wildstangs
06-05-2005, 01:20 PM
North stars shine at end to win FCA game
By Troy Shockley / Reporter-News Staff Writer
June 5, 2005
Seconds after the final horn sounded Saturday night at Shotwell Stadium, a wide-eyed Steve Warren leapt into the arms of a surprised Matt Adams.
Warren, normally coaching the football team at Abilene High School, was the coach for the North All-Stars at the Sixth Annual Fellowship of Christian Athletes Myrle Greathouse All-Star Classic.
Adams, the Eagles' kicker until this year's graduation, had just given the North a come-from-behind, one-point victory in the final seconds with a booming 55-yard field goal. It would have been good from 60 yards. Maybe even 65.
''That was just the perfect way to end my high school career,'' Adams said of the 22-21 victory. ''I just calmed myself down and thought that I could make it. It was a great way to end it.''
Warren - whose team included six former Eagles - agreed.
''I love that guy,'' he said, still-grinning. ''That's my kicker. He's been my kicker for ... well, it seems like eight years. He's a gamer.''
Warren added that he and the rest of his team had full confidence in Adams on the kick - especially considering he hit from 65 yards in Friday's practice.
''I'm thinking Ove Johansson's record is in trouble if they'd have backed us up a little bit,'' he said. Johansson is the former Abilene Christian University kicker who still holds the all-level record for longest field goal of 69 yards, set in 1976.
The kick capped what was one of the most exciting FCA all-star games in its six-year history. Down by 21 at the half, the North finally found the end zone with 9:42 left in the third quarter when Jeremy Thompson (Sweetwater) broke loose on a third-and-4 from his own 26 for a 74-yard touchdown run.
Then Corey Kenyon (Stephenville) fought off tight coverage from KeKe Balanciere (Cooper) to haul in a Billy Bob Orsagh (Eastland) pass for a score with 10:31 left to play. Adams missed the extra point wide right, though, making it 21-13.
The North's incredible comeback continued when Lane Miller (Abilene High) stepped in front of a Matt Phillips (San Angelo Lake View) pass on the ensuing drive, picking it off in full stride and returning it to the 19.
Orsagh soon cashed in on the turnover, again finding Kenyon in the end zone, hitting the former Stephenville receiver on a fade route with 6:45 to play. The North went for the two-point conversion and the tie, but Kellen Cervetto (Stephenville) was stopped short, making it a 21-19 South lead.
The North's defense continued its amped-up play on the next drive, forcing an incomplete pass on a third-and-11 with 2:51 to play, resulting in a South punt.
Orsagh aired it out on the first play of the drive, hitting Ryan Kennedy (Abilene High) for a 41-yard gain. Willie Kershaw caught Orsagh behind the line on the third-down play, though, making it fourth-and-7 on the South 38-yard line - setting the stage for Adams' kick, which sailed through the uprights with two seconds left on the clock.
''We came out and played the game and we played our hearts out,'' said former Wylie Bulldog Haskell Hall, a member of the South team. ''We gave it all we had. They just happened to be one point better than us. It's sad we lost, but at least we had fun doing it.''
A former rival of Hall's, Phillips scored twice for the South on 1-yard sneaks, staking it to a 14-0 lead. Former Jim Ned Indian John Starnes scored the other touchdown on a 35-yard fumble return.
Robert Payne (Lake View) led the South with 183 yards, resulting in his being named the Offensive MVP. Albany's Mike Wilson was the Defensive MVP after racking up 13 tackles - two for a loss.
''I knew we were gonna come back,'' Kenyon said. ''You could feel it all week. The chemistry of this team is so good, we just clicked. We knew. We just knew. Somebody just had to get it started.''
Former Cooper wide receiver Landon Hoefer got a start of his own on Saturday - at quarterback.
''Yeah, I got to play quarterback a little and that's something I've dreamed about,'' he said with a sheepish grin. ''I tried to get it to the receivers, but it just didn't work out that way I guess.
''I actually called (current Cooper quarterback Chris Hall) the other day to ask for pointers,'' he said. ''And I just now saw him and was talking with him and, well, I told him that I took back my complaints on some of those rollouts when I didn't get the ball.''
