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Black Weekend for area teams in playoffs
  
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By CHUCK HLAVA
As Sherlock Holmes said to his friend and sidekick, Dr. Watson, “The game’s afoot!”
Unfortunately, for Clear Lake, kicker Dustin Hopkins never got to stretch his leg for a winning 25-yard field goal in overtime. For Hopkins, that field goal was a gimmie.
The score was 28-28 and unbeaten Pearland had already missed a 39-yard field goal in the extra period. Now it was the Falcon’s turn and they marched from the 25 to the Oiler eight.
But the country’s top high school kicker didn’t get the opportunity to put his best foot forward. That would send Lake on to the next round of the football 5A playoffs.
But things changed, drastically. With the Oilers sending nine men into the line, a mishandled snap turned into a fumble, which in turn was scooped up by Pearland’s Dennis Walls who went 80 yards the other way for a 34-28 win.
All season long the Falcons never blew a snap like this.
Clear Lake coach Troy Aduddell, like everyone else at Deer Park’s Abshier Stadium, watched in disbelief. The Pearland side erupted in a joyous frenzy. The Clear Lake side watched in stunned silence.
It took a while before Aduddell could grasp of what had unfolded.
“I don’t know what happened,” he said later on the field. “I don’t know if it was a bad snap or not.”
Aduddell felt the Falcons had a winning year all around, despite the last play of the game.
“You couldn’t ask any more from them,” he said. “They played their hearts out and it was a great season.”
But still, there were regrets.
“I hate it to end like this for the seniors,” Aduddell added. “They knew what it took to get here and had great leadership. I hated that it ended like this. The season was cut too short.”
With its wishbone moving the ball, Clear Lake played the favored Oilers evenly throughout the game and then some. At one point the Falcons went from behind behind 14-7 to score three straight touchdowns. They led 21-14 at halftime and then stretched that to 28-14 with less than four minutes to go in the third quarter.
Everyone moved the ball so well that the first punt of the game didn’t come until the fourth quarter. Lake punted first, but then held the Oilers and forcing them to punt.
Randall Hollimon, Jarred Mack and quarterback Eric Canas found the end zone on those three scores.
They game actually started with Pearland living up to its 10-0 season record billing with a touchdown a 96 seconds into the game. Taking the opening kickoff, Oiler Corbin Smith returned the ball 71 yards to the Clear Lake 34. Five plays later running back Casey Carrier went in from the 2-yard line.
Lake then moved the ball from its own 26 in a deliberate ground game and scoring in 12 plays with Mack going the final 12 yards with 4:18 left in the first.
But Pearland came back quickly, moving 80 yards in eight plays to take a 14-7 lead with 1:44 remaining in the first period. The touchdown came in stunning fashion as the Oilers faced a fourth down and seven at the Lake 42. But quarterback Sam Allen connected with Myles Kanipes, who was wide open streaking in the middle of the end zone.
The Falcons then went on another long and arduous match starting at their own 22. With Hollimon and Canas carrying the ball Lake scored as Hollimon went in from the two. Hopkins then kicked the second of his four conversions to make it 14-14 with 10:29 left in the second quarter.
Clear Lake then scored its third and fourth touchdowns, with Canas diving in from the two with 1:16 remaining before the half to make it 21-14. The Falcon defense had stopped Pearland on the Lake five on a fourth down pass play attempt and then marched 95 yards in seven plays to score. The big gain was a 67-yard gallop by Mack from the Lake nine to the Pearland 25.
Then with 3:51 left in the third period Mack scooted in from the 10 and after Hopkins’ kick the Falcons led 28-14.
But the Oilers made it 28-21 moving on pass and run from their own 20 with Carrier going the final 13 yards with 1:25 remaining in the third.
Pearland tied the game at 28 with 4:38 left in the fourth quarter on a one-yard keeper from Allen.
On their next possession, the Falcons were moving the ball but Canas fumbled and the Oilers recovered on the Lake 49 with 1:39 left. They moved to the Lake 25 but time ran out, sending the game into overtime.
Clear Lake ended the season 8-3, the best mark in four years for the Falcons. Mack had 162 yards on the night while Canas had 175 yards. Carrier led the Oilers with 164 yards.
