Keith7
11-20-2004, 02:50 AM
Leopards Season Comes To An End
By Darin Allred, Gainesville Sports Editor
Everyone knew that the No. 2 ranked Decatur Eagles had an explosive offense, but Friday their defense proved that they can be just as good.
The Eagles held Gainesville to just one score and 209 yards of total offense while forcing three turnovers as they beat the Leopards 23-7 in a Class 3A area playoff game at Southlake Carroll’s Dragon Stadium.
Decatur (12-0) will face Abilene Wylie in a 3A Division I quarterfinal next week. Gainesville’s season comes to an end with a record of 8-4.
The Leopards, who were averaging over 300 yards of total offense per game, were limited to just 139 yards rushing on 41 attempts by the stingy Decatur defense. The Eagles also stopped the Leopards on downs near the goal line early in the fourth quarter in what turned out to be a critical series.
Gainesville trailed 20-7 at halftime. They were down 23-7 as the fourth quarter started but drove down to the Eagle 5-yard line. But on fourth and three from there, the Leopards were stopped two yards short of the first down and they wouldn’t threaten to score again.
Decatur scored 10 of their points in the first half after Leopard turnovers deep in their own territory. The Eagles recovered Gainesville fumbles at the GHS 24 and 33 yard line in the first quarter. Take away those turnovers and the Leopards would have only trailed 10-7 at the half.
“In the first half, our defense played their tails off,” Gainesville head coach Jeff Cordell said. “We gave them a short field because we didn’t take care of the ball offensively. When you play good ballclubs and you turn the ball over like that, they are going to take advantage of it. We dug ourselves a hole in the first half, then had a chance to get it to 20-14 but we didn’t execute on offense. Nothing against our kids. They (Decatur) just had a great scheme. They are a very well coached ballclub. I don’t see anyone knocking them off.”
Gainesville got the ball to begin the game and picked up one first down on their opening drive before having to punt. Decatur then moved into Leopard territory with a pair of first downs, but they also had to punt.
The Leopards’ second offensive series started at their own 20-yard line, but on first down quarterback Travis Sutton fumbled after a 4-yard run. Decatur’s Eddie Gonzales recovered the loose ball at the 24.
Eagle quarterback Chandler Dane hit Brandon Cobb on a 19-yard pass on first down. On the second play, running back Devin Godbolt scored on a 5-yard run to make it 7-0 with 5:50 left in the first quarter.
Gainesville’s next possession also ended in a turnover. On third and 12 from the 30, Sutton threw a swing pass to Terrius Purvey who was hit after a 3-yard gain. The ball came loose and Decatur’s Jadye Kee recovered at the 33.
The Leopard defense stopped Decatur from there as linebacker Jeremy Franklin brought down Godbolt for a 2-yard loss on third down. Decatur’s Ryan Spence booted a 44-yard field goal to push the Eagle lead to 10-0 with 1:54 left in the first quarter.
Gainesville’s next offensive series resulted in two first downs on runs by Sutton, but again they had to punt.
Decatur started at their own 25-yard line, but Dane hit Godbolt with a 48-yard pass on first down to move the ball to the GHS 27. But on the next play, Dane’s pass was picked off by Yusef Stevenson at the 9-yard line.
The Leopards went backwards on offense and had to punt again. Decatur only had to go 45 yards for their next score. Dane had completions of 14 and 20 yards and later scored on a sneak up the middle to make it 17-0 with 6:38 left in the half.
Gainesville finally got their offense clicking on their next drive as they went 72 yards in 6 plays. Sutton had a 17-yard run and threw a 23-yard pass to Da’Ron Calhoun. Later, Decatur was called for a personal foul that gave the Leopards a first down at the 11. Purvey scored one play later on an 11-yard run and Steven Arenas made the extra point to cut the Eagle lead to 17-7 with 4:04 left in the second period.
The Eagles quickly answered. They started at midfield after a 35-yard kickoff return by Dean Bible. On third and seven from the GHS 47, Dane hooked up with Brian Christian on a 36-yard pass. The Eagles got down to the Leopard 3-yard line but had to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Spence to make it 20-7 with 1:53 left in the half.
