LIONS COME FROM BEHIND AND KNOCK THE WIND OUT OF THE CYCLONES

A game fraught with character testing challenges and heart-breaking injuries, the Lions show their mettle and score three consecutive touchdowns in the 2nd half to win an important SPC division game against the Casaday Cyclones.

The odd Thursday night game was a game of many twists and turns and included momentum switches galore!  Never a dull moment with this 2011 bunch of football Lions.

St. Mark's kicked off deep, to the delight of fans in the crowd I might add, and OKC Casady returned the ball to the 20.  After an illegal substitution and a fumbled snap by the visitors, Amir Saboorian made a smashing tackle for a 3 yard loss, and Casady quick punted with a good roll. The Lions took over on their 38.  Three passing plays, one a scramble by Joe Bush after pressure, and the Lions were forced to punt, giving the ball back to Casady on their 32.  

The visiting team put number 5 in the wildcat formation, and they ran for 12 yards followed by another run for 15 yards, which was called back because of an illegal shift penalty.  Ardis Graham made a nice open field tackle on a screen play to the right.  Mac Katigan scrambled for 12 yards, but Casady quick punted again on 4th down to the Lions 14.  Bush gained 8 yards on a keeper, but two incomplete passes resulted in another 3 and out.  A very nice 46 yard punt by George Law got the ball to the Casady 30.  A 2 yard run and a pitch to the left for 11 yards resulted in a first down.  Mac Labhart made a bruising tackle on first down and Graham intercepted an overthrown pass with a nifty runback to the Cyclone 35 yard line.  Bush was sacked on first down and two more incomplete passes resulted in a fourth down punt for a touchback. 

A running play for 8 yards was followed by a quick angling tackle by Harrison Hewitt, but not before they gained three yards and a first down.  After a short completion on first down was defensed by Cody Sixkiller in the left flat, Jimmy Papin, Amir Saboorian and Dillard Pinkston combined to stop their ball carrier for no gain.  After another incompletion, Casady decided to punt the ball out of bounds, giving the ball to St. Mark's at midfield.  A very nice connection between Bush and Luke Williams gained fourteen yards, but St. Mark's fumbled on the next play, giving the ball back to Casady at the end of the first quarter with the sloppy game scoreless.

Good stops and good pressure by the Lions front 7 set up a punt by Casady and a solid 16 yard return by Cameron Kline to the 49 yard line.  Another three and out for the Lions on a scramble for 2, a completion to Kendrick Spraglin for 4 and an incompletion on third down forced a Lions punt by Luke Williams.  The defense stiffened on two runs for only 3 yards, but Katigan hit number 6 for a six yard gain, bringing up 4th and 1 in their own territory.  Katigan wiggled on a keeper for 2 yards and an important Casady first down.  Katigan kept the ball two more times with runs up the middle for 15 and 11, placing the ball on the Lions 40.  Harlan Burk sacked the Cyclone quarterback for minus 5 yards on first down.  After a short gain on second down, Ardis Graham defensed a solid double move by the Casady receiver forcing another very short Casady punt to the Lions 20.  

Bush hit Malcolm Bowman in the left flat for 4 yards followed by a pass interference call against Casady on a long pass attempt to Spraglin.  A first down incompletion and a pass for no gain brought up third down.  Graham Bennett sacked Bush for minus 6 and Casady returned the SM punt to the 10 yard line.  On the first play from scrimmage, Casady ran in on an option play to the left for the first score, but they missed the point after touchdown attempt.  Kline had a good kickoff return to the 36 yard line.  Bush found Williams for 4 and Kline for 11 and a first down at midfield.  Another three and out resulted in a St. Mark's punt to the Casady 36 yard line.

Casady ran for 4 yards on first down, followed by a long pass to the right nearly intercepted by Graham.  On third down, Casady ran a play action pass to the right and Reed Thompson stopped the receiver on a hard tackle.  After another quick first down pass, the Casady quarterback threw up a long prayer with less than 30 seconds left on the clock, which was caught for a touchdown.  Casady easily converted the two point conversion on a quick pass to the right side and they led 14-0 at halftime with the Lions reeling from the last second score.

Graham made an excellent return to the Lions 33. John Webb replaced Joe Bush and handed to Bowman on first down for a one yard gain.  Webb completed to Kline in the left flat and Kline froze the tackler with a beautiful move, carrying Casady players an additional 10 yards all the way to the Casady 21 and a 44 yard gain.  After a pass interference call on a pass attempt to Kline, Webb nearly hit John Caldwell in the right corner, but an illegal procedure call against the Lions and two incompletions led to a missed St. Mark's field goal attempt on fourth down.  

Casady again got their running game going on two runs by number 23 for a first down.  Thompson made a great tackle causing a fumble, and St. Mark's came up with the ball.  Webb hit Spraglin on a quick out for 9 yards and Bowman made a tough run for a Lions first down.  After a long pass attempt to Caldwell, Webb gained 2 on a qb keeper.  On third down, Webb hit Williams for 6 yards and on fourth down the Lions converted an option pitch to Bowman for a first down.  An illegal procedure call on the Lions was followed by a late hit on Spraglin called against the Cyclones.  After a run by Webb for minus 2 yards and a holding call on the Lions, Casady was caught holding Kline's shirt over the middle.  The offensive line then gave Webb time to throw a perfect pass to Kline in the left back corner of the end zone and a nifty sideline dance for the Lions first score.  Jacob Wilner converted the point after touchdown.  

