By Travis Chapman
While most every red-blooded southerner craves the lights on Friday night, some of us get an extra taste of the game we love on Tuesday nights as well. This past Tuesday night brought in another battle in Apache Stadium as fans line Country Club Circle and the golf carts pile up on the hill under the live oaks.
6 p.m. brought the start of the week 1 rematch between Glenbrook Little Apaches and Lakeside Little Warriors. Jackson Shipp and Hagan Hay represented as our team captains for the 3rd and 4th grade Apaches. The Apaches’ strong defense started the game off on the right foot with Corner, Tate Mandino, Hammering Hank Rowton and the big linebacker, Captain Powell all making tackles for loss that forced a punt by the Little Warriors.
The high-powered Apache offense took the field with 5:43 left in the first quarter. QB Ryder Hollingsworth got things rolling by finding TE Warren Johnson with a 15-yard gain and a first down. Next Hank Rowton and Marshall Duck picked up 9 yards each running the football downfield that set up a 12-yard toss from Hollingsworth to Duck for the Apaches first touchdown of the night. After the 2 point try failed, the Apaches led the Warriors 6-0 with 1:55 in first quarter.
The stifling defense of the Apaches stood strong backing the Warriors up yet again and forced a punt at the end of the first quarter with the Apaches holding the lead, 6-0. The offense came out looking to extend the lead over the Warriors with a big 3rd down conversion by Hank Rowton as he juked the shoes off the defender that allowed him to pick up the first down. Ryder Hollingsworth continued to showcase his excellent passing abilities completing a 15-yard pass to Duck that setup a dime dropped in over the shoulder of Warren Johnson for yet another Hollingsworth passing touchdown. The 2 point try failed, but the Apache lead was extended 12-0 with 1:53 left in first half.
Everett Tucker put the defense on his back and continued to push the Warriors’ attempts backward that brought up a 4th down with buy-one-get-one air fare to convert, and the Apaches War Party swarmed the Warriors’ running back that closed the first half with the Apaches on top, 12-0.
The Apaches’ offense started the 2nd half with a huge run by slot back, Miles McCullough for a gain of 27-yards and an Apache first down. The next play the Warriors defense came up strong and recovered a fumble on the 45-yard line. The next play for the Apaches’ defense, “Big G”, Grayson Avery blew up 2 offensive lineman and a TE causing a busted play that allowed the OLB Hank Rowton to make the tackle in the backfield. Captain Powell and Everett Tucker continued to show their dominance as they forced the Warriors for another punt.
The Apaches’ offense continued the onslaught, running behind great blocking down field to close out the 3rd quarter with the Apaches lead still at 12-0. The start of the 4th quarter saw Ryder Hollingsworth uncorking a 27-yard-deep ball that took the top off the defense and found Marshall Duck standing in the end zone all alone for another Apache touchdown widening the margin to 19-0 with 5:39 remaining.
After the Apache defense forced another punt, the first play from scrimmage, Big G took the hand off from his QB and rumbled, bumbled, and broke four Warrior tackles as he channeled his inner Jerome Bettis and blazed in for a 50-yard touchdown! Captain Powell capped it off (if you will), with a 2-point conversion that made the score 26-0 with just 1:36 left in the game. The Warriors’ offense came out for one last effort to gain a score, but with pressure in the backfield from John O’Donnell and Waylon Chapman, the Warriors QB was intercepted by Tate Mandino and nearly returned for a touchdown as the clock expired. The 3rd and 4th grade Apaches won the contest by a score of 26-0 to improve to 4-0 on the season. The highlight of this game was the Apache defense as they did not allow a net gain of one single yard by the Warriors offense. Couple that with the stellar QB performance by Ryder Hollingsworth that threw for 3 touchdowns on the night, and you have a monster win by your Apaches!
