Industrial vs Van Vleck recap
By Michael Brooks
Staff Writer
When the Industrial Cobras took the field on Friday night against the Van Vleck Leopards, they knew their biggest challenge would be slowing down the speed of the Leopards.
Although the Cobras were able to keep the game close in the first half, the Leopards used that speed to break open several big plays to run away with a 54-20 victory.
On the first drive of the game, Van Vleck put together a 60 yard drive to take a 6-0 lead. Their first big play of the night was the 33 yard touchdown run that capped off the drive.
The Cobras would immediately answer back when Derrick Cann fielded the kickoff at the Cobra 15 yard line and then spun off of a Leopard defender and ran over some more Leopards in route to an 85 yard return for a touchdown that tied the score at 6.
On the following Van Vleck drive, Cann pulled in an interception at the Cobra three yard line to kill the Leopards drive and give the Industrial offense the ball for the first time in the game. Unfortunately the drive stalled and the ball went back to Van Vleck.
The first quarter ended with the Leopards at the Cobra one yard line, and quarterback Javante Easton ran it in on a keeper for the first play of the second quarter. After a successful two point conversion, the Leopards took a 14-6 lead.
Later in the second quarter, the Leopards ran back a punt for an apparent 95 yard touchdown, but there was a penalty. A few plays later though, Easton connected on an 87 yard touchdown pass and the Leopards took a 20-6 lead.
On their next drive, the Van Vleck halfback burst through the line and 88 yards later, after a succesful two point conversion, the Leopards had a 28-6 lead.
The Cobras finally put together a drive right at the end of the first half. With 14 seconds left and sitting 11 yards from the endzone, the Cobras came up inches short of a touchdown. The buzzer went off and Van Vleck headed to the locker room, but the Cobras had made a first down, so two seconds were put back on the clock and Karston Wimberly carried the ball in for a touchdown and the game went to halftime with the Leopards leading 28-14.
In the third quarter the Leopards broke off a 67 yard run to take a 36-14 lead but the Cobras were able to answer back when Cann ran the ball in from 5 yards out to cap off a 67 yard Cobra drive to cut the lead to 36-20.
The Cobras had one last chance to get back into the game but a wide open reciever dropped the ball at the two yard line and the Leopards ran away with the game in the fourth quarter by putting together a 49 and 67 yard drive and returning a punt for a touchdown.
Michael Williams intercepted another pass to stop one final Van Vleck drive but the game ended with the Leopards winning 54-20.