By Troy Shockley / Reporter-News Staff Writer
June 5, 2005
Seconds after the final horn sounded Saturday night at Shotwell Stadium, a wide-eyed Steve Warren leapt into the arms of a surprised Matt Adams.
Warren, normally coaching the football team at Abilene High School, was the coach for the North All-Stars at the Sixth Annual Fellowship of Christian Athletes Myrle Greathouse All-Star Classic.
Adams, the Eagles' kicker until this year's graduation, had just given the North a come-from-behind, one-point victory in the final seconds with a booming 55-yard field goal. It would have been good from 60 yards. Maybe even 65.
''That was just the perfect way to end my high school career,'' Adams said of the 22-21 victory. ''I just calmed myself down and thought that I could make it. It was a great way to end it.''
Warren - whose team included six former Eagles - agreed.
''I love that guy,'' he said, still-grinning. ''That's my kicker. He's been my kicker for ... well, it seems like eight years. He's a gamer.''
Warren added that he and the rest of his team had full confidence in Adams on the kick - especially considering he hit from 65 yards in Friday's practice.
''I'm thinking Ove Johansson's record is in trouble if they'd have backed us up a little bit,'' he said. Johansson is the former Abilene Christian University kicker who still holds the all-level record for longest field goal of 69 yards, set in 1976.
The kick capped what was one of the most exciting FCA all-star games in its six-year history. Down by 21 at the half, the North finally found the end zone with 9:42 left in the third quarter when Jeremy Thompson (Sweetwater) broke loose on a third-and-4 from his own 26 for a 74-yard touchdown run.
Then Corey Kenyon (Stephenville) fought off tight coverage from KeKe Balanciere (Cooper) to haul in a Billy Bob Orsagh (Eastland) pass for a score with 10:31 left to play. Adams missed the extra point wide right, though, making it 21-13.
The North's incredible comeback continued when Lane Miller (Abilene High) stepped in front of a Matt Phillips (San Angelo Lake View) pass on the ensuing drive, picking it off in full stride and returning it to the 19.
Orsagh soon cashed in on the turnover, again finding Kenyon in the end zone, hitting the former Stephenville receiver on a fade route with 6:45 to play. The North went for the two-point conversion and the tie, but Kellen Cervetto (Stephenville) was stopped short, making it a 21-19 South lead.
The North's defense continued its amped-up play on the next drive, forcing an incomplete pass on a third-and-11 with 2:51 to play, resulting in a South punt.
Orsagh aired it out on the first play of the drive, hitting Ryan Kennedy (Abilene High) for a 41-yard gain. Willie Kershaw caught Orsagh behind the line on the third-down play, though, making it fourth-and-7 on the South 38-yard line - setting the stage for Adams' kick, which sailed through the uprights with two seconds left on the clock.
''We came out and played the game and we played our hearts out,'' said former Wylie Bulldog Haskell Hall, a member of the South team. ''We gave it all we had. They just happened to be one point better than us. It's sad we lost, but at least we had fun doing it.''
A former rival of Hall's, Phillips scored twice for the South on 1-yard sneaks, staking it to a 14-0 lead. Former Jim Ned Indian John Starnes scored the other touchdown on a 35-yard fumble return.
Robert Payne (Lake View) led the South with 183 yards, resulting in his being named the Offensive MVP. Albany's Mike Wilson was the Defensive MVP after racking up 13 tackles - two for a loss.
''I knew we were gonna come back,'' Kenyon said. ''You could feel it all week. The chemistry of this team is so good, we just clicked. We knew. We just knew. Somebody just had to get it started.''
Former Cooper wide receiver Landon Hoefer got a start of his own on Saturday - at quarterback.
''Yeah, I got to play quarterback a little and that's something I've dreamed about,'' he said with a sheepish grin. ''I tried to get it to the receivers, but it just didn't work out that way I guess.
''I actually called (current Cooper quarterback Chris Hall) the other day to ask for pointers,'' he said. ''And I just now saw him and was talking with him and, well, I told him that I took back my complaints on some of those rollouts when I didn't get the ball.''