The Leopards hoped to carry over some offensive momentum into their next drive before halftime. On fourth and one, Sutton threw a lateral to Michael Miller who ran 6 yards for a first down before fumbling the ball. Decatur recovered at the Leopard 42 but were not able to move the ball and took a 20-7 lead into halftime.
The only points of the second half came on Decatur’s first offensive series. The big play was a 39-yard pass from Dane to Christian that moved the ball to the GHS 16. Dane later scored on a 12-yard run, but a holding penalty wiped out the touchdown and the Eagles had to settle for a 26-yard field goal by Spence to make it 23-7 with 8:55 left in the third quarter.
The two teams then traded punts and Gainesville got the ball back at their own 29 with 5:29 left in the third. The Leopards then put together a 17-play, 67-yard drive that ended with no points. Purvey had a run of 9 yards and Sutton threw an 11-yard pass to Calhoun to get the Leopards into Decatur territory. On fourth and 2 from the 41, the Leopards lined up to punt but punter Phillip Culbertson took the snap and flipped the ball to Kelvin Phillips who ran 4 yards for a first down.
Later, on third and 13 from the 40, Sutton’s pass fell incomplete but Decatur was called for roughing the passer, giving the Leopards a first down as the third quarter ended.
Gainesville eventually got down near the Eagle goal line. They had a first and 10 at the Eagle 12, but their next four plays only gained 8 yards and they turned the ball over on downs. That proved to be the last hope for the Leopards.
Decatur then picked up a pair of first downs and took some time off the clock before having to punt. The Leopards got the ball back with 6:29 left in the game, but could not get beyond their 30-yard line and had to punt. The Eagles then ran the ball on seven straight plays and ran off all but 12 seconds of the clock before giving the ball back to Gainesville. The Leopards’ final play of the season was a 4-yard run by Jerome Hewitt.
Decatur finished with 241 yards passing and 52 rushing, which was below what they average (469.7 yards per game) and well below what they did against Gainesville in their first meeting this year (502 yards), a 58-23 Eagle win. The Leopards finished with 139 yards rushing and 70 passing.
Sutton had 18 carries for 65 yards for GHS, while Purvey added 41 yards on 15 carries and Hewitt had 25 yards on 5 carries. Sutton was 9 of 18 passing for 66 yards. Calhoun caught 4 passes for 46 yards.
For the Eagles, Bible had 34 yards rushing on 10 carries, while Godbolt had 27 yards before leaving the game with an injury in the first half. Dane was 14 of 30 passing for 241 yards and an interception. He did not throw a touchdown pass. Christian caught 4 passes for 92 yards.
Defensively for the Leopards, Miller, Franklin, Stephenson, Kolby Kuykendall, Clint Stoffels and Ryan Walker had good games.
The loss marked the final game for 11 Gainesville seniors. Cordell said it was tough to know what to say to them after the game as he gathered his team around him on the field.
“You never know what words to say to a group of young men that have poured their hearts and souls into your program and who believe in you,” he said. “I told them that I was very proud of them and that I still believe in each and every one of them. I told the seniors that this staff would always be there for them, no matter what the situation may be. Whether its 10 years down the road or 4 years down the road, we will always be here for them. We’re a family. We’ve got to get to our offseason, get people in the right places and get ready for next year.”
LEOPARD NOTES: Both teams thought they were going to be the home team and both wore their home jerseys. As it turned out, Decatur was the home team and their fans, which outnumbered Gainesville’s almost 2-1, sat on the home side ... The Leopards are now 1-3 all-time in games played in Southlake, although this was the first to be played at the new Dragon Stadium. The other three were played at the old Dragon Stadium. The Leopards lost to Southlake Carroll in 1989 and 1992 when they were in the same district, but beat Carroll in 1994 to end the Dragons’ 72-game regular season winning streak, which was a Texas record at the time.
