By Travis Chapman
The scoreboard said 20-6, but for the Glenbrook Apaches, Friday night was hardly a case of rolling over and playing dead.
The Winnfield Tigers came out roaring, putting the Apaches in an early hole and making the opening quarter feel more like a runaway freight train than a football game. But somewhere between the first-quarter fireworks and the final whistle, Glenbrook found its footing — and its defense found another gear.
After allowing Winnfield to establish control early, the Apache defense slammed the door.
From the second quarter on, Glenbrook battled, scratched and clawed, turning the game into the kind of hard-nosed football contest where every yard had to be earned the old-fashioned way: the hard way.
And then there was Bad Brayson Festervan.
When Glenbrook finally found the end zone, it was Festervan who provided the spark, giving the Apaches a much-needed touchdown and a reason to believe the comeback door wasn’t completely closed.
The only issue was, every time Glenbrook seemed ready to kick that door wide open, a turnover came along and slammed it shut.
An offensive turnover and a special-teams giveaway proved especially costly, killing valuable momentum and giving the Tigers opportunities the Apaches simply couldn’t afford to hand out. Against a Winnfield team that was already holding the upper hand, those mistakes were the football equivalent of leaving the refrigerator door open in August — sooner or later, you’re going to pay for it.
Still, there were plenty of positives to carry home.
QB-The Bull-Braxton Tibbitt completed 20 of 35 passes for 110 yards, including a 43-yard connection, while Glenbrook’s ground game churned out 85 yards on 21 attempts. The Beast-Carson Whitehead carried the ball 10 times for 20 yards, while Kleaton-The Dog-Davis added 35 yards on six attempts, averaging 5.8 yards per carry and ripping off a 19-yard run.
Through the air, Darron-Hollywood-Hollingsworth provided the biggest chunk of production with two catches for 73 yards, an impressive 36.5 yards per reception. His night included the Apaches’ longest scoring-threat type of play through the air, while Festervan added a catch of his own.
But the real story was the defense’s refusal to stay down.
After the first quarter, led by Sr. Linebacker-Hammering Hudson Glasscock, the Apaches dug in and made Winnfield work for what it got. Whatever was said on the Glenbrook sideline between quarters, it apparently came with a healthy dose of salt and vinegar. The defense responded with the kind of toughness coaches love to see — even as the offense struggled to consistently turn stops into points.
That’s the frustrating part of a 20-6 loss: the Apaches showed they could play with the Tigers, but they didn’t consistently play clean enough to make the scoreboard reflect it.
Glenbrook’s night wasn’t perfect.
But neither was it empty.
The Apaches took their punches, steadied themselves after a rough opening quarter, found the end zone through Festervan and, most importantly, showed some serious backbone on defense.
The final score belonged to Winnfield.
The fight, however, belonged to the Apaches.
For Glenbrook, the challenge now is simple: keep the defensive fire burning, clean up the turnovers and find a way to turn those hard-earned stops into points.
Because if the Apaches can do that, there’s plenty of football left to be played — and plenty of War to be made left in this bunch.
Next week the Apaches will hit the road and take on the Bearkats of Bossier High in old downtown Bossier City, LA, Thursday at 7pm kick! We encourage all the Apache National to come cheer on the War Party, but if you can’t make it, my partner in crime, Jerame Durden and I’ll will bring the play by play action to you, live on AM1240 KASO.
FAMILY ON THREE!!!
