Sports

LIONS UPSET LUMBERJACKS

By David Moyers/SPECIAL TO THE COMMERCIAL
Saturday, October 31, 2009 1:48 AM CDT

The Warren Lumberjacks, which were undefeated in 8-4A Conference, scored on their first possession of the game, but then failed to put any additional points on the board as they fell to the Hamburg Lions 7-6 at Campbell Field in Hamburg on Friday. The Lumberjacks were a two-touchdown favorite in the game.

Warren’s opening possession began at their 43 after Hamburg’s offense failed to move the ball on the opening kickoff. On the first-down play, Lumberjack quarterback Hayden Smith passed to Allen Tatum for 24 yards to the Hamburg 28. Smith picked 5 yards, and Savion Gilbert added 10 more. Smith then gained 5 more yards, and after an offsides penalty against the Lumberjacks, Gilbert carried three times for 10 yards, scoring from the Hamburg 3. Miguel Sedeno’s kick attempt failed for a 6-0 Warren lead with 7:46 left in the first quarter.

Late in the first quarter, the Lions threatened on a drive which began at their 38. Quarterback Austin Fitts carried the ball on five consecutive plays for 34 yards, then passed to Crystian Navarrete for 3 yards. Hamburg’s Chaudrion Hughes picked up 7 more yards for a first down at the Warren 19. Hamburg then got a first down at the Warren 10 on a facemask penalty. The drive ended when Freddie Madero missed on a 35-yard field goal try with 40 seconds left in the quarter.

Hamburg got on the scoreboard in the second quarter after Johnathan Pounds picked up a Gilbert fumble and returned it 69 yards from the Lions’ 12 to the Warren 15. From the 15 Chris Tharpe picked up 2 yards, and Fitts picked up 3 yards on two carries. Facing a fourth-and-five from the Lumberjacks’ 10, Fitts passed to James Morton at the Warren 2. The official called a fumble after the catch, and Gage Rice took the ball into the end zone from the 1. Navarrete’s kick put the Lions up 7-6 with 3:22 left in the half.

Neither team had much luck in moving the ball until the Warren offense took over at the Hamburg 42 with 2:36 left in the game. The Lumberjacks picked up a first down at the Hamburg 30, but penalties for an illegal block, holding, illegal motion and unsportsmanlike conduct brought the drive to a halt. On fourth-and-30 at the Hamburg 24, Smith passed to Jalen Cobb for 7 yards, but Hamburg’s Alex Brown recovered a Cobb fumble to give the Lions the ball. Hamburg ran three plays, and then with five seconds left in the game, punted to the Lumberjacks, and the clock ran out on the punt.

Gilbert led the Lumberjacks with 20 carries for 81 yards with Smith picking up 49 yards on a dozen carries. Smith completed 8 of 19 passes with one interception, good for only 68 yards. Raheim Alford had three receptions for 25 yards, and Tatum had two receptions for 33 yards.

For the Lions, Fitts had 46 yards on 23 carries with Chris Tharpe picking up 23 yards on 10 carries, Hughes gaining 12 yards on seven carries and James Morton rushing two times for 3 yards. Fitts was 6-of-11 for the night with Gage Rice catching three passes for 20 yards, Navarrete getting two receptions for 2 yards and Morton catching one pass for 9 yards.

The Lumberjacks had a total of 212 yards for the game while the Lions had 115.

The Lions will close their season against the Dumas Bobcats on Thursday night with their playoff hopes still alive. The Lions are now 5-4 for the year and 3-3 in conference play. The Lumberjacks are also 5-4 for the year and 5-1 in conference play.

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