WELL… WOW. | PG deals Gilmer home loss, as Buckeyes try to figure it out / Analysis by PHILLIP WILLIAMS
GILMER – ‘Twas forecast by the Weather Prophets that unpleasant conditions would disquiet the Pleasant Grove-Gilmer affray at the time it was originally scheduled Friday night, so the contestants moved their district duel up to Thursday evening to avert potentially being impaled by lightning.
The weather that evening proved quite pleasant for both battalions.
The wargame itself was pleasant for…Pleasant Grove.
Quarterback Colt Yancey didn’t horse around, heaving three TDs, while runner/receiver Nick Bells caused Gilmer ringing in its ears by procuring a trio of touchdowns, as the No. 2-ranked Pleasant Grove Hawks gigged the Gilmer Buckeyes, 41-7, at Jeff Traylor Stadium.
The Hawk defense also fulfilled its role by imposing Gilmer QB Zade Taylor with turnover-itis as he disgorged two fumbles and an interception, and two of those giveaways set up PG touchdowns.
The outcome in the District 7-4A Division II dustup left Pleasant Grove 7-1 overall, 3-0 in loop lashings, while uncharacteristically flailing Gilmer, a longtime perennial contender for the state blue ribbon, keeled over to 2-6 overall and 1-2 in district disputations.
Yet, the Buckeyes, with two confrence conflagarations left against struggling squads Spring Hill and North Lamar, still have a chance to plop into Playoff Paradise, despite enduring their first losing regular season in more than five years.
Thursday night, Gilmer managed to confine heavily-favored PG to a 7-0 lead at first quarter’s end and hold the Hawks scoreless in the third quadrant. But a second-quarter blitzkrieg by the visitors, along with two additional TDs in the final period, made the final count top-heavy.
PG took the opening kickoff and scored almost before the sparse crowd could take its seats and spill its popcorn. Yancey ran four yards to his 43, Gilmer was penalized to the Hawk 48, and then Yancey loosed a 52-yard TD throw to wide-open Walker Wright, who nabbed it at the 15-yard line.
Silas Yowell airlifted the first of his five successful PATs (his try after the Hawks’ fifth TD was blocked). The initial TD came with only 28 seconds clicked off the clock, meaning 11:32 remained in the inaugural period.
Gilmer would stay in the fray for awhile as each squad stopped the other on downs, and PG dispensed a fumble. After a Hawk punt, the Buckeyes then quilted together their only scoring offensive all night, scooting 64 yards in five plays to reach Beulah Land on Tayveon Horne’s 2-yard bop up the middle.
Miguel Castaneda boomed the tying PAT with 6:52 left to Twirling Time.
But, in the next 6:09, Pleasant Grove bewildered the Buckeyes with three tallies to lead 28-7 at intermission.
On its first possession after Gilmer’s TD, the visitors steamed 46 yards in only six plays to notch six points on Bells’ 3-yard trip up the middle with 3:41 remaining to Band Time.
On the play after the ensuing kickoff, Hawk defender Jaidun Scales purloined a Taylor throw at the PG 36. On the fourth play afterward, Yancey flung a 26-yard TD grenade to Spencer Browning with 2:00 left to the break.
This flurry of frustration for the Buckeyes culminated after Taylor soon disbursed another lost fumble at his 39. Abetted by a 9-yard penalty which negated a blocked field goal, the Hawks hiked to Glory Land in seven plays as Taylor uncorked an 8-yarder to Bells with 43 seconds remaining in the period.
Down 28-7 at drill team time, Gilmer fought on, but Taylor loosed another lost fumble at his 35 on the second play after the second-half kickoff. PG reached the Gilmer 9, but the Buckeyes’ “Black Flag Defense” halted the Hawks on downs.
Then Gilmer had to cede the pigskin on downs itself after a long drive to the PG 30. Early in the fourth quarter, the home team’s defense erected a fence deep in its territory by forcing the visitors to surrender the ball on downs at the Buckeye 7.
But Gilmer couldn’t keep the earthquake at bay forever.
On the first play after a punt, Bells sounded death knells for his foes by whooshing 47 yards down the left side to TD Town with 8:28 left in the match.
And right after Gilmer lost the ball on downs again at the Gilmer 46 late in the confrontation, runner Jaivion Butler gave life to the old saying “the butler did it” by hot-footing 46 yards for the last TD with 1:45 remaining.
And thus did the Buckeyes possibly duck playing in a deluge of rain Friday evening–but they could not evade a deluge of touchdowns Thursday, courtesy of what proved to be their experience with a very Unpleasant Grove.
