St Marks 28 - Mart 12
SM travelled 120 miles to play Mart High School, the 2010 1A state
championship team and the team that was currently ranked #1 in 1A division in
State of Texas. A Friday Night Lights
city and team.
Sad news to start the year was that we lost Paul Gudmundsson
for the season with a knee injury and he was a stalwart on the offensive line.
Also sitting out today was Malcolm Bowman and Andrew Patison.
It was 103 degrees at kickoff. SM won the toss and elected
to defer.
Jacob Wilner kicked off & put the ball into the end zone
& Mart starts at their own 25.
After touchback,
Mart gained 8 on a run, gained 11 on a run, gained 5 on a run and they had a 5
yard procedure penalty. Mac Labhart had
a good hit on one of the running plays. On the fourth play from scrimmage from
the 44 yard line, DeMarcus Cosby went in motion from the flanker spot, took an
inside hand off and went untouched down the right side of our defense for a 56 yard
TD run. The extra point was no good.
Danny Koudelka had good kickoff return of 29 yards and our
offense took over at our 45 yard line. We had an incomplete pass and on second
down, their defensive back made a good play and intercepted the ball at
midfield.
Mart starts at their own 49 yard line. They go for a deep
pass on first down and good play by Lendon Hall to break up pass. Two running
plays give them a first down, good hit by Bear Goldstein. We have an offside
penalty and its first down on our 39 yard line. Three more runs give Mart a first down at the
27 yard line. Good QB pressure by Stephen Rambin and good tackles by Otto Martinek and Reid Thompson.
On first and ten, Mart goes deep and Thompson in one on one
coverage makes a solid play and knocks the ball down. The referee who was 30
yards away from the play and not the closest ref to the play throws a flag on
pass interference. Can you smell the home cooking??
Mart gets first down on the 12 yd. line; Mac Labhart blitzes
on 1st down and tackles ball carrier for 5 yard loss. On 2nd down Mart executes a good
bubble screen pass for 15 yards and first down on the 2. Next play is td run
over our left side. 12-0 Mart.
Mart goes for two and Rambin makes an excellent play and
tackles runner five yards behind line of scrimmage. It was at this point on the
sideline that Defensive Coach Labhart starts to lose his voice! This was a tale of TWO games. With 5 minutes and 23 seconds
left in the FIRST QUARTER, it was Mart 12 and SM 0. Mart will not score again and St Marks will
run off 28 straight points.
Mart goes for the stake in the heart and tries an onside
kick but Victor Calvillo recovers on our own 45 yard line. That would have
been a disaster. Head Coach Epperson and the offense go to
work. On a roll out to the right QB John Webb hits Koudelka with a 24 yard pass
and run. Short pass to Justin Jones for three and Koudelka in motion takes
inside toss for 3 yards and Mart is called for facemask penalty and we have
first down on the 17 yard line. Webb hits Harrison Hewitt for a 9 yard gain. 2nd
down was incomplete pass, and on 3rd and one from their seven yard line we
score on a well-designed run. Center Michael Doorey and right guard Tommy Gudmundsson
block down on the nose guard and right tackle Dominic Garcia blocks out the
defensive end and Jones hits the hole hard runs over the LB and with help from
LG Cole Labhart and Doorey who push the pile into the end zone. Wilner makes the first of his four extra
points. 12-7 Mart---3:52 left in first quarter.
Wilner with another booming kickoff into the end zone. Mart
starts on the 25, 3 runs make exactly 10 yards and a first down. Good stops by
Jimmy Papin, Goldstein, Rambin and Chris
Roach. Good defense and Mart self-destructing with three procedure penalties
and an incomplete pass on the bubble screen and Papin in great position if the
catch was made. Give them second and 25 from their 20 yard line, 5 yard run on
second down and on third down M. Labhart and Martinek meet at the ball carrier
and its 4th and 16 and the end of the first quarter.
Mart punts and Koudelka with another good return of 20 yards
and first down on our own 45.
