Game Report for October 26, 2007

S&S Rams- 28; Tom Bean-21

Late Drive from Rams

Ends Tomcats’ Winning

Streak

            On what was by far the coldest night of the season so far, Tom Bean was faced with the task of keeping their playoff hopes within their control last Friday as they went to battle with the S&S Rams. They, too, were looking to grab a win or two, and victory on this, their homecoming, night would certainly lift the Rams’ spirits. No matter how you looked at it, this was sure to be a tight, heated affair between two teams who needed another W in their books for this season.

            Sadly, driving like a bat out of you know where didn’t help me arrive at the game before kickoff. When I finally drove into the stadium parking lot, the Cats were already up 7-0. But, that didn’t last long as the Rams QB was able to run in for a touchdown as the 1^st quarter came to an end. The score was 7-6, still Cats’ lead, at the break.

            It was a perfect start to the 2^nd quarter for Tom Bean. Junior quarter back Colten Miller’s pass was floated to senior Louie LaBonne, and he made the catch in the end-zone. The touchdown made it 14-6 Tomcats with over 11 minutes to go in the half. The way the game had been going, you would have thought that would have been enough time for another change on the scoreboard. After a three and out, the Rams tried a fake punt, but they were not able to convert. Tom Bean didn’t have much luck either, and were forced to punt. Then, S&S put together a great drive all the way down to within 10 yards of a touchdown. The majority of the drive involved Rams running back Chris Little, who seemed an unstoppable force almost the entire night. All of that work resulted in nothing, however, after an attempted pass fell into the hands of the Tomcats. So, it was back the other way with multiple runs by senior Drew Hodge and sophomore Hunter Hendry, who came into the game after an injury to Colten Miller. It was expected that the Cats would put up another touchdown to increase their lead, but Hendry’s lobbed pass fell into the wrong hands for an interception. That’s how the half would end, with the score 14-6 in favor of the Cats.

            Although they put up a commendable fight in the second half, the Tomcat offense seemed to be asleep at times. Multiple runs by Chris Little and cheeky screen passes made life difficult for the Cats, and gave the Rams another touchdown. The score was 14-12 with 8:49 left in the 3^rd quarter. Tom Bean was forced to punt again, and the Rams were able to capitalize on their possession. It was Little again doing the running, and he ran straight in for another score that gave the Rams a 20-14 lead with 2:13 left in the quarter. Tom Bean needed to start showing signs of life quick, or their playoff hopes would soon start to fade.

            That’s exactly what they did. After a punt early in the 4^th quarter, the Cats defense held steady to give Tom Bean possession with 7 and a half minutes left to score. Unfortunately, a nice drive was ended by another Rams interception. Once again, the defense held their line and forced S&S to punt, but now the Cats only had 2:20 left to get another touchdown. Then came the moment all the Tomcat fans had been waiting for. Hendry’s pass into coverage was bobbled and bounced before finally falling into the hands of senior Cody Ottmo. The away fans were sent into a frenzy of excitement. Bells, clappers, and cheers of pride and astonishment lasted a good minute and a half after the touchdown had been scored. With just under a minute to go, the Tomcats would have to turn the momentum caused by the late score into a solid defensive effort. At first, it was give and take for S&S. A huge run by Little would be countered by a knocked down pass from Hodge. It was a wild scene as the teams rushed down the field, and pretty soon the Rams were within scoring distance. After a quick timeout to get things settled, the two teams lined up with just four seconds remaining. That was all S&S needed to complete a pass to their tight end who tumbled into the end-zone, much to the delight of the homecoming crowd. The game ended in a heartbreaker for the Cats; the score ended 28-21.

The Cats needed this win if they were to keep their playoff dreams in sight. Despite falling short, just hearing the words ‘playoffs’ and ‘Tom Bean’ in the same sentence shows the tremendous progress being made by the new coaching staff. Another sign of growth is shown by how the Cats played the game. There were multiple times at which the players could have just sat back and taken the beating. However, they refused to surrender. They played with heart and determination; something that has a great impact on young, up and coming players.

            I think Coach Sanders just about summed it all up in a statement he gave to the Herald Democrat.

““We have a great group. They played hard. They have come a long way this year. These kids are a very Godly group and I’m proud to be with them,” said Sanders.

            It’s true that we do have a great group. The evidence is on the field and in the hall ways. These players seemed excited about their lives, their school, and their football. Despite their chances of playoff football being slim, they realize just how far they have come. They have respect for their coaches and their teammates. The fact that Sanders is “proud to be with them” tells us that he is happy where he is. These are all positive signs for a program that needed a much appreciated overhaul.

            Yes, the last two games of the Tomcats’ season are probably considered their toughest. A visit from high flying Gunter will prove a difficult test, and it’s never easy to get a win at the home of your heated rival. However, with this new and improved attitude, the Cats will walk into these games with the same attitude they’ve always had. Anything is possible in this game, and there’s no reason to ever count this strong group of players out.