Marlin ISD

Trojans Fight Back In 2nd Half
Beat Dogs 19-14 In Season Opener

As we all know all football games have two halves. This past Friday night they were completely different halves. The first half belonged to the Dogs as they built a 14-0 halftime lead. The second halve was all Trojans as they scored 19 points and prevailed in the end ---19-14.

The game featured the debut of new Bulldog uniforms and new QB, Jeremy "J-MO" Sanders (Sophomore). Sanders finished the game as the leading rusher with 122 yards, scoring one touchdown and throwing for another. (Eric Ransom had 121 yards rushing for the Trojans. More on Ransom later on.)

After a scoreless first quarter, the Dogs scored their first points of the 2003 campaign as Sanders squirted thru the middle of the Trojan defense for a 25-u\yard touchdown. New kicker, Hugo Gonzales, wearing the familiar #81 jersey, added the extra point to make it 7-0.

Back came the Trojans. Behind the running of Eric Ransom (21 carries, 121 yards and 1 touchdown), the Trojans moved right down the field and seemed poised to tie the game. But with 3:41 left in the half, Bulldog cornerback, Devon Hughes made a leaping interception in the right corner of the end zone to stop the drive.

Taking possession at their 20-yard line the Dogs would convert the Trojan turnover into points. Matterial "Red" Richardson took a short pass from Sanders, put on his familiar moves - in and out and through the Trojan defense for a 51-yard touchdown run. Again Gonzales was true with the point after to make it 14-0 at the half.

But the Dogs really struggled in the second half. And the Trojans came on strong.
Bulldog starting running back, Tank Smith was seen along the sidelines with an ice pack on his knee and didn't play the second half. Extent of his injury was not known at press time.

With 2:58 remaining in the third, Trojan kicker Jimmy Gutierrez connected on a 31-yard field goal for the Trojans first points of the game to make it 14-3 Dogs. The Dogs managed only 12 total yards in the quarter.

Turning to the final quarter of play, Trojan quarterback, Rolando Locke scored on a six-yard fake reverse at the 10:34 mark. Gutierrez was good on the point after to cut the lead to four at 14-10.

The Trojans kept on coming as they put together a 10-play drive on their next possession that resulted in another field goal by Gutierrez to make it a one point game at 14-13.

Then the knife that literally killed the Dogs. After forcing another three and out for the Dogs, Punter Cody Malone gets off a beautiful punt that's fielded by Ransom at the Trojan 40. Tackle him - turn it over to Vincent's defense with under two minutes to play and a one-point win. Will folks it didn't quite happen that way. As I said Ransom fielded the ball at his own 40, raced up the far side line dodging tackles, cuts back to the middle of the field and then to the near side, puts on his speed and 60 yards later - touchdown. Silence on the Dog side and jubilation on the Trojan side. A heartbreaker. A 14-point lead had disintegrated into a 19-14 win for University.

So next up will be the Panthers of Midway. It took a field goal in overtime to beat the Panthers last year, giving Coach Malone his first win over the Panthers.
The game will be played at home. Game time 7:30 PM.

Marlin ISD
Created August 26, 1997 -- last revision September, 2003
Please mail comments or suggestions to: tsimpson@marlinisd.org

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