By Travis Chapman
Starting the evening off at the end of Country Club Circle on Monday night was your 2/3/4th grade Apaches who defeated the FCCS Warriors by a score of 6-0.
After a tough loss in week two versus the overgrown Eagles, to which, I believe a couple kids pulled up in an 88’ El Camino, caught a quick shave in the sun visor before taking the field. However, in week three, the Apaches forgot about the week 2 loss and went to battle. Your Fab Four 4th Graders captained the Apaches as they elected to receive the opening possession on offense. The Apaches’ QB-Skyler “Stiff Arm” Malone went straight to work directing the offense with great runs by Tate-Monster Mandino and Awesome Austin Ramsey to pick up a quick 50 yards and the Apaches were threatening early. Zaine “Knight Train” Knight ran a strong fullback dive behind Monster Mandino, Wreck-It Waylon Chapman, and Awesome Austin Ramsey to put the ball inside the 10-yard line. But on a 4th and goal, the Apaches came up just short of the touchdown.
Your young Apaches literally swapped sides of the ball to put on a defensive clinic. The Warriors would have a tough row to hoe against the aggressive Apache defense. 4th grader, “Johnny O” O’Donnell tracked the ball coming his way on a QB keeper, shot the gap and smoked the QB for only a gain of 3 yards. The Apaches held the Warriors firm and forced a punt to close out the first quarter knotted at zeros. The Apaches’ offense went right back to work and picked up great yardage on good run plays. The Apache offense had a few chances to reel off giant plays but passes fell just out of reach for receivers and the Apaches were forced to give the ball right back to the Warriors. But the defense played lights out as they put the Warriors behind the chains. On a third and long the Warriors attempted the long pass play and two Apache defenders were in great position as Awesome Austin Ramsey secured the interception and gave the Apaches offense another go with just 2 mins left in the first half. QB, Stiff-Arm Malone directed a great misdirection play that Awesome Ramsey nearly took to the house, but a Warrior shoestring tackle prevented the touchdown. The Apaches setup up nicely inside the 20. The Knight Train moved the ball between the tackles for a gain of 5 yards. On the ensuing play, Stiff Arm Malone rolled out and found Johnny O-O’Donnell and completed a 15-yard pitch and catch for an Apache touchdown!!! The 2-pt try failed but the Apaches held the lead 6-0 to close out the half.
At halftime, the 3/4th Grade Apache Cheerleaders dazzled the crowd with an outstanding performance and had the Apache faithful on their feet and ready to cheer on their Apaches to a great win. The Apache defense continued to put on a clinic with big tackles made by BK Ingles, Stiff Arm Malone and Zaine Knight Train that forced another punt. The Apaches’ offense skated the ball down the field and quickly moved into plus territory threatening a score again, but the Apaches couldn’t connect with wide open receivers. Had the connection been made, they would’ve had a clear path all the way to the interstate. As we took off into the 4th quarter, the Apaches still held a 6-0 lead from a dominant performance on both sides of the ball, but they would need to make one more big stop. The Warriors found a groove and picked up 2 quick first downs from great downfield blocking, and on the next play with 1:15 left in the game the athletic QB for the Warriors found a seam and busted it loose for a massive gain, but the Monster Mandino himself ran him down from the other side of the field and made a touchdown saving tackle on the 5-yard line. Defensive Coach, Zach Knight rallied his troops, and they forced two fumbles in the backfield and pushed the Warriors backward on 4th and goal. From the shadow of their own end zone the Apaches looked to move the ball and run out the clock and they did just that. Stiff Arm Malone called his own number around the right side and ran it for 35 yards and looked like a prime Leonard Fournette as he broke 4 tackles each by tremendous stiff arms that had the Apache crowd gasping for air each time he leveled the Warrior defenders. BK Ingles took a run around the right side but met a giant Warrior LB that tackled him by the face mask and added another 15 yards. Awesome Austin took the final play 35 yards and nearly broke free to score to close out the game from a big time dominant defensive performance that only allowed the Warriors 4 first downs, 6-0. This was a big team win as every 2/3/4 grade Apache made a difference in the game and came in and played big when called upon. Beaux Blanchard, Nasty Noah Minter, Mega Martin Smith, Quarter Pounder Case Parker, Dueling Dawson Gish and the wiry Kyper Flenniken all played great. Short a few men on the roster for the game, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the outstanding play from the offensive and defensive lines all night. Big Time Brooks Boyd, Will Abshire, Jett Jones, and Busy Brandt Darden stepped up and filled a gap!! They got a lot of great experience and stood tall when they needed to. What a great team win!!
