Mirror Sports 9-2-09

Sports irrorWednesday, September 2, 2009

Comeback thwartedLate game heroics foiled by Boerne Champion rally in closing seconds

SAN ANTONIO –Whatever happened in theMidlothian locker room athalftime must have made adramatic impact on the foot-ball team. For 23 minutes inthe second half, the Panthersturned a miserable start into arally for the ages.

But it was the 24th minutethat proved to be just a littletoo much.

After a dramatic comebackfor a 24-21 lead, BoerneChampion used a 39-yardtoss from Taylor Davis toDavid Massey to ultimatelyseal a 28-24 victory in thesecond game of the TexasFootball Classic.

“It’s going to take a littlebit to get over it,” Midlothiancoach Robby Clark said.“Anytime you compete youwant to win and anytime youlose like that you kind of feellike you get in your own waya little bit. We’ve got to over-come that.”

The obstacles Midlothian(0-1) was forced to overcomein its season opener againstChampion (1-0) came inlarge part to self-inflictedwounds. Four first halfturnovers resulted in both ofthe Chargers’ scoring drives.

An interception on a screenpass set up Champion run-

ning back Brent Sutherlandfor a 29-yard scamper while afumble on a delayed handoffled to a Tim Tebow-esquejump ball pass from JohnFree to Dean Rittiman for a14-0 Charger lead.

The Panthers stopped thebleeding as time expired inthe first half with a quickdrive that was aided by sometimely Champion penalties. A35-yard reception by MasonYork from Dillon Fairbanksset up a 27-yard field goal tryfor Dillon Wilson whichmade it 14-3 at the half.

That’s when things startedchanging for Midlothian as adifferent team seemed tocome out of the locker room.After throwing three first halfinterceptions, Fairbankscame out gunning on the firstdrive.

“In the locker room,coaches and players they allgot in all of our faces and saidwe’re going to turn it aroundin the second half,” Fairbankssaid. “So, we did it.”

The junior completed hisfirst three passes of 10, 6 and13 yards to start the thirdperiod. A 12-yard run byMichael Glenn set thePanthers up at the 19-yardline as Fairbanks eyed widereceiver Derrick Agbaroji for

Photos by Gary Pucket and Mike Sackett/Special to The Mirror

Midlothian wide receiver Eddie Johnson (above) hauls in the go-ahead, 75-yard touchdown pass that putthe Panthers up 24-21 with just over two minutes remaining in the season opener. Quarterback DillonFairbanks (left) started the game with three interceptions in the first half but came back to throw threetouchdowns in the second. Despite his efforts, the Panthers fell 28-24 against Boerne Champion.

SAN ANTONIO – It’s notalways about how you start,but how you finish. Well,most of the time.

After a sluggish first halfthat saw Boerne run wildagainst the Midlothiandefense, the Panthersclamped down in the secondhalf but the unit’s effortsweren’t quite enough. TheChargers scored the go-aheadtouchdown with just over aminute left to play andescaped with a 28-24 win.

“I thought the defenseoverall had a great night. Wegave up two scores in the firsthalf off turnovers and theyhad a short field and somemomentum,” Midlothiancoach Robby Clark said.

Those two first half scoreswere a 29-yard touchdownrun from Brent Sutherlandfollowing a Panther intercep-tion and a jump pass after afumble for a 14-0 lead.

While turnovers led direct-ly to the points, the Chargers

were able to churn up bigfirst half yardage on theground thanks to Sutherland.On 10 first half carries, thesenior was able to gain exact-ly 100 yards. Two of thosecarries went for over 25 yardsincluding the 29-yard touch-down scamper.

“We were doing good inthe first half, the defense wasbut they were getting goodfield position and it was hardto get fired up when they’restarting off in the red zone,”linebacker Nathan Fishersaid.

But if the first half wasday, the second half wasnight for the defense as thePanthers put the clamps onSutherland. Over the courseof the next 24 minutes, hecarried the ball another 10times but this time for just 35yards with his longest rungoing for eight yards.

The damage came fromCharger quarterback TaylorDavis, who netted just 73yards rushing and 65 yardspassing on a 6-of-14 day.Though his stats were not

staggering, Davis was notsacked, only turned the ballover once and had just twoplays for negative yardage.

With the defense limitingChampion to just one scoringdrive in the second half, theMidlothian offense providedthe rally as two scoring toss-es to Derrick Agbarojibrought the Panthers withinstriking distance at 21-16.

The defense responded bykeeping momentum firmly inthe Midlothian corner. On athird down and three follow-ing Midlothian’s score,Fisher read a reverse handoffto a trailing wide receiver andwrapped him up for the tack-le and a three-yard loss.

“The offense started pick-ing up the pace and that justfired up the defense,” Fishersaid.

After a Champion punt,Midlothian took the lead on a75-yard pass to EddieJohnson. Following the two-point conversion, the

Photo by Mike Sackett/Special to The Mirror

Hunter Moore wraps up Boerne Champion quarterback Taylor Davis for a sack.The defense held their own against a tough Charger squad.

By ALEX RILEY

Mirror sports writer

Defense gives sterling performance in opener

See PANTHERS, Page 2C

See DEFENSE, Page 2C

By ALEX RILEY

Mirror sports writer

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