It was third-and-Columbus.
With just a few minutes to go in the first half of Friday’s game between Lafayette and West Point, things started to go wrong for the host Green Wave.
On first down in Commodores territory, the snap shot past quarterback Kahnen Daniels, who scrambled to recover it past midfield. On second down, Daniels ran right and was taken down in the backfield for a big loss.
That left West Point with a third-and-46, and things didn’t get much better. The Green Wave’s third-down play went for no gain, forcing West Point to punt away the ball. The kick didn’t even make it back to the original first-down marker.
Not that it mattered, of course. After Lafayette went three and out for the fourth straight time, West Point got the ball back quickly. Junior Keshawn Henley broke off a 69-yard touchdown run to double the Green Wave’s lead to 14-0. The ultimately won 17-0.
Perhaps West Point should try third-and-46 more often.
— Theo DeRosa
Practice makes perfect for imperfect situations
For a while during Columbus’ 10-0 win over New Hope, neither team handled breaks well. Turnovers were quickly followed by turnovers, and twice during the first half the Trojans took possession deep in Falcons territory, once on a fumble, once after a punt return, and came away with nothing.
But on both occasions, New Hope followed Columbus’ defensive stand with another, and the game stayed tight.
Trojans coach Seth Stillman said he wants his defense to be prepared for those times when the offense leaves it in a tricky spot.
“We try to put our kids into adverse situations all the time in practice, just to see how the kids react,” Stillman said. “I think if you practice those things it gets you prepared for them in the game. And I’m proud of our kids for how they responded to the adversity physically all night.”
— Tom Rysinski
Great football weather, great football atmosphere
Friday night marked the third day of a weather change that brought comfortable temperatures to the region, giving football players some relief from the humidity in which they are used to practicing and playing.
And on homecoming night at New Hope, the cooler weather seemed to give the crowd even more energy than the high-quality matchup brought to the stadium.
“I want to hand it to the fans of Columbus and New Hope for (Friday) night’s game atmosphere,” Falcons coach Joshua Pulphus said. “The crowd from both teams made it amazing for the players. Stands packed, supporting the guys good or bad, just enjoying great football. All in all, the atmosphere was amazing.
“Coach Stillman and his staff did a great job. After the game, the sportsmanship from the players was amazing, and that’s what both coaches are trying to instill. He has that program going in the right direction.”
— Tom Rysinski
Happy Birthday, Trey
We had a birthday boy! On his 16th birthday, Starkville quarterback Trey Petty accounted for each of his team’s touchdowns, whether on the ground (runs of 5, 9 and 2 yards) or in the air (passes of 23 and 18 yards).
— Tanner Marlar
Falcons defense has offense’s back
Twice during the early going Friday night against New Hope, the Columbus defense found itself trotting out on the field with little room to defend between the line of scrimmage and the goal line.
First, a snap that hit quarterback Omari Williams in the face mask was recovered by the Trojans at the Falcons 16. On their next offensive series, the Falcons took two penalties that cost them field position, and a punt from their own 3 was returned to the 31.
Part of that was New Hope’s outstanding defense, but part of it was a lack of execution by the Columbus offense. But Falcons coach Joshua Pulphus said his defense did not get angry about it.
“That goes back to our senior leadership,” Pulphus said. “We preach family, and every family member is good and bad, but through it all you’ve got to have each other’s back. In football, there’s never going to be a perfect game. It’s, ‘We’ve got you; we’re going to get it back.’”
And they did. It took two plays after the fumble for Columbus to get the ball back on another fumble, and after the punt return it too just one play for the Falcons to fall on a loose ball.
The Falcons didn’t turn either score into points, but, while nobody knew it at the time, they already had enough points after a field goal on the opening drive.
— Tom Rysinski
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 33 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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