Pearland (11-0) will take on Katy Taylor in the next round of the playoffs.
Unfortunately, for Clear Lake, kicker Dustin Hopkins never got to stretch his leg for a winning 25-yard field goal in overtime. For Hopkins, that field goal was a gimmie.
The score was 28-28 and unbeaten Pearland had already missed a 39-yard field goal in the extra period. Now it was the Falcon’s turn and they marched from the 25 to the Oiler eight.
But the country’s top high school kicker didn’t get the opportunity to put his best foot forward. That would send Lake on to the next round of the football 5A playoffs.
But things changed, drastically. With the Oilers sending nine men into the line, a mishandled snap turned into a fumble, which in turn was scooped up by Pearland’s Dennis Walls who went 80 yards the other way for a 34-28 win.
All season long the Falcons never blew a snap like this.
Clear Lake coach Troy Aduddell, like everyone else at Deer Park’s Abshier Stadium, watched in disbelief. The Pearland side erupted in a joyous frenzy. The Clear Lake side watched in stunned silence.
It took a while before Aduddell could grasp of what had unfolded.
“I don’t know what happened,” he said later on the field. “I don’t know if it was a bad snap or not.”
Aduddell felt the Falcons had a winning year all around, despite the last play of the game.
“You couldn’t ask any more from them,” he said. “They played their hearts out and it was a great season.”
But still, there were regrets.
“I hate it to end like this for the seniors,” Aduddell added. “They knew what it took to get here and had great leadership. I hated that it ended like this. The season was cut too short.”
With its wishbone moving the ball, Clear Lake played the favored Oilers evenly throughout the game and then some. At one point the Falcons went from behind behind 14-7 to score three straight touchdowns. They led 21-14 at halftime and then stretched that to 28-14 with less than four minutes to go in the third quarter.
Everyone moved the ball so well that the first punt of the game didn’t come until the fourth quarter. Lake punted first, but then held the Oilers and forcing them to punt.
Randall Hollimon, Jarred Mack and quarterback Eric Canas found the end zone on those three scores.
They game actually started with Pearland living up to its 10-0 season record billing with a touchdown a 96 seconds into the game. Taking the opening kickoff, Oiler Corbin Smith returned the ball 71 yards to the Clear Lake 34. Five plays later running back Casey Carrier went in from the 2-yard line.
Lake then moved the ball from its own 26 in a deliberate ground game and scoring in 12 plays with Mack going the final 12 yards with 4:18 left in the first.
But Pearland came back quickly, moving 80 yards in eight plays to take a 14-7 lead with 1:44 remaining in the first period. The touchdown came in stunning fashion as the Oilers faced a fourth down and seven at the Lake 42. But quarterback Sam Allen connected with Myles Kanipes, who was wide open streaking in the middle of the end zone.
The Falcons then went on another long and arduous match starting at their own 22. With Hollimon and Canas carrying the ball Lake scored as Hollimon went in from the two. Hopkins then kicked the second of his four conversions to make it 14-14 with 10:29 left in the second quarter.
Clear Lake then scored its third and fourth touchdowns, with Canas diving in from the two with 1:16 remaining before the half to make it 21-14. The Falcon defense had stopped Pearland on the Lake five on a fourth down pass play attempt and then marched 95 yards in seven plays to score. The big gain was a 67-yard gallop by Mack from the Lake nine to the Pearland 25.
Then with 3:51 left in the third period Mack scooted in from the 10 and after Hopkins’ kick the Falcons led 28-14.
But the Oilers made it 28-21 moving on pass and run from their own 20 with Carrier going the final 13 yards with 1:25 remaining in the third.
Pearland tied the game at 28 with 4:38 left in the fourth quarter on a one-yard keeper from Allen.
On their next possession, the Falcons were moving the ball but Canas fumbled and the Oilers recovered on the Lake 49 with 1:39 left. They moved to the Lake 25 but time ran out, sending the game into overtime.
Clear Lake ended the season 8-3, the best mark in four years for the Falcons. Mack had 162 yards on the night while Canas had 175 yards. Carrier led the Oilers with 164 yards.
Pearland (11-0) will take on Katy Taylor in the next round of the playoffs.
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lpepd1 wrote on Dec 1, 2008 9:18 AM: