ricebirds, Columbia’s offense also slipped a gear when it lost tailback Keithan Taylor in that drive to an ankle injury. He did not return until the second half.
“It did hurt us, but one of the great thing about it is Chandler Cook came in and did a good job, but when you lose someone like that explosiveness, it is going to hurt you,” Mascheck said.
Gibson getting involved in the Ricebird run game also hurt the Roughnecks. With 6:37 remaining before halftime, Gibson took his first carry of the ball game and went 27 yards to the Roughneck 38-yard line.
On his next carry, Gibson was untouched as he juked his way into the end zone to knot the game at 14.
Gibson finished with 125 yards on just five carries.
Miscommunication quickly gave El Campo the lead when, on third and 11 at their own 43, the Roughnecks snapped the ball at an unprepared Jimenez. Zarian Baylor scooped up the ball for the Ricebirds and scored for the 21-14 lead.
“Offensively, turnovers just killed us tonight, and we haven’t turned the ball over much,” Mascheck said. “But we can’t think about this too much because we got Stafford coming into our house next week, so we are going to have to get over this and get back to work.”
El Campo is 1-0 in district and 5-0 for the season.
Of the seven turnovers in the game, four came in the second half after Columbia (0-1, 3-2) trailed only by a touchdown, 21-14, going into the final 12 minutes of play.
“We had opportunities, but turnovers just killed us tonight,” Columbia coach Brent Mascheck said after the tough loss.
“Hats off to El Campo. They are a great program, and they probably caused some of them but we just had the worse time to have turnovers in the game.”
Columbia got the ball for the first time in the third period when Jose Zaragoza blocked an El Campo punt setting the Roughnecks up at the Ricebird 38-yard line with 7:36 left.
However, on first down at the 17-yard line, Josh Jimenez fumbled the snap, giving it back to El Campo.
But the Roughneck defense got the ball back when Desmond Allen recovered a Ricebird fumble at their own 45.
With runs from quarterback Michael Carlson, Saylaion Dunlap and Chandler Cook the ’Necks found themselves at the El Campo 30-yard line. On second and 12, Carlson went for a 12-yard run but was smacked and fumbled the ball with Tariq Barron recovering the ball.
Starting at their own 13-yard line, the Ricebirds went 87 yards in seven plays, with junior Nery Enriquez (19-157 rushing) finishing it up with a 2-yard plunge for a 28-14 lead.
Dunlap fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and El Campo capitalized with De’Andre Gibson covering the last 4 yards, making it 35-14 with 9:06 left in the game.
Columbia coughed it up one more time on its next drive when Jarrett Brown threw an interception.
“I thought we just gave the game away there, but our kids came out early and we had a great plan, and they executed it and played well early in the game,” Mascheck said. “We had to throw the ball and had some good completions early because we needed to loosen them up defensively, which we did.”
The turnovers started early for the ’Necks throwing an interception on their first drive of the game.
In three plays, the Ricebirds got on the board first as Enriquez made them pay with a 43-yard burst into the end zone for a 7-0 lead.
Columbia answered with a five-play, 75-yard drive. Dunlap took the ball at midfield and put quite a juke on a defender at the 25-yard line to clear his path to the end zone. The run made it 7-7 with 8:27 in the first period.
Defensively, the Roughnecks answered the bell, getting some big hits on Enriquez and company on El Campo’s next drive, stopping them on fourth and four at the ’Neck 18.
The stop energized the Roughnecks, who turned it into points.
Jimenez found Cook on a 72-yard catch and run to the Ricebird 12-yard line. Dunlap ran it in from the nine, giving Columbia a 14-7 advantage with 1:48 left in the first.
While the ’Neck defense made back-to-back stops on the Ricebirds, Columbia’s offense also slipped a gear when it lost tailback Keithan Taylor in that drive to an ankle injury. He did not return until the second half.
“It did hurt us, but one of the great thing about it is Chandler Cook came in and did a good job, but when you lose someone like that explosiveness, it is going to hurt you,” Mascheck said.
Gibson getting involved in the Ricebird run game also hurt the Roughnecks. With 6:37 remaining before halftime, Gibson took his first carry of the ball game and went 27 yards to the Roughneck 38-yard line.
On his next carry, Gibson was untouched as he juked his way into the end zone to knot the game at 14.
Gibson finished with 125 yards on just five carries.
Miscommunication quickly gave El Campo the lead when, on third and 11 at their own 43, the Roughnecks snapped the ball at an unprepared Jimenez. Zarian Baylor scooped up the ball for the Ricebirds and scored for the 21-14 lead.
“Offensively, turnovers just killed us tonight, and we haven’t turned the ball over much,” Mascheck said. “But we can’t think about this too much because we got Stafford coming into our house next week, so we are going to have to get over this and get back to work.”
El Campo is 1-0 in district and 5-0 for the season.