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Keith7's note: This is the first playoff loss for the Leopard's since Keith7 played for Gainesville
By Darin Allred, Gainesville Sports Editor
Everyone knew that the No. 2 ranked Decatur Eagles had an explosive offense, but Friday their defense proved that they can be just as good.
The Eagles held Gainesville to just one score and 209 yards of total offense while forcing three turnovers as they beat the Leopards 23-7 in a Class 3A area playoff game at Southlake Carroll’s Dragon Stadium.
Decatur (12-0) will face Abilene Wylie in a 3A Division I quarterfinal next week. Gainesville’s season comes to an end with a record of 8-4.
The Leopards, who were averaging over 300 yards of total offense per game, were limited to just 139 yards rushing on 41 attempts by the stingy Decatur defense. The Eagles also stopped the Leopards on downs near the goal line early in the fourth quarter in what turned out to be a critical series.
Gainesville trailed 20-7 at halftime. They were down 23-7 as the fourth quarter started but drove down to the Eagle 5-yard line. But on fourth and three from there, the Leopards were stopped two yards short of the first down and they wouldn’t threaten to score again.
Decatur scored 10 of their points in the first half after Leopard turnovers deep in their own territory. The Eagles recovered Gainesville fumbles at the GHS 24 and 33 yard line in the first quarter. Take away those turnovers and the Leopards would have only trailed 10-7 at the half.
“In the first half, our defense played their tails off,” Gainesville head coach Jeff Cordell said. “We gave them a short field because we didn’t take care of the ball offensively. When you play good ballclubs and you turn the ball over like that, they are going to take advantage of it. We dug ourselves a hole in the first half, then had a chance to get it to 20-14 but we didn’t execute on offense. Nothing against our kids. They (Decatur) just had a great scheme. They are a very well coached ballclub. I don’t see anyone knocking them off.”
Gainesville got the ball to begin the game and picked up one first down on their opening drive before having to punt. Decatur then moved into Leopard territory with a pair of first downs, but they also had to punt.
The Leopards’ second offensive series started at their own 20-yard line, but on first down quarterback Travis Sutton fumbled after a 4-yard run. Decatur’s Eddie Gonzales recovered the loose ball at the 24.
Eagle quarterback Chandler Dane hit Brandon Cobb on a 19-yard pass on first down. On the second play, running back Devin Godbolt scored on a 5-yard run to make it 7-0 with 5:50 left in the first quarter.
Gainesville’s next possession also ended in a turnover. On third and 12 from the 30, Sutton threw a swing pass to Terrius Purvey who was hit after a 3-yard gain. The ball came loose and Decatur’s Jadye Kee recovered at the 33.
The Leopard defense stopped Decatur from there as linebacker Jeremy Franklin brought down Godbolt for a 2-yard loss on third down. Decatur’s Ryan Spence booted a 44-yard field goal to push the Eagle lead to 10-0 with 1:54 left in the first quarter.
Gainesville’s next offensive series resulted in two first downs on runs by Sutton, but again they had to punt.
Decatur started at their own 25-yard line, but Dane hit Godbolt with a 48-yard pass on first down to move the ball to the GHS 27. But on the next play, Dane’s pass was picked off by Yusef Stevenson at the 9-yard line.
The Leopards went backwards on offense and had to punt again. Decatur only had to go 45 yards for their next score. Dane had completions of 14 and 20 yards and later scored on a sneak up the middle to make it 17-0 with 6:38 left in the half.
Gainesville finally got their offense clicking on their next drive as they went 72 yards in 6 plays. Sutton had a 17-yard run and threw a 23-yard pass to Da’Ron Calhoun. Later, Decatur was called for a personal foul that gave the Leopards a first down at the 11. Purvey scored one play later on an 11-yard run and Steven Arenas made the extra point to cut the Eagle lead to 17-7 with 4:04 left in the second period.
The Eagles quickly answered. They started at midfield after a 35-yard kickoff return by Dean Bible. On third and seven from the GHS 47, Dane hooked up with Brian Christian on a 36-yard pass. The Eagles got down to the Leopard 3-yard line but had to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Spence to make it 20-7 with 1:53 left in the half.
