Bobcats overpower Trojans
Published 12:00 am Friday, September 25, 2009
The Charles Henderson Trojans were hoping to get back on track against 6A power, Theodore Friday night at Movie Gallery Stadium.
For most of the first half it looked as if the team would be able to do so.
However, despite forcing five fumbles against the unbeaten Theodore Bobcats, Charles Henderson could not find a way to get a win, falling 13-7, and dropping the team’s record to 1-4 on the season.
“This was a tough game,” Trojan head coach Hugh Fountain said.
“One of those games where I thought our kids played their tails off but got nothing to show for it in the end.
“Little mistakes got to us here and there – nothing to big, but it still hurt us,” he said.
As the Trojan defense has done all season, it bent but did not break.
The Trojans stopped the Bobcats on each of its first four offensive possessions, including a Theodore drive that went all the way to the Trojans’ 1-yard line.
Each possession ended the same way – with the Trojans recovering a fumble.
Yet, where the defense prevailed, the offense stalled.
Even with the plethora of opportunities, K.D. Edenfield and company could not get anything done.
The lone Trojan touchdown came off a Darius McClain 27-yard fumble recovery to the back of the end zone.
“It’s really frustrating,” K.D. Edenfield said after the six-point loss.
“This is the third loss-in-a-row I feel like we should have won.”
The Bobcats struck pay dirt two possessions later when Theodore quarterback Chris Nelson capped off a 67-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run.
The extra point attempt was blocked however by CHHS, keeping the Trojans the lead.
The Trojans could not respond to the touchdown and on the ensuing punt, Bobcat defensive back Jamarcus Essex, returned the punt 76-yards to the Trojans’ 6-yard line.
One the first play, Theodore was able to take the lead thanks to a Todd Neal six-yard run with forty seconds remaining in the game.
One of the biggest reasons the Trojan offense was unable to do anything in the first two quarters of play was due to penalties.
CHHS committed eight penalties that racked up for 63 yards.
Despite the score, the Bobcat offense was able to do more as well during the first half out gaining the Trojans 143-77.
The second half was a defensive stand off, as both teams denied each other the end zone.
The closest the Trojans would get to taking the lead came midway through the third quarter while in the Bobcat red zone.
After a seven-play drive, Edenfield threw an interception in the back of the end zone, shutting the door on another opportunity.
CHHS would get two more chances to win the game late in the fourth quarter, however each possession ended the same way – fruitless.
“It’s all about making plays and being focused,” the senior said.
“We need to be 100 percent focused the rest of the season – we are at the point where I think we have to win [the rest of the season].”
The quarterback finished the game completing nine of his 22 passes for 70 yards and two interceptions and also ran for 33 yards on 12 carries.
The Trojan offense as a whole finished with 150 yards, while the Bobcats finished with 201.
“We played hard, but in the end, we have to make the plays,” Fountain said.
“Don’t know really how to explain it – we did a lot of good things but we have to be able to punch the football into the end zone and we just haven’t been able to.”
Fountain said he believes the team is still a contender for the post season, despite the Trojans’ record.
“We knew coming into the game it was going to be a tough game – but we also knew that a game like this would make us tougher in the end, and I think it did,” Fountain said.
“I still feel like we could make the playoffs, next week [against Beauregard] will really tell the tale though.
“We just got to keep our heads up and stay positive for the rest of the way out,” the coach added.
The Trojans will hit the road next Friday night as it takes on Beauregard at 7 p.m.