Webb hits Hewitt for 10 yards and they hook up two plays
later again for 22 yards. And we have first down on their 20. We have an
incomplete pass, a dropped pass, a short pass to John Caldwell and we try a 39
yard field goal and it’s no good. Offensive line had good protection on this
drive.
Mart takes over on their own 21 and our defense gets a big
three and out! First down L. Hall and a
host of defenders hold runner to short gain, on second down M. Labhart attacks
the QB on a rollout and drives him into the ground as he throws an incomplete
pass that Roach was in position for a breakup. On third down Papin with inside
run blitz and Martinek from the outside converge for no gain.
Mart punts again to Koudelka who continually gave the
offense great field position, returns
this punt for 43 big yards and a great block by Rambin who peels back and
levels a defender at midfield that allows Koudelka another 12 yards. And near
the end of the run M. Labhart also buries a defender. It was pretty cool to see
our sideline jumping up and down for the two big blocks. St Mark’s first down on Mart 37. Webb under
great pressure and takes a big hit completes pass to Hewitt for 11 yards. Jones
with a strong run for 20 yards to the 6 yard line. We then get hit for two holding penalties and
one that negated a Jones TD. After a new first down for pass interference that
should have given us a 1st and ten at the 15, the refs said it was
first and goal from the 15—HELLO!!! Webb hit Caldwell for 11 yards and then two
runs and an incomplete pass and we give the ball back to Mart on their 15 yard
line. Martinek and Goldstein combine for
good stop, then on 2nd down Kellam Hall has first hit on ball
carrier and then on 3rd down K. Hall levels QB just as he releases ball and
he finds a RB totally alone in the middle of the field for 22 yards. Luke Williams
comes up from safety spot for tackle with help from M. Labhart on 1st
down. Goldstein, Williams and M. Labhart
stop the ball carrier on 2nd & 3rd down.
Mart punts and we start at our 23 yard line. Only two
minutes left in half Webb hits Kendrick Spraglin for three connections for a
total of 34 yards and one pass to Hewitt for 16 yards and we get down to their
30 yard line and the half ends. HALF
TIME 12 to 7 Mart.
We take the ball to start the third quarter. Touchback on
kickoff and first and ten at 25. On the first six plays, three are connections
from Webb to Hewitt for 11, 9, & 13 yards. Two Jones runs and we have first down on their
35 yard line. Webb hits Koudelka for two passes for 6 yards and Caldwell for 11
yards. Pass interference call, gives us first down at their 12. On first down, Coach Epperson said (I believe)”
my best hands guy against your best DB”. He had three receivers to the left
side of the formation and this was the short side of the field. Caldwell was
all alone one on one on the right side about 30 yards from the middle of
formation. Webb threw a bullet to Caldwell on a quick slant, the ball, Caldwell
and DB arrived simultaneously. Caldwell used his body as a shield caught the
ball at the four shrugged off the defender and strolled into the end zone. Perfectly
executed. Extra point good and we have our first lead at 14 to 12 St.Mark's.
Mart takes over on 31 yard line on short kickoff. Two runs
give Mart a first down, stops by Law & K. Hall. Two more runs and they get
two yards on stops by M. Labhart and a gang tackle led by Cameron Baxley and
Rambin. On third and eight, their receiver deflects the ball with Thompson, Roach
and Goldstein converging for the interception, but ball just out of everybody’s reach. Mart punts again and again Koudelka gives good
field position as he returns this punt to our 42, a 20 yard kick return.
On first down, Doorey and T. Gudmundsson slam their men to
the inside, Garcia blows up his man to the outside, Hewitt comes over and hits
a LB, C. Labhart goes after a LB, and Caldwell gets the near side DB and Jones
has a big hole on the right side. He makes a safety miss and cuts back on
another DB and then in a great hustling play, LT Caviillo is ahead of Jones and
is 40 yards downfield and peels back and gets the last possible tackler at the
15 and Jones scores on a 58 yard run. As he scored three offensive linemen were
right behind him. Great play by many guys!!
