Paratrooper
10-21-2006, 02:17 AM
WO-S edges Silsbee
SILSBEE - Forced into a tight game for only the second time this season Friday night, West Orange-Stark relied on the old reliable - defense.
After trailing Silsbee 13-7 at halftime, the Mustangs mustered two second-half touchdowns then preserved their 20-13 District 21-3A victory with a huge interception by Kendrick LeBlanc at the shadow of their goal late in the game.
Playing before a near capacity homecoming crowd of about 6,500 in Tiger Stadium, Silsbee was threatening to at least tie the fourth-ranked Mustangs when quarterback William Harper sneaked for a first down at the 8 yard line.
Three plays later, the Tigers were still at the 8, and Harper attempted a pass to big tight end Jay Mullins on a slant pattern. Mullins was just about to cross the goal line when LeBlanc leaped in front of him and the made the pick as he fell to the turf at the 2 yard line.
"That was a tremendous play by Kendrick LeBlanc," said coach Dan Hooks from the Mustang sideline a few minutes after the game. "At first I thought the tight end was going to catch the ball, but obviously Kendrick had other thoughts.
"Right before the snap, Cornel (Thompson, WO-S' defensive coordinator) started yelling, 'Watch the tight end; watch the tight end.' Well, Kendrick watched him pretty good."
LeBlanc's interception was the Mustangs' third of the night as Jacoby Franks and Seth Thomas also ended Silsbee possessions with picks in the first half.
"Our defense was outstanding, especially in the second half," said Hooks. "That old tradition comes back to you sometimes, and it came back tonight.
"We've won two state championships and played in two other state championship games, and these players are aware of that history and take a lot of pride in it. What happened tonight reminded me of some of those times in the 1980s when our defense would just bow up and refuse to let the other teams get into the end zone.
"Hey, this wasn't the School for the Slow we were playing tonight. Silsbee has a great team, and they (the Tigers) played a great game. If we hadn't have made some of the plays we made, they would've beaten us."
In pitching their second-half shutout, the Mustang defenders held the Tigers to five first downs and 103 total yards. Seventy-eight of the yards came on the fourth-quarter drive that LeBlanc blunted with his key interception.
The Mustangs, who moved to 7-0 on the season and 4-0 in the district, forced Silsbee, now 5-2 and 3-1, to punt on its other two second-half possessions.
After receiving the second-half kickoff, the Mustangs drove 62 yards on nine plays to force a 13-13 tie. The touchdown came on a 3-yard run by Franks, who was subbing for quarterback Andre Bevil at the time.
Earlier in the drive, Bevil completed passes of 15 yards to LeBlanc and 23 yards to Franks, and Franks also reeled off a key 16-yard run to gain a first down at the 15-yard line.
The Mustangs snapped the tie with a five-play, 43-yard drive that began early in the fourth quarter. DePauldrick Garrett sparked it with an 11-yard run, and he completed it with a strong 17-yard run on a draw play.
That was Garrett's second TD of the evening. He scored from 6 yards out early in the first quarter immediately after Dominique Rhodes returned a Silsbee kickoff 88 yards.
Harper turned in a 25-yard run and 23-yard pass in sparking the Tigers to a six-play, 56-yard scoring drive to open the game. Jardell Elam capped it with a 3-yard run.
A 24-yard Harper-to-Donavan Harris pass helped start the Tigers' go-ahead drive midway in the second quarter. They completed it with a 1-yard sneak by Harper with 2:59 remaining in the half.
SILSBEE - Forced into a tight game for only the second time this season Friday night, West Orange-Stark relied on the old reliable - defense.
After trailing Silsbee 13-7 at halftime, the Mustangs mustered two second-half touchdowns then preserved their 20-13 District 21-3A victory with a huge interception by Kendrick LeBlanc at the shadow of their goal late in the game.
Playing before a near capacity homecoming crowd of about 6,500 in Tiger Stadium, Silsbee was threatening to at least tie the fourth-ranked Mustangs when quarterback William Harper sneaked for a first down at the 8 yard line.
Three plays later, the Tigers were still at the 8, and Harper attempted a pass to big tight end Jay Mullins on a slant pattern. Mullins was just about to cross the goal line when LeBlanc leaped in front of him and the made the pick as he fell to the turf at the 2 yard line.
"That was a tremendous play by Kendrick LeBlanc," said coach Dan Hooks from the Mustang sideline a few minutes after the game. "At first I thought the tight end was going to catch the ball, but obviously Kendrick had other thoughts.
"Right before the snap, Cornel (Thompson, WO-S' defensive coordinator) started yelling, 'Watch the tight end; watch the tight end.' Well, Kendrick watched him pretty good."
LeBlanc's interception was the Mustangs' third of the night as Jacoby Franks and Seth Thomas also ended Silsbee possessions with picks in the first half.
"Our defense was outstanding, especially in the second half," said Hooks. "That old tradition comes back to you sometimes, and it came back tonight.
"We've won two state championships and played in two other state championship games, and these players are aware of that history and take a lot of pride in it. What happened tonight reminded me of some of those times in the 1980s when our defense would just bow up and refuse to let the other teams get into the end zone.
"Hey, this wasn't the School for the Slow we were playing tonight. Silsbee has a great team, and they (the Tigers) played a great game. If we hadn't have made some of the plays we made, they would've beaten us."
In pitching their second-half shutout, the Mustang defenders held the Tigers to five first downs and 103 total yards. Seventy-eight of the yards came on the fourth-quarter drive that LeBlanc blunted with his key interception.
The Mustangs, who moved to 7-0 on the season and 4-0 in the district, forced Silsbee, now 5-2 and 3-1, to punt on its other two second-half possessions.
After receiving the second-half kickoff, the Mustangs drove 62 yards on nine plays to force a 13-13 tie. The touchdown came on a 3-yard run by Franks, who was subbing for quarterback Andre Bevil at the time.
Earlier in the drive, Bevil completed passes of 15 yards to LeBlanc and 23 yards to Franks, and Franks also reeled off a key 16-yard run to gain a first down at the 15-yard line.
The Mustangs snapped the tie with a five-play, 43-yard drive that began early in the fourth quarter. DePauldrick Garrett sparked it with an 11-yard run, and he completed it with a strong 17-yard run on a draw play.
That was Garrett's second TD of the evening. He scored from 6 yards out early in the first quarter immediately after Dominique Rhodes returned a Silsbee kickoff 88 yards.
Harper turned in a 25-yard run and 23-yard pass in sparking the Tigers to a six-play, 56-yard scoring drive to open the game. Jardell Elam capped it with a 3-yard run.
A 24-yard Harper-to-Donavan Harris pass helped start the Tigers' go-ahead drive midway in the second quarter. They completed it with a 1-yard sneak by Harper with 2:59 remaining in the half.