Clear Lake Freshman Blue
vs
Katy High School
9.16.04
Week 4 of the 2004 football season saw the Clear Lake Falcon Freshman Blue Team go up against much bigger Katy High School Team. As in the three previous weeks, untimely penalties and fumbles kept Clear Lake from posting their second win of the season, loosing to Katy 14-0 at Clear Lake High School.
Katy took the opening kickoff and sustained a time consuming drive that ate up over eight minutes of the 1st quarter, climaxing with a 3 yard touchdown run, despite some good defensive plays by Nick Adams, Trevor Riser, Eric Alsop, and Sam Akinyeye. The extra point was no good after a muffed snap from Center.
Cody Worthen returned the following kickoff 15 yards to the CL 35 yard line. A short gain by Fullback Kyle Powers, a QB keeper by Drew Decker on the option, followed by an incomplete pass forced a punting situation. CL got off a good 35 yard punt putting Katy on their own 35 yard line. After two good consecutive stops on defense by strong safety Kyle Barras and cornerback Jake Runte the 1st quarter ended.
Katy started the 2nd quarter on 3rd down attempting a pass over the middle that Jake Runte read all the way stepping in front of the would be receiver almost picking off the throw that would have been 6 the other way. Katy was forced to punt with a short return by Michael Grant.
A fumble on first down followed by a 7 yard gain by fullback Kyle Powers and an 8 yard pick up by halfback Cody Worthen picked up a Clear Lake first down. After two plays for no gain, Michael Grant took a pitch from QB Drew Decker around the right side picking up 15 yards for a would be first down. But a holding penalty, which has plagued the team so far this year, brought the ball back. A halfback pass with Jake Runte at QB pitching to Drew Decker in the halfback position who threw incomplete towards Grant forced the Falcons to again punt.
Katy got the ball back on their own 30 yard line and were sustaining a second time consuming drive until free safety Jake Runte perfectly read another Katy pass play and this time picked off the pass taking to the CL 41 yard line. With very little time left in the first half, halfback Cody Worthen took a counter to the left side for 9, followed by a Decker to Grant pass for additional 30 yards putting the ball on the Katy 20 yard line. After Decker spiked the ball on first down to stop the clock, halfback Spencer Hayes using 3rd and 4th efforts picked up a hard fought 4 yards. With time running out in the half CL tried and came up short on back to back incomplete passes to end the 1st half.
CL kicked off to Katy to start the 2nd half. CL had a great defensive stand led by Riser, Hayes, and Barras, stopping Katy on four plays, however not without paying a price. With cornerback Hector Ruvalcaba already sideline with an injury from last weeks game with Baytown Lee, Jake Runte having moved from his free safety position to corner had to leave the game also with a shoulder injury.
A good run by Decker on the option keeper was again negated by a penalty. Spencer Hayes fought for 4 yards before the CL front line surcame to a blitzing Katy defense that got to the QB before he had a chance to hand the ball off. A determined defense led by linebackers Alsop and Riser, assisted by a Katy motion penalty, and consecutive behind the line tackles by Alsop and Michael Casavecchia turned the ball back over to CL.
After a 7 yard gain by Hayes, and 4 more by Kyle Powers, the Falcons again stopped themselves with a fumbled exchange on the fullback hand off turning the ball over to Katy on the CL 45 yard line.
An injured and worn down CL defense could not keep the Katy offense off the scoreboard after another time consuming drive. This time completing a pass for the extra point try, Katy went up on the Falcons by a score of 14-0.
CL trying desperately to get on the board saw Cody Worthen, along with Spencer Hayes and Jordan Shivers, alternating at left halfback for an injured Michael Grant, carry the ball down to the Katy 30 yard line before another costly penalty forced CL into a passing situation. Back to back incomplete passes turned the ball back over to Katy.
A tough defensive stand led by tackles from Roland Sconier and Kyle Powers forced Katy to punt giving the ball back to CL for one last shot of getting on the scoreboard. A shanked punt off the foot of the Katy punter allowed CL the ball on the Katy 45 yard line. With very little time remaining in the game and the Katy defense dominating the CL frontline, a blitzing linebacker almost intercepted the handoff exchange between our QB and fullback. On the next play Drew Decker, keeping on the QB option, picked up nine. But again, a motion penalty brought it back. Another fumbled exchange put CL in a desperate 4th and 6 situation with seconds left on the clock. An option pitch to Worthen picked up 7 yards keeping the drive alive. The last play of the game ended with an untouched Katy defender hitting Decker from behind as he dropped back to pass causing him to fumble the ball as time ran out.
The Freshman Blue Team has been hampered by fumbles and un-timely penalties. Hopefully they have got all of that out of their system going into District play next week against a Pearland. A District Championship is still the goal and this writer believes this group of freshman will still achieve that goal.
by Tom Worthen
Quarterback Club Staff