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Friday
November 20, 2009 Since 1922 |
Gander season limps to finish line
By Dave Rogers
Not only did the 35-10 bi-district loss to Pasadena Memorial mirror the Ganders’ 2006 season – a rocky start, a strong middle and a bumpy finish – but their 5-6 season ended, fittingly, with some people in unusual positions.
Ulises Irias was one of three defensive starters who quit Lee’s team before the start of the season. But Irias, whose decision was to specialize in soccer, was back in uniform Friday to be the team’s fourth kicker and third punter of the season.
Originally, he was only there for an emergency, in case the third kicker, Eric Cornejo, couldn’t go after suffering a groin injury in practice last Tuesday. Recruited off the soccer team three weeks ago, Cornejo handled all the placements against Memorial.
But Irias did some punting and kickoffs.
Also back in uniform Saturday was Zack Zellers. The defensive end was playing for the first time since he had a pin put in his thumb after being injured in the first game of the season against Central.
Also injured in that Central game was starting wide receiver Jahwran Goode. He returned to the lineup at midseason and appeared in fine form in the regular-season finale, running two passes in for touchdowns in a 44-7 playoff-clinching win against Atascocita.
But Goode was missing Friday. He was scholastically ineligible after having failing grades for one of his classes. So, too, was starting quarterback Octavio Torres, who was responsible for four touchdowns against Atascocita and had an 11-4 record as a starter the past two seasons.
With Goode out and Josh Jones required to switch back from receiver to quarterback for the game against the Mavericks, Lee was forced to move up three receivers from subvarsity teams to play Friday.
One of them, Keenan Williams, became the eighth different wide receiver to start for Lee this season and the 22nd different offensive starter.
He even had a couple of passes thrown in his direction.
A freshman who had done all his playing on Thursday nights this fall, Williams had been Lee’s sideline ballboy for recent varsity games, including last week at Atascocita.
Jones had an interesting, yet tough, night in his return to the QB position, taking the field after Memorial had driven the length of the field to score on the first possession of the game.
His running led Lee to a first-possession 21-yard field goal by Cornejo, easing the sting of Memorial’s touchdown.
But Jones, who three weeks ago was feared out for the season with a knee injury that proved to be less serious, paid a price for his running.
He took some big hits and limped to the sidelines early in Lee’s second possession of the night. But he came right back and outran the Maverick defenders on a scramble that turned into a 62-yard scoring run and a 10-7 first-quarter lead for the Ganders.
With the Lee defense holding Memorial’s Bo Snelson mostly under wraps, that’s the way the first half ended.
But the second half was another story. The Mavericks missed a field goal on their first chance in the second half, then scored touchdowns on their next three possessions to decide the matter.
Snelson wound up with five touchdowns and 258 yards rushing, carrying the mail on 37 of Memorial’s 53 offensive plays.
He had a 90-yard third-quarter TD run and a 41-yard run on a fake punt play. Snelson even passed 27 yards to quarterback Dylan Adamek on a trick play.
When the game ended, the Lee players slowly made their way off the field, their emotions riding somewhere between sadness that the season was over and maybe a touch of relief.
Except for Zellers. The senior’s mood was one of concern for a knee injury that knocked him out of the game in the second quarter and ruined his long-awaited comeback.
So fitting. For the Ganders, it was that kind of season.
Not only did the 35-10 bi-district loss to Pasadena Memorial mirror the Ganders’ 2006 season – a rocky start, a strong middle and a bumpy finish – but their 5-6 season ended, fittingly, with some people in unusual positions.
Ulises Irias was one of three defensive starters who quit Lee’s team before the start of the season. But Irias, whose decision was to specialize in soccer, was back in uniform Friday to be the team’s fourth kicker and third punter of the season.
Originally, he was only there for an emergency, in case the third kicker, Eric Cornejo, couldn’t go after suffering a groin injury in practice last Tuesday. Recruited off the soccer team three weeks ago, Cornejo handled all the placements against Memorial.
But Irias did some punting and kickoffs.
Also back in uniform Saturday was Zack Zellers. The defensive end was playing for the first time since he had a pin put in his thumb after being injured in the first game of the season against Central.
Also injured in that Central game was starting wide receiver Jahwran Goode. He returned to the lineup at midseason and appeared in fine form in the regular-season finale, running two passes in for touchdowns in a 44-7 playoff-clinching win against Atascocita.
But Goode was missing Friday. He was scholastically ineligible after having failing grades for one of his classes. So, too, was starting quarterback Octavio Torres, who was responsible for four touchdowns against Atascocita and had an 11-4 record as a starter the past two seasons.
With Goode out and Josh Jones required to switch back from receiver to quarterback for the game against the Mavericks, Lee was forced to move up three receivers from subvarsity teams to play Friday.
One of them, Keenan Williams, became the eighth different wide receiver to start for Lee this season and the 22nd different offensive starter.
He even had a couple of passes thrown in his direction.
A freshman who had done all his playing on Thursday nights this fall, Williams had been Lee’s sideline ballboy for recent varsity games, including last week at Atascocita.
Jones had an interesting, yet tough, night in his return to the QB position, taking the field after Memorial had driven the length of the field to score on the first possession of the game.
His running led Lee to a first-possession 21-yard field goal by Cornejo, easing the sting of Memorial’s touchdown.
But Jones, who three weeks ago was feared out for the season with a knee injury that proved to be less serious, paid a price for his running.
He took some big hits and limped to the sidelines early in Lee’s second possession of the night. But he came right back and outran the Maverick defenders on a scramble that turned into a 62-yard scoring run and a 10-7 first-quarter lead for the Ganders.
With the Lee defense holding Memorial’s Bo Snelson mostly under wraps, that’s the way the first half ended.
But the second half was another story. The Mavericks missed a field goal on their first chance in the second half, then scored touchdowns on their next three possessions to decide the matter.
Snelson wound up with five touchdowns and 258 yards rushing, carrying the mail on 37 of Memorial’s 53 offensive plays.
He had a 90-yard third-quarter TD run and a 41-yard run on a fake punt play. Snelson even passed 27 yards to quarterback Dylan Adamek on a trick play.
When the game ended, the Lee players slowly made their way off the field, their emotions riding somewhere between sadness that the season was over and maybe a touch of relief.
Except for Zellers. The senior’s mood was one of concern for a knee injury that knocked him out of the game in the second quarter and ruined his long-awaited comeback.
So fitting. For the Ganders, it was that kind of season.