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| Defense big as Montgomery edges Clark |
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9/18/2015
By Dan Manley
Advocate Sports Editor
Cody Parsley broke in front of a Clark County receiver, intercepted a pass and raced 69 yards, untouched, for a third quarter touchdown and changed the course of the game Friday night as the Montgomery County Indians went on to edge Clark County, 13-12, at Cunningham Field.
With that one play the Indians were able to reverse the momentum after the Cardinals had taken a 12-0 lead, despite a valiant defensive effort all night by Montgomery County.
“Huge play, one of many we made and had to make to win,” said Coach Dan Gooch. “We made a lot of mistakes early in the game but I’m really proud of the way we hung in there. The defense kept us in the game until the offense got rolling.”
The win marked the third time in the last four years the Indians have beaten their border rivals in a series that has been dominated by Clark County over the years.
In four games this season the Indians have already registered more victories than they did all of last year.
“Anytime we can beat Clark County, a 6A school and our main rival, it’s a big win for this team and for our program,” Gooch added.
Things were anything but easy as the Tribe won their third game in a row and improved to 3-1 on the season.
A rough start
Montgomery County almost scored on the first play of the game when senior quarterback Art Walker’s pass to a wide open Cody Parsley eluded his grasp at the Cardinal 40 yard line on a play where Parsley could have trotted into the end zone.
That set the stage for a rocky opening 26 minutes for the Indians.
During that time Montgomery County:
1) mis-communicated on a fake punt and gave Clark County the football at the Tribe 34 yard line;
2) got off a punt that went 10 yards and gave the Cards the football at the Indian 27;
3) fumbled the ball at their own 29 yard line with the Cards recovering;
4) got off a punt that traveled only five net yards;
5) gave up a 68-yard scoring run to Josiah Israel on the first play of the second half;
6) had a punt blocked in the end zone for a safety and;
7) allowed Clark County to return a free kick to the Tribe 30 yard line with the Cards leading 12-0 early in the second half.
However, during all of that time, the Montgomery County defense allowed the Cards not much more than the one long scoring run by Israel.
Clark County had taken a 3-0 lead that they held at halftime on a 26-yard field goal by senior Chandler Gaunce with 4:40 left in the first quarter but the Indians were able to force that attempt after the Cardinals had a first and ten at the Tribe 13 yard line.
The Cards had just 73 net yards for the game other than the one long run by Israel, who finished with 102 yards on 16 carries after burning the Henry Clay defense for 178 yards on 27 carries the week before.
Things got a little strange after halftime.
The Cardinals received the opening second half kickoff and returned the football to their 32.
On the first play from scrimmage in the second half, Israel darted off left tackle, broke to the outside and out-ran the Tribe defense to the end zone and with Gaunce’s kick the Cardinals led 10-0 just second into the third period.
Then came the lightning and a 35-minute rain delay followed with the stands emptying and the teams moving back to their dressing rooms.
When the game resumed, with relatively few fans left in the stands, Clark kicked off, held the Indians three and out and then blocked a punt in the end zone.
But an alert play by Dylan Akers saved the day. Akers recovered the blocked punt, resulting in a safety instead of what easily could have been a touchdown for Clark County.
“A huge play,” Gooch said. “That was just a football play by a player who understands the game and recognized the importance of getting back and getting on the football.
Then the Indians had a free kick but they were still in trouble when Clark returned the football to the 30 yard line.
But following a 5-yard penalty on the Cardinals followed by two rushing plays that netted only two yards, Clark County went to the air.
Quarterback Owen Irvin threw the ball to the Clark County sideline and Cody Parsley broke perfectly on the football and was essentially gone on a 69-yard scoring run from the moment he touched the football.
Spencer Holder booted the extra point and in one big play the Indians were back in the game and suddenly, for the first time all night, had the momentum.
On Clark’s next possession senior tackle Jordan Fletcher recovered a Cardinal fumble to begin a 59-yard drive in 11 plays that culminated when an Art Walker pass went right past a Clark defender into the waiting arms of Parsley in the end zone with :47 to play in the third period.
The Indians went for two and failed on a pass attempt, leaving the lead at 13-12 and the Cardinals, with a terrific field goal kicker in Gaunce, just one boot away from victory.
But Gaunce never got the chance as the Indians burned up much of the final period on a 17-play drive from their own 15 to the Clark County 15 with junior tailback Jake Harvey carrying the ball 10 times during that drive for 47 yards as the Tribe took over seven and a half minutes off the clock.
Clark County didn’t get past its own 42 yard line in the final period with Matt Purvis picking off a pass to end one possession and senior tackle Chase Parker recording back-to-back sacks to end Clark’s final opportunity with less than a minute to play.
The Indians out-gained the Cardinals 280-141, dominated the time of possession as they ran 21 more plays than the Cardinals and won the turnover battled 3-1.
The Indians will be going for their fourth win in a row Friday night against Perry County Central. Gametime is 7:30 p.m.
PeMontgomery County last won four straight games to begin the 2012 season when they defeated Rowan County, Mason Coutny, Clark County and Letcher County Central to begin the season
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