SABINE SHUT OUT IN ATLANTA | Rabbits deal Cardinals a fifth straight loss
By JEREMY NEWLIN
ATLANTA – Rabbits hop, and Atlanta did some hopping on Friday – unfortunately for Sabine High School, they were the hop victims.
The Atlanta Rabbits hopped their way to a 50-0 win in District 8-3A, Division I play over Sabine on Friday night here at Atlanta ISD Stadium, and it was the Cardinals’ fifth straight loss.
Sabine drops to 2-5 on the season, and 0-3, unfortunately, in district play, which determines whether or not a team makes the playoffs – only the top four teams in each district make the playoffs in Texas, and Sabine has just three games left in the season.
The Cardinals will host White Oak, another ETBlitz.com-area program, next Friday, Oct. 18; they visit Jefferson, a state-ranked team, on Oct. 25; have a late-season open date on Nov. 1; and then finish the season at home against Liberty-Eylau on Nov. 8.
At Atlanta, the Cardinals took the opening kickoff and started out going the wrong way. Quarterback Bryce Pobuda took a 12-yard sack. This was followed by two carries for 5 yards. Punter Jovany Jaimes took a low snap and had his punt partially blocked, giving the Rabbits a short field.
Quarterback Peyton Harrison found Jayden Riley for 23 yards, and then Markeylin Batton took the final 5 for the score. CJ Whaley added the extra point for a 7-0 Atlanta lead.
The Cardinal offense was again stopped and forced to punt after three downs. Another short punt gave the Rabbits the ball at Sabine’s own 38. The Rabs went back to work through the air, and Harrison found Riley for 20 yards. That was all the Cardinal defense allowed, but Whaley booted a 36-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead. The first quarter ended with the teams trading punts.
Jaimes punted the ball deep, putting Atlanta in bad field position. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, Harrison found Sye Stroman for 38 yards. Then Batton rushed for 12 yards and capped off the drive with a 6-yard touchdown.
Trailing by 17, the Cardinal offense couldn’t get anything going and again punted. This punt was also partially blocked, setting up the Rabbits at the Cardinals’ 27.
Four plays later, Harrison found DC Range for a 19-yard score. After a missed extra point, the Cardinals trailed 23-0.
Sabine’s next possession saw Pobuda find Lincoln Royce for 15 yards. That was all they were able to get, though, as the ball would be turned over on downs.
For Atlanta, there would be one final first-half score: Riley sprinted for 21 yards and then Harrison found Batton for a 20-yard touchdown, ending the half with Atlanta in front, 30-0.
The Rabbits got the second half kickoff and continued where they left off.
Marshawn Woodberry broke through the line and rumbled off 55 yards after a short kickoff. Riley took it the final 7 yards for the score.
After the missed extra point the Rabbits led 36-0.
After another three-and-out punt, the only defensive highlight was Royce intercepting the first play by the Rabbits. The offense wasn’t able to capitalize and again punted. The Rabbits moved the ball with runs of 13 and 10 by Jamarion Austin and Harrison. Then Woodberry broke for a 50-yard score and a third quarter score of 43-0, Rabbits.
The Cardinals never got anything going offensively and punted going into the 4th quarter. Atlanta quickly moved downfield and Evan Mitchell added the final points with a 3-yard score and final, 50-0.
Lincoln Royce was all over the field making tackles on defense and kick returns for Sabine. He ended with interception and also had 20 receiving yards. Patterson finished with 42 rushing yards. The Rabbits were led by Woodberry, with 172 yards rushing and a score. Harrison had 176 yards passing and the two touchdowns. And Riley had 77 receiving yards.