Mac Labhart made a strong tackle on the kick return stopping the Cyclones at their 28.  The St. Mark's defense allowed seven yards on first down, but then stiffened very quickly for a one yard gain and a Saboorian tackle for no gain, bringing up fourth and 2.  St. Mark's gang tackled Casady on fourth down, and Bowman made a bruising and twisting run for 15 yards on first down.  Webb made another nice pass to Spraglin for a touchdown reception, but the point after touchdown kick failed.  Mac Labhart again stopped the Cyclone returner on their 28 yard line on a jarring tackle.  After an incomplete pass on first down, number 23 for Casady picked up two on second down.  He picked up a first down, but St. Mark's forced a fumble, which was recovered by the Cyclone quarterback on an excellent heads up play ending the third quarter with the Lions trailing 14-13.

Casady ran for 3 yards on first down, but an illegal procedure call and a quick pass to the right for 9 yards brought up a fourth and 3 at the Lions 34.  Saboorian stopped their ball carrier on fourth down and the Lions took over on their own 33 yard line.  Webb scrambled and completed a pass to Caldwell for 5 yards.  Bowman made two more hard spinning runs for a first down and the Lions called time out.  The offensive line again gave Webb time to find Caldwell for 24 yards on a good pass and catch.  Two incomplete passes, a holding call and a fourth down catch short of the first down by Williams stalled the Lions march down the field. 

Otto Clark-Martinek sacked the Cyclone quarterback on third down forcing a Casady punt.  After a fumble and no return on the punt, the Lions took over on their own 23 yard line.  Webb hit Bowman on an 8 yard bubble, and Bowman gave great second effort on a nice 6 yard run for a first down.  Now that the Lions offensive line and Bowman's running had the Lions ground attack humming, a quick play fake by Webb resulted in a wide open Williams, who took off after the catch all the way to the Casady 14.  Bowman willed his way for 8 yards on first down and immediately high stepped into the end zone for a 6 yard touchdown on good blocking up front.  Bowman pinballed into the end zone for the successful two point conversion.  

Casady took over and ran on first down for 8 yards.  Their receiver missed a nice long pass by Katigan on second down, but they picked up a first down on a bruising third down carry.  Mac Labhart tackled their ball carrier in the backfield for minus 2 yards.  Katigan completed a pass in the left flat for 4 yards and Ardis Graham defensed a long third down pass to the streaking Casady receiver.  After an illegal procedure call on Casady, their receiver missed the fourth down pass and St. Mark's took over on downs.  The offensive line and Bowman's running resulted in another Lions first down, preserving the hard fought victory.

WAY TO GO LIONS!!!  WE'RE BACK!!!  LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FINAL 3 REGULAR SEASON GAMES AND A PLAYOFF RUN.

St. Mark's Lions Deck the Dutchmen!

St. Mark's Adds Another Check to the Win Column! 

Beats Holland Hall 56-35!

Way to go Lions!  We all know how tough it is to play 11 against 15 in Oklahoma and get a win, but that makes two years in a row!

During the first few minutes of the first quarter, the Lions defense held tough and forced a punt by Holland Hall.  After a solid return by Cameron Kline, a mistake by the Lions gave Holland the ball. The St. Mark's defense held firm and forced a second punt.   

After an excellent return by Kline, Joe Bush completed a good drive by St. Mark’s with a touchdown pass to Kendrick Spraglin, who got behind the HH defensive back.   

Again, the Lions defense was tough. Jimmy Papin had a tackle for a loss, followed by one good gain on a Holland Hall run, but the Lions forced two consecutive incomplete passes with good pressure on the HH quarterback.  HH punted short and out of bounds short and Malcolm Bowman began the drive with a bruising run for 15 yards.  Bush scrambled, and completed to Kline for 12 yards ending the first quarter.

Spraglin completed a pass for 5 yards. After Bush was sacked, he hooked up with John Caldwell for 9 yards on a quick out followed by a stop route again by Caldwell for 8 more yards.  Bush then hit Kline who picked up 14 yards on a good run after the catch that looked like a touchdown, but the referee said that he stepped out. Bush threw a quick screen to Bowman for 3 and then found Luke Williams in the end zone for a one yard touchdown reception, making the score 14-0.   

Holland Hall took over after a pooch kick by Jacob Wilner and picked up a first down on their first play of the drive on a nice run up the middle.  Dillard Pinkston and Amir Saboorian stuffed HH on running plays, and Will Perkins broke up a pass forcing another HH punt. The punt again was out of bounds.   

St. Mark’s was called for holding, Bush hit Bowman for a 1 yard gain on a short side quick bubble but then was sacked under pressure from the Dutch.  Bush threw a nice pass intended for Kline, who appeared to be interfered with, but it was not called (surprise, surprise), and after an illegal procedure against SM, George Law hit a nice punt from the back of the end zone for 40 yards out to the Lions 43.   