Extra point good and with 5 minutes left in third it is
21-12 St Marks.
We kick on short kickoff again and Mart starts at 28 yard
line. Three runs give them six yards, key stops by Papin & Baxley, M.
Labhart & Thompson and on 3rd down Law & Papin. So its 3 and out and Mart is punting.
Koudelka with another good return of 18 yards and STM has
first down on our own 48 yard line.
Webb to Spraglin for 10 and first down. We then misfired on
four passes, one was a drop and we turn the ball over to Mart at their 42. Mart has a procedure penalty then a good hit on
receiver by Thompson for incomplete pass. Law and M. Labhart put pressure
on QB and he just gets away an incomplete pass. Another overthrown pass and its
4 and 20. Another good defensive series. Mart punts and we start on offense at
our 11 yard line. Two runs by Jones and two Webb to Caldwell passes of 13 &
20 yards and we have first down at 44 yard line. Jones goes for nine on nice
hole right up the middle and the third qtr. ends.
Jones gets us a first down on their 45. And then a high
center snap and the cool and collected Webb chases the ball down, rolls out and
throws it away. Webb hits Caldwell for 9; Jones runs hard and gets first down.
Webb with a real nice touch pass on a pump and go with Caldwell for 16 yards
and a first down at the 14 yard line. On
a real nice timing play, Webb rolls right and throws a strike to Caldwell in
the end zone on a 15 yard down and out, Webb threw the ball before Caldwell
broke out and the DB didn’t have a chance. TOUCHDOWN! Twelve play 89 yard drive that took five
minutes off the clock. Webb wasn’t touched on the drive although he had to run
for his life once. St. Mark's 28-12
Another big leg kick off by Wilner into the end zone &
Mart starts at their own 25 with 10 minutes left in game. On first down, a TD
saving tackle by Goldstein after a 20 yard gain. Goldstein & Martinek make next stop.
Papin with nice shedding of blocker and making tackle on 2nd
down. K. Hall more pressure on QB and he
completes short pass and is tackled by M. Labhart. Mart hits a 15 yard pass on
4th and five. First down our 22 yard line. A run of 5 yards and on 2nd
down good pressure by Martinek & K. Hall on QB and he throws it away.
Offside penalty gives Mart first down on our 12 yard line.
First down, low snap and blitz by K. Hall and hits QB as he
throws, incomplete. Second down QB rolls right and throws short pass to the
right Roach hits receiver as the ball arrives and drives him into turf,
incomplete. Third down throw into end zone on a fade route and Thompson in
perfect position and knocks ball away, incomplete. Fourth down QB heaves into end
zone and Roach hits receiver as ball arrives, incomplete. Some real nice pass
defense in this series! ST Marks ball
on our own 12 yard line.
We have two short runs, a procedure penalty and incomplete
pass and we have our first punt. Mart has short punt return and starts at our
43 yard line with three minutes left in game. First down Law with good hit, on
second down a swarm of SM defenders made the tackle and on third and two Papin
makes a big time hit and forces a fumble that Thompson recovers at the 33 yard
line. Jones goes for 5 yards and then on
second down breaks a long one for 33 yards and we then go into the victory take
a knee formation. FINAL SCORE - ST MARKS
28- Mart 12.
NOTES: I had Mart with only FIVE first downs after their
12-0 lead. John Webb was 25 for 41 but probably had 5 drops go against him and
he threw a couple balls away for 262 yards.
Harrison Hewitt nine catches for 105 yards and John Caldwell 8 catches for 82 yards and two TD’s. Justin
Jones in his first varsity game runs the ball 12 times for 136 yards and two
TD’s—NICE AVERAGE CARRY. Good job by the offensive line who started two new
guards and was constantly dealing with different fronts and delayed blitzes. Great effort by many players. Next
up Cistercian. MD & MT.
