Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday
October 11,
2006
Turnovers plague Wolves' offense in 34-16 loss
By Josh Boatright
Contributing Writer
jboatri I @my.westga.edu
The Wolves came into
last Saturday’s home game
against the Bisons of Har
ding University (4-2, 3-1
GSC) having not played a
game in the state of Geor
gia since the home opener
in late August.
The Wolves accounted
for 251 yards of total offense
but turned the ball over four
times in the 34-16 loss.
The game began with a
Harding kickoff that rolled
out of bounds at the 1 yard
line and gave the Wolves
the ball on their own 35.
UWG’s drive ended
abruptly on the second
play of the game on 2nd
and 7. Quarterback Brett
Yenser dropped back to
pass and was hit from be
hind by a defender and
lost the ball. The ball was
recovered by Harding and
they began their drive on
the West Georgia 30.
Five plays later Har
ding found pay dirt with
a 3-yard touchdown pass.
The PAT was good for a 7-
0 score.
The next drive for the
Wolves began with James
Kennebrew scampering for
an 18 yard run down to the
UWG 40.
But on the next play,
Kennebrew was hit at the
line and the same Bison de
fender who forced the first
fumble stripped the ball
from Kennebrew’s grasp.
Harding recovered the
fumble at the UWG 27.
That Bison drive end
ed with Andre Culpepper
blocking the 26 yard field
goal attempt to give the
Wolves the ball on their
own 18.
Later in the first quar
ter, UWG kicker Casey
UWG loses a tough one
By Ray Ross
Sports Editor
rrossl @my.westga.edu
After losing three
consecutive matches last
week, the Wolves looked
to rebound at home where
they were undefeated last
Tuesday.
The Wolves knew the
task would not be easy
though since the Argo
nauts of West Florida were
coming to town. UWG
played the Argonauts in
mid-September and fell
three games to none.
Early on the Wolves
looked determined to de
fend their home court and
turn their season around.
The first game of the
match was a see-saw battle
to begin with, but then the
Wolves went on a 15-6
scoring spree.
The Wolves ended
up taking the first game
30-22. The win in game
one was the first for UWG
against West Florida this
season, but they had two
more games to go to win
the match.
The Wolves carried
Sports
Hale made good on a 30
yard field goal attempt to
make the score 7-3.
In the first minutes of
the second quarter, after
Odell Willis sacked Hard
ing QB David Knighton for
a 9 yard loss on 3rd down,
Harding was forced to punt.
The ensuing Wolves
drive began on their own
47, and ended with a 1 yard
touchdown run by Brian
Davis on 4th and goal.
The highlight of the
drive was a 33 yard com
pletion from Yenser to
tight end Brandon Coon
that put the Wolves inside
the red zone. The PAT was
good to give the Wolves
the lead 7-10.
On the ensuing kick
off the Wolves kickoff unit
lined up as if to kick the
ball deep down the field.
Casey Hale ran full speed
at the ball before tapping it
10 yards.
After the onside kick
was fumbled around for
several seconds, it was the
Wolves who had possession
of the ball on their own 40.
That drive stalled and Hale
pushed a 27-yard field goal
attempt wide right.
Later, the Bisons re
covered a blocked Hale field
goal attempt and returned
the ball to the Wolves’ 48
yard line with ten seconds
to go in the half.
Harding quarterback
David Knighton then got
the snap, dodged two near
sacks, scrambled around
and threw up a Hail Mary
with 0 seconds left on the
clock that somehow fell
into the arms of his receiver
standing in the end zone.
The half ended with
the Bisons on top 14-10.
Midway through the
3rd quarter, the Bisons
tacked on another touch
down with a five play, 48
their momentum into the
second game. The Ar
gonauts quickly found
themselves down 10-5
and were never able to re
cover, falling again to the
Wolves 30-23.
After winning the
first two games of the
match, the Wolves found
themselves with a com
manding 2-0 lead.