The Leopards hoped to carry over some offensive momentum into their next drive before halftime. On fourth and one, Sutton threw a lateral to Michael Miller who ran 6 yards for a first down before fumbling the ball. Decatur recovered at the Leopard 42 but were not able to move the ball and took a 20-7 lead into halftime.
The only points of the second half came on Decatur’s first offensive series. The big play was a 39-yard pass from Dane to Christian that moved the ball to the GHS 16. Dane later scored on a 12-yard run, but a holding penalty wiped out the touchdown and the Eagles had to settle for a 26-yard field goal by Spence to make it 23-7 with 8:55 left in the third quarter.
The two teams then traded punts and Gainesville got the ball back at their own 29 with 5:29 left in the third. The Leopards then put together a 17-play, 67-yard drive that ended with no points. Purvey had a run of 9 yards and Sutton threw an 11-yard pass to Calhoun to get the Leopards into Decatur territory. On fourth and 2 from the 41, the Leopards lined up to punt but punter Phillip Culbertson took the snap and flipped the ball to Kelvin Phillips who ran 4 yards for a first down.
Later, on third and 13 from the 40, Sutton’s pass fell incomplete but Decatur was called for roughing the passer, giving the Leopards a first down as the third quarter ended.
Gainesville eventually got down near the Eagle goal line. They had a first and 10 at the Eagle 12, but their next four plays only gained 8 yards and they turned the ball over on downs. That proved to be the last hope for the Leopards.
Decatur then picked up a pair of first downs and took some time off the clock before having to punt. The Leopards got the ball back with 6:29 left in the game, but could not get beyond their 30-yard line and had to punt. The Eagles then ran the ball on seven straight plays and ran off all but 12 seconds of the clock before giving the ball back to Gainesville. The Leopards’ final play of the season was a 4-yard run by Jerome Hewitt.
Decatur finished with 241 yards passing and 52 rushing, which was below what they average (469.7 yards per game) and well below what they did against Gainesville in their first meeting this year (502 yards), a 58-23 Eagle win. The Leopards finished with 139 yards rushing and 70 passing.
Sutton had 18 carries for 65 yards for GHS, while Purvey added 41 yards on 15 carries and Hewitt had 25 yards on 5 carries. Sutton was 9 of 18 passing for 66 yards. Calhoun caught 4 passes for 46 yards.
For the Eagles, Bible had 34 yards rushing on 10 carries, while Godbolt had 27 yards before leaving the game with an injury in the first half. Dane was 14 of 30 passing for 241 yards and an interception. He did not throw a touchdown pass. Christian caught 4 passes for 92 yards.
Defensively for the Leopards, Miller, Franklin, Stephenson, Kolby Kuykendall, Clint Stoffels and Ryan Walker had good games.
The loss marked the final game for 11 Gainesville seniors. Cordell said it was tough to know what to say to them after the game as he gathered his team around him on the field.
“You never know what words to say to a group of young men that have poured their hearts and souls into your program and who believe in you,” he said. “I told them that I was very proud of them and that I still believe in each and every one of them. I told the seniors that this staff would always be there for them, no matter what the situation may be. Whether its 10 years down the road or 4 years down the road, we will always be here for them. We’re a family. We’ve got to get to our offseason, get people in the right places and get ready for next year.”
LEOPARD NOTES: Both teams thought they were going to be the home team and both wore their home jerseys. As it turned out, Decatur was the home team and their fans, which outnumbered Gainesville’s almost 2-1, sat on the home side ... The Leopards are now 1-3 all-time in games played in Southlake, although this was the first to be played at the new Dragon Stadium. The other three were played at the old Dragon Stadium. The Leopards lost to Southlake Carroll in 1989 and 1992 when they were in the same district, but beat Carroll in 1994 to end the Dragons’ 72-game regular season winning streak, which was a Texas record at the time.
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Keith7's note: This is the first playoff loss for the Leopard's since Keith7 played for Gainesville