The Douglas Pop Warner Pee Wee football team ran into a bigger, faster Las Vegas squad Saturday at Damonte Ranch in the state championship Silver Bowl team.
Even so, the Tiger hung with the Green Machine step for step before Las Vegas was able to prevail 13-6 to claim the state title.
"Vegas was well-coached, disciplined and just a good football team," Douglas coach Clay Peterson said. "We were able to move the ball on them but it was just a dog fight.
"Our kids never gave up, they showed a lot of heart. Our fan support was incredible."
Las Vegas drove 75 yards on its opening possession, scoring on a three-yard run after burning more than five minutes off the clock.
Douglas came back, driving 30 yards on its first possession before stalling, but the Tiger defense was able to hold, getting the ball back.
Douglas scored on its next possession, evening the score at six.
The teams stayed locked until just before halftime when Vegas scored on a sweep pass.
The Green Machine's speedy running back broke to the outside, drawing the Tiger defense in which allowed Las Vegas' tight end to release. They completed a pass to him out in the open, which he was able to score on.
Both teams stepped up on defense to hold each other scoreless through the second half.
"We made those halftime adjustments and the kids really answered the call," Peterson said. "We just ran out of time. It just wasn't our day.
"We played great and just lost to a very talented and fast team."
The Tigers had the opportunity to practice on the Douglas High School field earlier in the week in order to prepare for the artificial surface at Damonte Ranch.
"We really wanted to thank the high school for the use of that field," Peterson said. "It is much nicer than Damonte Ranch's. It was great to practice on and everyone had a lot of fun on it. It's a beautiful field."
JUNIOR MIDGETS
Douglas closed its season on a winning note by beating the West Bay Rams (from the San Francisco Bay area) 12-6 Saturday at Spanish Springs High School.
This gave the Tigers a final overall record of 8-2.
The first quarter saw the Rams come out and control the ball with an efficient ground game. They would gain just enough yards to move the chains on every third or fourth down.
However, with the help of a holding penalty, the Tiger defense was able to stop the Rams on downs. The Tiger offense, having waited on the sidelines most of the quarter, wasted little time in moving the ball the other way. After using two plays to move the ball near midfield, the Tigers scored on an inside counter play with Tanner Matlock running over 50 yards straight up the middle of the field.
The Rams didn't quit though. Once again using the running game they methodically moved the ball down the field. Then from the Tiger fifteen, they surprised the defense when their quarterback, appearing to be sweeping the left end, pulled up and threw a pass into the end zone for a touchdown.
Both teams had missed their extra points so the score was tied at six. The Tigers got the ball back with just two minutes left in the half but were able to drive all the way to the Ram 10-yard line before they were stopped by an interception as time ran out.
The third quarter was scoreless with both teams' defenses controlling the game. The Tigers finally got a drive going near the end of the quarter using a mix of the pass and run. The blocking of Derick Gilmore, Austin Park, Ryan Simons, Greg Smith, Brock Crawford, Kevin Owens, and Brandon Berry allowed backs Matlock, Shane Fencl and Corey Dillon to move the ball on the ground.
Tight ends Christian Neilander, Nolan Lackey, and Tim Tollefson made some key kick-out blocks on the Ram defensive ends. It was Tollefson's first start and he responded with his best game. The line also gave quarterback Sam Cochran time to throw. He completed key passes for first downs to Matlock and Theo Denson. The drive continued into the fourth quarter with Fencil scoring untouched on a five yard run.
After that it was up to the defense, and they were up to the task. Linemen Daniel Lundergreen, Kellen Bradberry, Wyle Derbyshire, and Sam Amador kept pressure up front, while ends Scott Rudnick and Ruben Trujillo and linebackers Justin Tenney, Connor Love and Cody Valente kept the run game contained. Defensive Backs Colton Hughes, Duston Gilbert, Alan Bolanos, and Dillon Spates provided support against the run and broke up several Ram passes. Spates and Love played perhaps their best games, and Denson and Matlock saw plenty of action on defense as well as offense.
With just two minutes left in the game, the Tigers had the ball near midfield with a fourth-and10 situation. Fencl made his best play of the game by punting the ball down to the ten yard line where it rolled out of bounds. The Tigers held on downs and then sat on the ball to win the game.
Head Coach Mike Dillon felt his team played its best game of the year against a very good team. He also wanted to thank the year-long effort made by his assistant coaches Curt Peterson, Ed Garron, Mike Derbyshire, Russ Spates, John Fencl, Terry Hughes, Dave Cochran, and Dennis Neilander. He also thanked the work of the team moms Cindy Peterson, Katy Dillon and Sandy Spates. Last but certainly not least, he thanked all of the parents and family members for making it possible for the kids to practice and play.
MITEY MITES
Douglas avenged one of their two losses during the season by beating Sparks 7-0.
The tenacious Tiger defense thoroughly dominated a strong Sparks offense. The Tigers hit hard, shutting down one of the best halfbacks in the league.
Tiger defenders spent most of the night in the Sparks backfield, making tackle after tackle for big losses.
Reid was positioned at free safety; utilizing his speed and aggressiveness, he made huge hits, coming up strong in run support. Linebackers Gervais, Hansen, Miller, Meierdierck and Loshbough filled gaps and stuffed the run. Defensive ends Abreu and Lippincott shut down the outside, as did corners Sullivan and Simons. Defensive line play was stellar, as Ahart, Swayne, Clark, Rusler, Reed, Oleshak, Loshbough, Smithen and Gervais controlled the line of scrimmage and squashed plays.
Cornerback Sullivan made a huge play early, stripping the ball from a Wolfpack ball carrier to thwart a drive. Sullivan and Lippincott both stripped the ball from the Wolfpack again, with fumble recoveries by Sullivan, Lippincott and Miller.
The Tiger offense controlled the clock and dominated in time of possession. The swift running of halfback Reid and quarterback Abreu, along with the power running of halfback Lippincott were made possible by the strong blocking of tight ends Gervais and Werth, as well as the rotation of linemen Loshbough, Graham, Smithen, Valenzuela, Stulac, Hinks, Hargreaves, Walker, Nolting, Manoukian, Bolanos and Meierdierck.
Backs Sullivan, Tierney and Miller made strong blocks all night, and Sullivan had a tough run. Werth made a nice adjustment to catch an Abreu pass.
The Tigers ran the ball well all game, but came up short in putting points up. The game was a back and forth struggle led by the defenses. Halftime score was knotted at 0-0, and the teams entered the fourth quarter still with no score. But that changed in a big way on the first play of the fourth.
With the Tigers on their own 30-yard line, quarterback Abreu kept the ball on a sneak up the middle. Behind the blocks of guard Loshbough and center Smithen, Abreu busted into the Sparks secondary, cut it out to the sideline and was off for a 70-yard run. Halfback Lippincott broke six tackles to punch in the extra point and give the Tigers a 7-0 lead.
Led by head coach Alonzo Hatchett, these Tigers were truly a team. Molded into a cohesive unit of football players through the course of the season to peak at the right time, they won their last five games to go 9-2 on the season.
