On a wet, windy and cold night, Collierville traveled to
Houston for the region 8-5A contest. Strong winds were blowing
in one direction, which limited both team's passing and kicking
game. The Houston Mustang's defense did not allow the Dragons
running game from ever getting started. The Mustangs prevailed
in overtime 13 - 7.
Dragon Jr. defensive LB Jake Storz had another superb performance.
Storz lead the team with 20 tackles. Racking up 9 tackles with
3 behind the line of scrimmage, Sr. DE Brent
Hogue had a great game as well. Sr. DB Steven
Hall had 11 tackles and Sr. LB Brian Bowie had 10.
In a blowing rain and the wind to his back, Dragon Jr. kicker
C. J. Passmore boomed the opening kickoff into the end zone.
Starting from the 20, Houston immediately began pounding the
ball with RB Abe Felix. In their opening drive, Felix carried
the ball 8 of 9 plays. He moved the ball to the Collierville
22 yard line. The Dragon defense held Houston's 4th down attempt
to stop the drive. Hogue, Storz, and Sr. DL Guy Featherstone
made big defensive plays.
Collierville's 1st offensive series was short having to
punt without gaining a 1st down. Sr. RB's Steven Hall and Jr.
Undray Wright were unable to find any running room against a
Mustang defense that stacked 8 people inside the ends.
This 1st offensive series by both teams set the tone for
most of the game. Houston was able to move the ball behind Felix.
This kept the usually powerful Collierville offense off the
field. The Dragons were unable to get a 1st down until the 3rd
quarter.
Continuing to eat time off the clock, Houston ran 10 plays
before being forced to punt at midfield. Dragon So. RB Ryan
Murphy blocked the punt. Sr. OL/DL Daniel Mayfield grabbed the
ball and advanced it inside the Mustang 30-yard line. The Dragons
took over in good field position.
Mistakes kept Collierville from getting on track. QB Jon
Paul Brashear's 10 yard gain was called back. Brashear threw
deep and the pass was dropped at the goal line by one of the
backs coming out of the backfield.
Houston took over at midfield and drove for a touchdown
in 11 plays. Felix scored from 1 yard out.
Steven Hall took the kickoff and brought it out to the 20
yard line. Without getting a 1st down, punter Brent Hogue kicking
into the wind gave the ball back to Houston at midfield. Running
the ball 8 plays, the Dragons didn't allow any yardage. Hogue
forced a fumble in the backfield, however Houston recovered.
Sr. DE Trey Day also had a
tackle in the backfield and Storz had 2 good stops at the line
of scrimmage. The 1st half ended with Houston missing a 60 yard
field goal. Houston lead 7 - 0.
Houston continued controlling the clock in the 3rd quarter.
The Mustangs took the opening drive and pounded it inside the
Collierville 10 yard line. On 4th down, Houston missed a field
goal.
Beginning at the 20 yard line, Dragon RB Wright and Hall
ran off left tackle for their first, 1st down of the night.
Two plays later, Brashear threw down the middle and connected
with TE Day for a 19 yard gain. The Dragon drive was stopped
on a fumble at the Houston 32 yard line.
Houston was unable to get a 1st down and had to punt. Collierville's
offense did the same and punted it away. The Dragon defense
buckled down and held without allowing another 1st down. Lead
by DT Featherstone's punishing tackle in the backfield, the
Dragon defense held Felix again and forced them to punt. Punting
with the wind, the ball rolled inside the Dragon 20 yard line.
Continuing to rely on their running game, the Dragon's were
held and had to punt again. Houston took over at midfield and
was unable to move the ball. They punted into the end zone and
the Dragons took over at the 20 yard line with less than 3 minutes
to go in the game.
Brashear came out throwing. He hit TE Day in the middle
for a 13 yard gain. Hall took a handoff for an 8 yard gain.
Brashear then threw a strike to Day again on the sideline for
another 13 yard gain. The Dragons were on the move. Brashear
threw another strike, this time to WR
Andy Key getting the ball to the Mustang's 33 yard line.
Two plays later Brashear again found Day getting the ball to
the 12. On 4th and 10, with 46 seconds left on the clock Brashear
dropped back to pass. Unable to find an open receiver, he tucked
it away and scrambled into the end zone for the score. Passmore
hit the extra point and the score was tied 7 - 7.
Unable to move the ball after the kickoff, Houston punted.
With 3 seconds to go, Brashear took a knee and ran the clock
out. The game was going to overtime.
Collierville took 1st possession. From the 10, they were
unable to score. A pass over the middle was intercepted and
ended any hopes of winning.
The Dragon defense knew Houston only had to kick a field
goal and the games was over. Instead, the Mustangs handed it
to Felix who scored from 10 yards out. The Mustangs won 13 -
7.
Next week Collierville plays another regional game against
Hamilton High School. It will be the Dragon's homecoming. Expect
Collierville to come out with a different look. Knowing they
lost 2 games to teams they should have beat, should inspire
the Dragons to come out with the intensity that was lacking
in their defeats.
See you Friday at 7:30pm at Collierville.
#43 Hall gains yards in the 4th quarter
drive
#10 Brashear scores from 8 yards out
