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page e — Courier News Thunder, Blytheville, (Ark.)—Sunday, October6,1991By DON BOWEN CN Staff WriterGOSNELL — It wasn’t the shoes.Defense was the key to denying Pocahontas two two-point conversions and securing a 1412 conference win for the Pirates here Friday night. The Pirates increase their record to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in conference play. The Redskins fall to 3-2 overall and 0-2 in the conference.The Pirates struck first late in the second quarter. After two long touchdown runs by Tyrone Wiggins had been called back, it took only one play for Gosnell’s lightning to strike after recovering a Pocahontas fumble on the Redskins’43 yard line.With 1:49 left in the first half, Pirates’ quarterback Jeff Ellis threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Wiggins to put Gosnell on top. Jenz Jernigan’s extra-point kick gave the Pirates a 7-0 lead.The Pirates struck again on the opening drive of the second half. Ellis connected with Wiggins for a 20-yard touchdown pass with 8:32 left in the third quarter ending a seven-play drive. Jernigan’s extra-point kick put the Pirates on top for good 14-0.Ellis started the drive from the Pirates’ 38 yard line with a 14-yard pass to Lavail Rucker across mid-field before making a five ard run to the Redskins’ 43 yard ine. After Gosnell picked up three yards on a fumble, Ellis made a*four-yard run to the Redskins’ 36 yard line. Mike Gentry followed with a nine yard run to the Redskins’ 15 yard line and a Pirates’ first down. After Gosnell was called for illegal motion, moving the ball back to the 20 yard line, Ellis hit Wiggins for Gosnell’s final score.After being shut down most of the game, the Redskins mounted an 11-play drive late in the third quarter that ended in a three-yard touchdown run by Scott Wilbanks with 11:58 left in the game. A two-point conversion try failed. Gosnell led 14-6.The Redskins continued to push the Pirates back on their next possession. Aided by a 15-yard penalty against Gosnell, the Red•• v ' :**■ . * ^ . ■* -V :. V ■.* V **Feeling the fireBowenGosnell quarterback Jeff Ellis «3) feels some pressure from me Pocahontas Redskins during thePirates 14-12 win Friday night. The Pirates improve to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the conference./skins started their final scoring drive at the Pirates’ 35 yard line. Following a one-yard run by Wilbanks, Redskins’ running back Kevin Sorg pushed the ball to the Pirates’ 20 yard line on a 14-yard run. After a one and four yard run by running backs Jody Sifford and Sorg, Gosnell was called for jumping offsides, moving the ball to the Pirates’ 10 yard line giving the Redskins a first-and-goal. Sorg moved the ball to the Pirates’ seven yard line before crossing the goal line with 8:36 left in the game. The Redskins’ two-point conversion try failed. The Pirates led 14-12.Pocahontas threatened late in the game, starting from its own 37 yard line. After Redskins quarterback Paul Morris threw an eight-yard pass to Sifford, Wilbanks moved the ball to midfield. Sifford moved the ball to the Pirates 48 yard line, and the Redskins were shut down. The Pirates’ defense broke up three passes from Morris, giving the ball back to Gosnell on downs with 2:15 left in the game.Wiggins led all offensive categories with 125 yards rushing on 25 carries and 63 yards receiv-ing on two catches.Gentry had 68 yards rushing on eight carries. Ellis had 24 yards rushing on five carries. Rudy Smith rushed five times for 22 vards. Gentry also had 22 yards receiving on two catches, while Lanier Rucker had one catch for 14 vards.Wilbanks led the Redskins in rushing with 90 yards on 15 carries. Sorg had 49 yards on nine carries. Sifford rushed seven times for 35 yards. Lee Prondzin-ski, Casey Chester and Jade Wells each rushed once for seven, two and one yards, respectively.Prondzinski led Pocahontas with receptions with 10 yards on one catch. Sifford had eight yards on one while. Sorg had two eathes for three yards.Ellis led the passing attack with 99 yards on five completions.got crazy.“People came in and played at positions that hadn’t been playing all year and just got crazy,” said Briley. “They just did what they had to do. This week we finally played on the line of scrimmage, and we beat them on the line of scrimmage this week both ways, defense and offense. Tyrone Wiggins has been playing slot back. He came in at tail back and played one heck of a ball game. Our did it outside, up the middle and catching passes. He’s just an all around good athlete. He’s as good an athlete as Al’s a good athlete. Tyrone’s just a little bit smaller, but he’s a junior. That’s what’s going to make him so good.“Tyrone came to me and asked me if he could play tail back,” he said. “He said he would do me the best job that anybody could on this Earth, and he did. I didn’t have to fire him up to motivate him. He was ready. He played tail back in junior high and played tail back onthe B-team last year. He has some experience back there. He did a great job.“The other backs did an excellent job blocking on sweeps and (raps,” he said. “The linemen did a great job up the middle. They just had a reall good game. I can’t say enough about them. We wanted to win, and we wasn’t going to he denied it. It’s just how (hey felt. We had it in our minds and hearts (Friday night). That's where we had it, and that’s where we won it.”A football team can’t rely too much on one man, he said.“It takes more than one man to make a football team. We knew that A1 was going to be out. So, wehad to rally. We had to rallv■ ^continued on pageGosneil-Pocahontas, StatsGosnell........................07 7 0 — 10Pocahontas...............0 0 012— 12Second QuarterGos — Wiggins 43 pass from Ellis(Jernigankick). i:49Third Quarter
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Blytheville Courier News
Blytheville, Arkansas, US
Sun, Oct 06, 1991
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