Blue Devils burn Warriors
Staff writer
The Peabody-Burns High School football team ended their season Saturday with a 22-6 loss at home to the Sedan Blue Devils.
With an 8-3 record, the Warriors were second in league standings, district and bi-district champions, and regional runners-up.
Sunny skies and a 3 p.m. kick-off set the mood for the regional contest. The Warrior defense took to the field first. Starting at their own 29, the Blue Devils went right to work in the air. Nathan Bishop was credited with the first Warrior tackle.
The Blue Devils moved the sticks once with a big gain to the Warrior 45. Mario Nava, Todd Woodruff, and Brandon Crabtree all had stops on the series. Isaiah Eldridge came up with a big tackle for a loss on second down. James Morris rushed the passer on third down to force an incomplete pass and set up fourth-and-11. Jonathan Foth came up with a block of the Blue Devil punt and Bishop picked up the ball and advanced it to the Sedan 39-yard line to put the Warrior offense on the field for the first time in the contest.
Nava gained 14 on first down to move the markers. Nava, Phillips, and Woodruff each had runs, but the Warriors were stopped at the Sedan 25-yard line and turned the ball over on downs.
The Blue Devils put up the first score in the contest in the next series. A completed pass from the 50-yard line gave the Blue Devils the edge with 6:26 in the first quarter. The two-point conversion was successful and the gap was 8-0.
Warrior offense was halted on the next series with a Blue Devil interception of a Warrior pass.
Defense did the job on the next series. Brian Baker, Crabtree, and Ryan Gaines all made stops. James Morris made a quarterback sack on third down. The Blue Devils were forced to put on a fourth-and-38.
Nava and Phillips gained some yardage on the next series but Warrior offense was stopped again and Baker punted the ball into the end zone.
Micah Hilliard stopped the Blue Devil runner after a 33-yard gain on first down. Early in the second quarter, Gaines halted the Blue Devil drive with a tackle and forced fumble. The ball was recovered by Phillips at mid-field. The offense couldn't capitalize on the turnover and Sedan took over again at their own 26.
Two series later, Sedan put another score on the scoreboard. A third-and-goal run and a two-point conversion gave the Blue Devils at 16-0 lead with under a minute to play in the half.
The Warriors had one final drive in the half with just 42 seconds on the clock. Foth fielded the kick-off and set up the offense at the Warrior 41. A key Woodruff to Phillips pass moved the ball to the Sedan 40. Three pass attempts from the 11 fell short and the Warriors trailed the Blue Devils 16-0 at the half.
Warrior offense put together a long scoring drive to open up the second half, starting at their own 11 yard line. Nava and Phillips moved the ball, aided by three Blue Devil face mask calls, to get to the Warrior 46. On second-and-11 at the Warrior 47, Woodruff connected with Bishop. The catch and run set up the Warriors with first-and-goal at the three. On third down, from the two, Woodruff pushed to the end zone for the score. The conversion failed but the Warriors were on the board, 16-6, with 7:38 to play in the third.
The Warriors had three more offensive series, but none produced points.
The final Sedan score of the contest came early in the fourth from four years out to make the score, 22-6, leading to the Warrior defeat.
Nava led the Warriors with 25 carries for 156 yards. Phillips had 13 carries for 18 yards and a touchdown. Woodruff had seven carries for 24 yards. Woodruff completed six out of 18 for 87 yards. Bishop had one catch for 43 yards. Phillips had one catch for 28 yards. Hilliard had three catches for 17 yards.
Morris and Eldridge each had a sack. Gaines had two fumble recoveries and 12 tackles. Forth also had 12 tackles. Other tackle totals included Nava and Crabtree with eight. Phillips and Morris had five each. Woodruff had four and Hilliard and Eldridge had three each. Baker had two. Hamm and Bishop each had one.