5/6th Grade Apaches
The 5/6th grade Apaches went into a knockdown drag out with the FCCS Warriors. The Apaches’ offense went straight to work, jamming the ball down the Warriors’ throats, moving the chains in chunks of yards. QB The Rocket Rainey completed a beautiful ball to Hollywood Hollingsworth for a huge gain. Hollingsworth, who had just dislocated his thumb earlier that afternoon showed his toughness as he hauled in the pass with his thumb supersized in tape. But on 4th down the Warriors held strong on what appeared to be a first down, but nevertheless, turned the ball over on downs.
The Apaches’ defense went to work with Big G-Grayson Avery, Hammering Hank Rowton making great tackles that forced a 3rd and long. Coach Jesse Smith sent the Apaches on the war path as Hot Shot Hays and Snail Hay laid an absolute slobber knocker on the Warrior RB for a short gain that forced a punt. The Apaches offense continued to move the ball at will nearly the entire second quarter, but a few miscues and misfortunes prevented another score and gave the ball back to the Warriors deep in their own territory.
The defense came out on the field with their hair on fire and their tails catching. They flew to the ball and made pads pop at every point of contact. The Apache D backed the warriors straight up with huge plays by Hot Shot Hanson, Lightening Levi Ray, and The Blonde Bullet as the Warriors failed to get a first down on that drive to close the half knotted a zero.
Not to be outdone by the 3/4th grader cheer squad, the 5/6th grade cheer squad came out to perform at half and did an outstanding job. The crowd answered the call of the cheerleaders and stood up and hollered as the big time Apache defense wrecked shop on the opening drive that forced a Warrior 3 and out. On the ensuing first play from scrimmage, The Apaches’ offense showed big time fire as Hot Shot Hays and Hammering Hank shared carries between the tackles that picked up a quick 30-yards. Next, Lightning Levi Ray moved it another 9 yards. The Apaches threatened again quickly but a fumbled handoff on a misdirection forced another turnover on downs deep in the Warrior territory. The Warriors took possession into the 4th quarter and found a little rhythm with QB keepers and misdirections by the RB and picked up 4 first downs. Prior to that, they had only 3 for the entire game. But the defense led by Big G, Captain, My Captain, and Hot Shot Hays made big time plays to force a late turnover on downs in the Apache territory with time running out. Coach Nick dialed it up and jammed it down their throats and quickly got into Warrior territory with inside of a minute left in the contest. The Rocket Rainey and Hammering Hank moved the ball close to the red zone but on 4th down with no timeouts left, trying to win in regulation, the Apaches had to hurry and go for it and came up just short with 2 seconds left. The Warriors called time out and had enough for one last play. The QB rolled to his left and threw up a wing and a prayer and magically found his receiver whom he hadn’t found all night, and he scurried to the end zone with the clock on 0’s for the walk off win, 6-0.
It was a heartbreaking, gut wrenching loss for the Apaches, who had won 98% of the plays the entire game. The defense only allowed 7 first downs the entire game, 4 in one drive alone, but only lost on a single play. Hats off to the Apaches on a hard, hard-fought game. The Apaches will look to improve upon their records next week as we host the cross-parish Lakeside Warriors at The Brook. Come one, come all next Monday at 6 p.m.!
IT’S A GREAT DAY TO BE AN APACHE!!!!!!