Saboorian stopped their big running back for no gain, Perkins broke up another pass, followed by a 15 yard reception by HH.  After two good stops on running plays by the home team, the Holland Hall receiver could not come with the catch after excellent coverage by Reid Thompson.  On fourth and 7, HH hit a long pass to the back right corner of the end zone for their first touchdown.  SM blocked the ensuing point after touchdown.   

Saint Mark’s moved the ball down the field with two nice catches by Caldwell and two good runs by Malcolm Bowman, including a tiptoe down the right sideline.  Bush picked up a first down on a solid run to the 35 yard line. The next pass was dropped, but Bush completed to Spraglin who was able to beat the defensive back in the end zone for a touchdown giving SM the lead 21-6. 

HH received the punt. HH number 25 ran for 14 yards up the middle, followed by a strong Pinkston stop for negative yardage.  HH number 11 caught a 25 yard reception down the right side.  After gaining 6 on a good first down run, Reid Thompson broke up a good pass reaching over the receiver’s shoulder. HH called time out, then earned a first down on the following play. The Lions defense stiffened again, but was penalized for pass interference (the first in a long chain of pass interference calls) and HH's running back number 45 ran up the middle twice for a touchdown. Holland converted the two point conversion on a quick out to the right with 23.6 seconds left in the half.   

The Holland Hall kicker tried to squib the kickoff, but Pinkston nabbed the kick giving the ball to St. Mark’s in excellent field position at mid field.  After one incomplete pass, Bush scampered with good blocking up front and bolted downfield for a very long touchdown run, taking the wind out of the sails of the Holland Hall defense. Jacob Wilner completed his fourth consecutive point after for a 28-14 lead at the half.

The second half began with St. Mark’s receiving the kickoff. Kline immediately got things going with a stunning return all the way to the Dutch 33 yard line. Bush scrambled for 8 yards and hit Kline for a quick out and a first down.  That was followed by a tipped pass and a nice 6 yard carry by Bowman.  Kline made a nice run to the half yard line and Bush found Kline in the end zone for a nice touchdown pass.  Labhart scored for the defense almost immediately to give the Lions a 42-14 lead.  Holland Hall got their offense going with an 18 yard pass to Bradford for the Dutch, but the Lions defense held with good plays by Saboorian and Thompson. Saboorian put good pressure on Fox for the Dutch, and Perkins knocked down a 4^th down pass to end the HH threat.

St. Mark’s took over, but three plays later they were forced to punt.  After a roughing the passer call on the Lions, Fox hit Bradford again for 19 yards.  HH was called for holding, but after a nice catch by their number 11 HH set up a third down and 4 at the 11 yard line.  St. Mark’s was called for defensive holding, giving the home team a first down. Papin made an excellent hustle tackle coming all the way down the line and tackling their runner from behind.  The illegal procedure call on HH gave them the ball on the Lions 9 and after a high pass, Fox hit Bradford on a left end slant for a touchdown.   

Bush hit Caldwell for 5 yards, threw an incomplete pass, and then scrambled for twenty yards down the field.  Pass interference on the Dutch and a sack for a 15 yard loss gave St. Mark’s the ball inside the HH 40 at the end of the third quarter.

Bush completed a pass to Caldwell for 21 yards and then again in the right corner of the end zone for a 14 yard touchdown pass.   

The Holland Hall running and passing game success continued with a very nice run by their number 45 and a nice 20 yard pass completion over the middle.  Another good catch over the middle for eleven yards and a good run earned HH a first down.  St. Mark’s was flagged for pass interference (are you seeing a pattern?) and two running plays resulted in a touchdown by Holland Hall.  Their extra point attempt was blocked again by the hustling St. Mark’s special teams.  

 A fumble on the first pass play from scrimmage gave the Dutch the ball on the Lions 21 yard line.  Otto Clark-Martinek made a nice stop for no gain and St. Mark’s recovered a fumble after a completed pass. Bowman ran twice for 9 yards, and the Holland Hall defensive line pushed Bush back on a third down run.Lions punted.

With the ball on the Lions 37, HH completed a quick pass to the right followed by runs by Bradford in which he broke tackles for two consecutive first downs.  A pass interference call on the Lions gave the Dutch the ball on the seven. HH completed a pass to the left flat for a touchdown on the next play.  With Holland Hall going for two points, St. Mark’s was called for roughing the passer and HH ran in the two point conversion from the two.

Holland Hall attempted and converted an onside kick, but the St. Mark’s defense held with batted passes by Clark-Martinek and Pinkston.  With 3:05 left in the game, St. Mark’s attempted a pass which fell incomplete. Bowman ran for 2 tough yards and the Lions failed to pick up enough yardage on third down, forcing another punt.  

After two short completions and an incomplete pass, Reid Thompson intercepted a tipped pass and returned it all the way down the field for a touchdown, ending the game with St. Mark’s taking home a 56-35 win.

Way to go Lions!  We’re back again and getting ready for a short week of work to take on Casady at our house. Bring it on Oklahoma!

FAST and PHYSICAL.  GO LIONS.