Goddard coach Scott Vang said it was supposed to be a trick play, and it was doomed from the start. With his favorite receiver, Trey Douglas, out with a sprained ankle, Goddard quarterback Collin Nevil rolled right and …
“We threw it to another kid who wasn’t comfortable with it,” Vang said. “We threw it late because the quarterback wasn’t comfortable with it. It’s just a play we shouldn’t have called.”
Andover Central defensive back Zach Schulte took advantage, grabbing an interception and returning it 31 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter of the Jaguars’ 19-12 victory Friday night.
And that was pretty much the difference in the game. Each team had 23 first downs. Each punted just one time. Both teams are now 2-1. Vang thought the Lions matched up well with the Jaguars, but said he and his coaching staff were kicking themselves for not making better adjustments the entire night.
“We lost the game for the kids,” Vang said. “The kids didn’t lose it. We didn’t get them in positions to be successful. It’s our fault.”
None of which took away anything from the victory for the Jaguars, who were licking their wounds a week ago after getting shellacked on the road by Derby.
“It’s still early in the season,” Central coach Tom Audley said. “We played better tonight. I thought last week, even losing big to Derby, we got better. It’s kind of what we do.”
Audley admits he didn’t get a great look at Schulte’s interception, but said he saw enough.
“Schulte had pretty good coverage,” Audley said. “... He’s been playing well and he’s aggressive. He’s not waiting for them to catch the ball to go tackle them; he’s making a play on the ball. He put himself in the right position, and that was a pretty nice play.”
Virtually the entire first quarter was gobbled up by two long touchdown drives. Goddard finished its drive with a three-yard run by Nevil. He looked sharp, completing three of four passes. But that would be his only touchdown of the night, and he would also later be intercepted by Central’s Zane Downing.
Central ended its first drive with an 8-yard touchdown run by Lucas Milner.
“That first touchdown run was real nice,” Audley said. “I don’t know how many yards he had after contact, but he had a nice night. … He ran physical and put his shoulders down.”
Milner would go on score another touchdown, a 35-yard catch on the fifth play of the second half, that broke open the 6-6 tie. He ended up carrying the ball 26 times, gaining 89 yards.
“It was a lot of carries, but that’s fine with me,” Milner said. “After a football game we’re always tired and beat up. But I’m sure the (offensive) line is more tired and beat up than I am.”
Goddard’s Beau Fisher scored on a one-yard run for the only touchdown of the fourth quarter. That narrowed Central’s lead to 19-12, with nearly five minutes remaining.
Central’s Blake Meier took care of those five minutes, scrambling for back-to-back first downs, both on third down, to ensure the Jaguars still had possession when the clock expired.
“For a first-year starter, he has a lot of savvy,” Audley said of Meier. “That was big on that last drive. He was smart in staying in bounds and getting down and he knew where the sticks were. I thought those guys did a great job.”
Meier completed 7 of 17 passes for 124 yards, with no interceptions.
“We threw it to another kid who wasn’t comfortable with it,” Vang said. “We threw it late because the quarterback wasn’t comfortable with it. It’s just a play we shouldn’t have called.”
Andover Central defensive back Zach Schulte took advantage, grabbing an interception and returning it 31 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter of the Jaguars’ 19-12 victory Friday night.
And that was pretty much the difference in the game. Each team had 23 first downs. Each punted just one time. Both teams are now 2-1. Vang thought the Lions matched up well with the Jaguars, but said he and his coaching staff were kicking themselves for not making better adjustments the entire night.
“We lost the game for the kids,” Vang said. “The kids didn’t lose it. We didn’t get them in positions to be successful. It’s our fault.”
None of which took away anything from the victory for the Jaguars, who were licking their wounds a week ago after getting shellacked on the road by Derby.
“It’s still early in the season,” Central coach Tom Audley said. “We played better tonight. I thought last week, even losing big to Derby, we got better. It’s kind of what we do.”
Audley admits he didn’t get a great look at Schulte’s interception, but said he saw enough.
“Schulte had pretty good coverage,” Audley said. “... He’s been playing well and he’s aggressive. He’s not waiting for them to catch the ball to go tackle them; he’s making a play on the ball. He put himself in the right position, and that was a pretty nice play.”
Virtually the entire first quarter was gobbled up by two long touchdown drives. Goddard finished its drive with a three-yard run by Nevil. He looked sharp, completing three of four passes. But that would be his only touchdown of the night, and he would also later be intercepted by Central’s Zane Downing.
Central ended its first drive with an 8-yard touchdown run by Lucas Milner.
“That first touchdown run was real nice,” Audley said. “I don’t know how many yards he had after contact, but he had a nice night. … He ran physical and put his shoulders down.”
Milner would go on score another touchdown, a 35-yard catch on the fifth play of the second half, that broke open the 6-6 tie. He ended up carrying the ball 26 times, gaining 89 yards.
“It was a lot of carries, but that’s fine with me,” Milner said. “After a football game we’re always tired and beat up. But I’m sure the (offensive) line is more tired and beat up than I am.”
Goddard’s Beau Fisher scored on a one-yard run for the only touchdown of the fourth quarter. That narrowed Central’s lead to 19-12, with nearly five minutes remaining.
Central’s Blake Meier took care of those five minutes, scrambling for back-to-back first downs, both on third down, to ensure the Jaguars still had possession when the clock expired.
“For a first-year starter, he has a lot of savvy,” Audley said of Meier. “That was big on that last drive. He was smart in staying in bounds and getting down and he knew where the sticks were. I thought those guys did a great job.”
Meier completed 7 of 17 passes for 124 yards, with no interceptions.
