Warriors win regional championship
PBHS football squad defeats Oxford, will meet Frankfort Friday
Staff writer
The Peabody-Burns Warriors football team moved to sectional play after their decisive 17-7 win over the Oxford Wildcats Saturday in front of a home crowd.
The Warriors will take on Frankfort at 7 p.m. Friday at home.
The Warriors were ready for Saturday's action against the Wildcats, stopping the kick-off return at the Oxford 39-yard-line with a big tackle by Adam Carroll and Chris Hamm. Oxford moved the ball down the field, looking to score on their opening drive. However, the Warrior defense stopped the Wildcats with a huge fumble recovery by James Morris.
The PBHS team went to work deep in their own territory. Starting at the three, the Warriors had some success moving the ball, but on fourth and five at the Oxford 44, a pass attempt fell incomplete and the Warriors turned over the ball on downs.
Because of the ground game by both teams, the first quarter ended 0-0 with each team only having one drive.
Mario Nava fired up the stadium early in the second quarter with a big Warrior interception.
Nava ran the ball on first down from the Oxford 40-yard line. Nava and Kurt Phillips moved the ball, but some Warrior flags halted the drive at the Oxford 15-yard line.
The Warriors were able to convert the drive with a Hamm field goal on a fourth and 10 for the first score of the ball game. With 6:09 in the half, the Warriors went up 3-0.
Michael Unruh made the first defensive tackle of the next Eagle series. Phillips, Hamm, Adam Jones, and Ryan Gaines helped out on defense.
On second and four at the Wildcat 48, Jones hurried the Oxford quarterback. The Eagle pass was intercepted by Gaines and the PBHS squad went back to work on offense at the Wildcat 42-yard line.
Caleb Good had the next big highlight for the Warriors with a 21-yard run on a second and 15. Nava then took over and with 1:44 left in the half, scored on third and three from the seven to put the Warriors up 9-0. Hamm's PAT was good, 10-0.
Adam Carroll lit up the Oxford return man with a big stop on the kick-off.
The defensive pressure continued from the Warriors with stops by Jones, Carroll, Nava, Phillips, and Job Hilliard. The defense forced a punt.
A big Nava return was negated by an illegal block and the Warriors took a 10-0 lead to the locker room at the half.
The first Warrior offensive after the half ended in a punt by Brian Baker.
The next Oxford offensive series was cut short by a Hamm fumble recovery at the Wildcat 26-yard line.
The PBHS offense went to work midway through the third quarter at their own 40-yard line. Nava and Phillips ran on first and second down. A 14-yard pass from Good to Hamm moved the sticks on third and 10 at the Warrior 39-yard line.
Nava ran on first, Phillips on second, and an Oxford personal foul moved the ball to the Wildcat seven-yard line with just over three minutes in the third quarter.
Gaines got the call on first down. An Oxford penalty on second down moved the ball to the two. Gaines was hit hard on the next play bringing up a third and goal at the five-yard line.
Phillips took the ball in with some good blocking from the line to put the Warriors on the scoreboard again. The PAT by Hamm was good and with 2:00 left in the third quarter the Warriors were on top, 17-0.
Defensively the Warriors stayed on top of the Wildcats throughout the contest. Good pass coverage down field thwarted the Oxford passing game.
The fourth quarter was a battle of both teams. The only Oxford score was set up by an off-setting personal foul call that kept the Wildcat offense on the field. Phillips made a leaping catch during the drive to intercept the ball, only to have it negated by that penalty flag.
The Wildcats scored their first points on the contest with 3:59 left in the game. The PAT was successful and Warriors lead was cut, 17-7.
The Warrior's ground game controlled the ball for the remainder of the game. A big fourth and six inch quarterback keeper kept the drive alive with just over two minutes in the contest.
The Warriors won their regional battle over Oxford 17-7.
"This was a great battle with two good teams," stated Coach Chris Young. "We came to play, they came to play. It was a fun one to coach and watch. Now we prepare for our next match-up on Friday."
statistics
Rushing:
Nava, 27 carries for 119, 1 TD
Phillips, 18 carries for 86, 1 TD
Gaines, 5 carries for 29
Good, 8 carries for 22
Hamm 1 carry for 12, 1 field goal
Tackles:
Hamm, 8; Gaines, 8; Phillips, 7; Foth, 7; Hilliard, 7; Jones, 6; Brandon Crabtree, 6; Nava, 5; Morris, 5; Good, 2; Carroll, 2; Unruh, 1.
