HANDS OFF TO TEAMMATE KAYDEN YORK.
JAKE CARTER SHINES FOR SPARTANS; GREENWOOD TURNS FOCUS TO LOGAN COUNTY MATCHUP
Greenwood High School’s William Howard has pretty much seen it all in seven-plus years as the Gators’ head football coach.
But Friday night’s non-district matchup with crosstown rival South Warren was something different indeed.
Start, stop. Stop again. Play for nearly three quarters, and then head back for the locker rooms.
Three KHSAA-mandated weather delays made for a long night for both teams, truth be told, but it was the Spartans who walked away undefeated, claiming a 33-19 victory over a tough, physical Greenwood squad at The Swamp.
“At least we didn’t have to come back Saturday,” Howard said when it was over.
WITH GREENWOOD COACH WILLIAM HOWARD
BEFORE THE SECOND OF THREE WEATHER DELAYS …
AND HOWARD OFTEN HAD
TO ‘HURRY UP AND WAIT …’
WERE DEFINITELY ENOUGH.
TAKES THE HANDOFF FROM
TEAMMATE LEVI WYATT.
SOUTH RUNNING BACK KAYDEN YORK.
South Warren improved to 3-0 overall, but Brandon Smith, the Spartans’ 12th year head coach, was none too pleased with his team’s performance. South Warren accrued more than 200 penalty yards, including one Greenwood drive in which the Spartans were hit with three infractions for unsportsmanlike conduct.
“It was a disaster, from all aspects,” Smith said. “We had to have 200 yards in penalties. We did it to ourselves … (but) we found a way to win.”
Senior wide receiver Jake Carter did it all for the Spartans, coming up with a critical touchdown catch on the final play of the first half, and later finding the end zone in a Wildcat variety offense inside the 2-yard line.
The Gators used a similar approach, getting direct snaps to Davis Chaney and Nathan Self for good yardage, particularly in the second half.
CAPITALIZED ON THEIR OPPORTUNITIES.
A SNAP IN THE WILDCAT FORMATION.
FINDS RUNNING ROOM INSIDE.
MAKES A PLAY FOR THE SPARTANS.
Ultimately, though, South Warren had too much firepower — senior lineman Malik Butler logged significant snaps on both sides of the ball — for the Gators, who played with plenty of verve themselves.
“We had a little lull at the beginning of the third quarter,” Greenwood coach William Howard said. “We’ve got to do a better job on third and long, getting (the defense) off the field.”
The Spartans managed to put together a four-play touchdown drive — covering just 40 yards after a short punt, in just 21 seconds in the final moments before halftime. Camden Page, South Warren’s 6-foot-3 junior quarterback, found teammate Jake Carter on three consecutive sideline patterns, making the catch on all three throws before securing a 12-yard touchdown reception on the final play of the first half.
South Warren’s offense stayed on the field, however, and Page found the end zone on the right side for a two-point conversion that pushed the Spartans’ lead to 16-13. Page and fellow South quarterback Chase Bell are both effective when breaking the pocket, and the Spartans had to scramble on several occasions to keep moving the chains.
“We practiced like we played this week,” South coach Brandon Smith said. “We never got into any sort of rhythm, or groove for the entire night. Offense and defense.”
The aforementioned weather delays couldn’t have helped in that regard, and steady rain was falling when the teams returned to the field after the final interruption. Along with the halftime, Smith and Howard spent a lot more time with their teams away from the field, which seemed to lead to some sloppy moments down the stretch.
“We did it to ourselves,” Smith said. “I thought Jake (Carter) came to play. Yes.”
ON A 48-YARD TOUCHDOWN RECEPTION.
EFFECTIVE IN THE WILDCAT FORMATION.
AND JAKE CARTER (No. 1) TAKE
A BREAK IN THE FOURTH QUARTER.
ADDRESSES HIS TEAM AFTER THE GAME.
Neither offense managed much in the first quarter, but there were plenty of fireworks in the second.
Greenwood opened the scoring out of the Wildcat formation, with Davis Chaney finding the end zone from two yards out to put the Gators in front 7-0 with 9:32 left in the half.
South Warren’s Camden Page directed a crisp six-play, 66-yard touchdown drive and the Spartans’ Taykon Darden made an alert play after a low snap, breaking free to find teammate Griffin Reynolds for the two-point conversion pass. The Spartans’ 8-7 lead, however, lasted for a grand total of 14 seconds.
Chaney fielded a low kickoff and needed some time to find an opening. He hit the right sideline, however, and scored on an 87-yard kickoff return to put the Gators back in front, 13-8. The two-play conversion play failed.
The Spartans would grab the lead after Jake Carter’s tough catch for a 17-yard TD reception on the final play of the half. South Warren QB Camden Page slammed through the right side of the line for another two-point conversion, and the Spartans led 16-13 at the break.
TAKES SNAPS AT THE GOAL LINE.
ON A CRITICAL TWO-POINT CONVERSION.
WITH BOWLING GREEN NEXT WEEK.
ARE ON THE ROAD AT LOGAN COUNTY.
Carter scored on a two-yard direct snap to extend the South Warren lead, with Alen Alic adding the extra point this time, putting the Spartans in front, 23-13. Page would later find Carter on a deep ball for a 48-yard touchdown pass, extending the South Warren lead to 30-13.
Greenwood’s Davis Chaney scored on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter, after the Spartans were hit with three penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct, before Alec closed the scoring with a 21-yard field goal to account for the final 33-19 margin.
Page and Chase Bell passed for a combined 268 yards, while Kayden York did the yeoman’s work for the Spartans’ 151 yards on the ground. York was treated for an injury after an electric run to the 1-yard line, but South coach Brandon Smith said he believes York will be fine for next week’s big game against Bowling Green High School.
The Purples, the defending KHSAA Class 5A state champions, fell to 0-3 after a hard-fought, 35-28 road loss to Scott County. The Spartans will be playing their first home game with their new artificial turf field, which will be quicker to drain than the previous grass surface.
Greenwood will make its first road trip of the year to tangle with Logan County (3-0). The Cougars whipped crosstown rival Russellville, 45-0, at historic Rhea Stadium.
THROWS THE BALL INTO THE FLAT.
TWO FIRST-HALF DEFICITS.
TURNED IN A STRONG EFFORT.