If the Wolves could
win just one of the next
three games they would
break a three game losing
streak, beat a team that
had embarrassed them
earlier in the season, and
remain undefeated at
home on the season.
Game three was ee
rily similar to game one of
the match except it was the
Argonauts who went on the
scoring spree. It was 6-4
early but then West Florida
went on an 18-8 run to win
game two.
In game three the
Wolves jumped out to a
5-2 lead but were stymied
by West Florida’s Jerica
Carter. Behind Carter’s
serve, the Argonauts went
on a 9-0 run.
yard drive to make the
score 21-10.
The highlight of that
drive was a 25 yard pass
that was almost intercepted
but ended up in the hands of
the Bison receiver just two
yards from the end zone.
The Wolves then went
three-and-out and commit
ted a personal foul during
the Bison punt return that
gave Harding the ball at
midfield.
That drive ended with
a 37 yard field goal to in
crease the lead to 24-10.
The Wolves looked
poised to score again as
they put together a 36 yard
drive that began with Ken
nebrew getting 17 of his 69
yards on the first play. But
on 3rd and 12 West Geor
gia backup quarterback
Ryan Poole was sacked
and lost the football. The
fumble was recovered by
Harding and taken to the
Wolves’ 42.
The Bisons put up 10
more points in the fourth
quarter before the Wolves
got the ball on their 20
with just over 90 seconds
remaining in the game.
The Wolves were play
ing for pride as Ryan Poole
led the team 80 yards down
the field. Poole completed
five passes during the drive,
including a 30 yard comple
tion to Ron Dickson and an
18 yard completion to Zach
Allgood.
The game ended
with a 9 yard touchdown
pass to Steve Dawson in
the corner of the end zone
for a final score of 34-16.
With the loss, UWG
fell to 0-3 in the Gulf
South Conference.
The Wolves have a
short week as they will
travel to play the West
Alabama Tigers (4-2) on
Thursday.
The Wolves tried to
chase down the Argonauts
but fell short, losing game
four 30-23. The loss forced
a decisive fifth game.
With all of the mo
mentum, the Argonauts
finished off the Wolves in
the fifth game 15-10. The
loss was the fourth consec
utive for the Wolves.
The Wolves were led
by Carolin Schoeneck, who
had 20 kills in the five game
match. Juliana da Silva was
not too far behnd, finishing
with 18 kills.
Siha Collins and
Amber Barnlund also fin
ished in double digits in
kills with 12 and 13, re
spectively.
Now 2-5 in Gulf South
Conference play and 10-12
on the season, the Wolves
will host Valdosta State on
Thursday night.
The Wolves will look
to start anew home win
ning streak and get back
to their winning ways.
For more informa
tion visit http://www.uw
gsports.com where you
can find schedules, ros
ters, stats, and more.
J vj/ 4
-....
Photos h\ tosh Grubb
Above: Senior defensive end Odell Willis has been a key contributor to a defense that
has played well all season. Below: After scoring just seven points in their first two games
combined, the Wolves offense has scored 46 points in the last three games.
jt Aits
-
Gulf South Conference Standings
East Division
#2O North Alabama 7-0, 17-5 overall
West Florida 6-1, 14-8 overall
Valdosta State 3-3, 11-12 overall
Alabama-Huntsville 3-4, 6-15 overall
Monticello 2-5, 15-10 overall
West Georgia 2-5, 10-12 overall
West Alabama 1-6. 7-17 overall
West Division
Harding 7-0, 16-5 overall
Arkansas-Montieello 4-3, 14-7 overall
Henderson State 4-3, 15-7 overall
Ouachita Baptist 3-3, 11-10 overall
Arkansas Tech 2-5, 15-11 overall
Christian Brothers 2-5, 13-10 overall
Southern Arkansas 2-5, 8-10 overall
Standings are through October 8, 2006
Sports Lditor- Rax Row
Phone Number- 678-RM)-6527
Fax- 675-fiJ9-652S
Kmail rrosxl& nix.we stga.edu