In the 5th quarter the Little Warriors and Apaches got some good development in for the younger class as they try to learn the game of football. This quarter is so fun to watch as these kiddos get to showcase what they can do on the football field. The Little Warriors’ RB #7 broke it out on the end and outran everyone for a Warrior touchdown. But the Apache offense came out running the football as OT, Waylon Chapman made a big hole for RB, Miles McCullough to pick up 12 yards. WR Austin Ramsey showcased his blazing speed as he took a jet sweep for an Apache first down. Skyler Malone ran the ball great reversing field for a gain of 25 yards and the Apaches’ offense gathered rhythm, but the clock for the extra quarter expired. This group of boys will be a force to be reckoned with next year as they grow and gain more experience through this season with exceptional coaching by Nick Rowton and Jesse Smith.
5/6th Grade
The 5th and 6th grade offense started the contest following the 3rd and 4th grade game. They came out running the ball, but a few incompletions required the Apaches to punt to the Warriors. The Apache defense was not to be outdone, as Mason Burns stripped the ball from the running back that created a 4th and manageable but the War Party held strong that turned the ball over on downs.
The Apaches took over on offense at the Warrior 40-yard line and moved the ball methodically, and Max Scroggs broke a good run into the second level with one man to beat, but the giant Warrior linebacker, #40 throws Scroggs to the ground with just one hand, that ultimately forced the Apaches to punt.
The Apache defense knew what needed to be done and they came out and stiffened up with great plays by Braxton Taylor and Brody Shockley in the backfield forcing yet another Warrior punt.
With the first half winding down the Apaches offense stepped up big as they ran the ball with great blocking getting into the second level with every carry. QB Ryland Rainey handed it off to Max Scroggs and he made defenders miss and was tackled by the Warriors safety who took a great line and made a textbook tackle to save the touchdown. That long run set up the “Blonde Bullet” Brant Bridges as he ran the Tanglewood Streak blowing by the cornerback. The wildcat Max Scroggs hit the Blonde Bullet in the endzone for the first Apache touchdown of the night that gave the Apaches the lead, 6-0 at the half.
The Apaches’ defense ran out to start the second half and the big man, Hayes Glasscock showed out making consecutive tackles in the backfield, followed up by CT Harris’ big stop on 3rd down that forced a Warrior punt.
The Apaches’ offense took over on the 46-yard line and ran the ball for 40-yards behind the shoulders of Mason Burns and Max Scroggs, setting up a goal to go effort for the Apaches. After the Warrirors’ defense proved to stiffen up, on 4th and goal, Reace Payton hit the backside linebacker and RB, Max Scroggs struck pay-dirt skating into the endzone for another Apache touchdown that stretched the lead 12-0 in favor of the Tribe at the end of the third.
On the ensuing possession, the defense’s swagger showed as they swayed back and forth hearing Mark Morrison’s “Return of the Mack”, (probably for the first time) fading over Apache Stadium that brought Braxton Taylor making a big stop in the back field. But the Warriors’ offense was not to be outdone as they moved the ball down the field for a new set of downs. The CT Harris and Max Scroggs tackling clinic continued backing up the Warriors to a 4th down and a long par 5, and they forced a turnover on downs with just 2:00 minutes left in the game. The Apaches leaned on the Warrior defense and picked up a first down that sealed the game and the coveted victory formation for the 4th week in a row. The Apaches took the week 1 rematch by a score of 12-0 over the cross-parish rival, Lakeside Warriors.
Coach Jesse Smith gave the post-game speech getting the Apaches fired up and ready to put in work for the challenges ahead, but with an unsung hero of the night. Layton Raspberry played his tail off Tuesday night, blasting off the ball and facing a continuous double and triple team all night, putting them on their backsides for most of the contest. With that unsung performance, Layton rallied his War Party to their feet as the 71055 could hear them scream….
FAMILY ON ME, FAMILY ON THREE!! ONE. TWO. THREE.FAMILY!!!
Be sure to come out to Apache Stadium next Tuesday night at 6 p.m. as both the Apaches’ teams look to extend their 4-0 records against JGS for the last regular season game ahead of hosting the playoffs on Sept 30th. Get loud, get proud and DEFEND THE BROOK!
IT’S A GREAT DAY TO BE AN APACHE!
