MILLBROOK NIPS CATS, 16-12

CATS LATE RALLY FALLS SHORT ON 2-POINT FAILURES

After battling to a scoreless first half Millbrook’s Junior High Mustangs scored two touchdowns in the second half and then held off the Prattville Junior High’s late rally to nip the Cats 16-12 at Stanley-Jensen Stadium Thursday night spoiling Prattville’s homecoming.

Neither team could score in the opening half, although Millbrook drove to the Cats’ 11-yard line with a first down.  Prattville held, aided by a delay of game penalty against the young Mustangs, and then tackling B. J. Smith at the 4-yardline.

Prattville also turned the Mustangs away midway of the second quarter when Fernandez Harris was dropped for a ten yard loss at the Prattville 25.

Millbrook’s tough defense kept the Cats bottled up on their side of the field for the first half.

The Cats took the second half kickoff and drove to Millbrook’s 32 yard line and a first down when T. J. Albert broke loose on a 31 yard run.  However Millbrook’s defense held as Ja-Myron Smoke sacked Tyler Brown on fourth down and four at the Mustangs 26 yard line with 5:07 left in the quarter.

Following the sack the Mustangs cranked up its' ground game and put together a 7-play 74-yard drive to break the scoreless battle.   Smith had a 27-yard run and Tyrell McIntosh had a 16 yard run in the drive.

With a first down at Prattville’s 30, Rod Thrasher zipped around right end to the Cats’ 14 and a first down. Quarterback Ben Norris kept to the one yard line and a first and goal.  It took two plunges at the middle to score with Smith plowing over with 59.4 seconds left in the quarter.  Norris added two points for an 8-0 lead at the close of the quarter.  Little did the Mustangs realize that the two point conversion would turn out to be the difference between the two teams.

It didn’t take long for Prattville to retaliate.  Tommie Vinson returned Rahman Hayes' kickoff 35 yards to the Prattville 43. Albert added 28 yards on two carries one for 9 yards and one for 19 to the Millbrook 30 and a first down.  Brown kept for no gain as the third quarter ended.

After Brown lost five yards back to the 35, Brown connected with Vinson near the right sideline.  Vinson broke free from the Mustangs defensive back and scooted down the sidelines for a touchdown.    The try for 2-points to tie the game fell short when Brown fumbled at the one yard line.

Millbrook answered quickly.  Taking Gideon Moyer-Craft’s kickoff at their 41 the Mustangs got two long runs from Smith and Kendarius Edwards.   Smith picked up 21 and Edwards 31 for a first down at the Cats’ 7-yardline.   Norris then kept and raced over with 4:47 left in the game.  Norris also added a 2-points conversion which later turned out to be the winning margin.  Millbrook now led 16-6 with 4:46 left to play.

Prattville would not raise the white flag.  Derrick Gappa took Edwards’ kickoff at his 17 and returned it 31 yards to the 48. Brown connected with LaVail Winters for four yards; however his next two passes were dropped.  The Mustangs were guilty of roughing up Brown on fourth down giving Prattville a first down at the Mustangs’ 35 and a new set of downs with 1:51 left.

Brown fired a 21-yard aerial to Vinson who carried to the Mustang 14 and another first down.  Winters went around right end to the 9-yard line.  On third down Brown hit Courtney Taylor-Cain at the six yard line.  With 37.7 seconds left T. J. Albert barreled over the pylon making it, 16-12.   Millbrook’s B. J. Smith intercepted Brown pass on the 2-point attempt.

Moyer-Craft’s attempt at an onside kick was recovered by Millbrook’s Garrett Hartzog at the Mustangs' 48 with 29.6 seconds left.  Norris took a knee to end the game with a 16-12 Mustang victory.

Prattville coach Donnie Burnett was happy with his team’s performance.  “The kids never gave up, but we have a lot to improve.  We dropped sure passes, and did a poor job of tackling,” Burnett said Friday morning from the junior high.

Prattville’s 2011 record now stands at 2-3 with three games left on the schedule.

The Cats will travel to Opelika Tuesday October 4, and then take on the Mustangs again on Tuesday October 18 in Millbrook to end the 2011 season.  The Cats will also take a trip to LaGrange, Georgia to play Long Cane Junior High School, Thursday, October 13^th.

 Statistics

PRATTVILLE                                                 MILLBROOK

9                           First Downs                     12

26-151                 Rush-Yards                     28-191

66                         Passing Yards                 7

5-9-1                    C-A-I                              1-3-0

2-51                     Punts-Yards                    0

0                           Punt Returns                   1-9-yards

3-43                     Kickoff-Yards                  3-145

3-86                     Kickoff Returns               0

1-5                       Penalties                         3-25

16:10                   Time of Possession         15:50         

INDIVIDUAL

PRATTVILLE

RUSHING

T. J. Albert - 8-84-yards 1 TD

LaVail Winters - 6-25-yards

Tyler Brown - 7-37-yards

PASSING

Tyker Brown - 5-9-1-66-yards 1 TD

RECEIVING

Tommie Vinson - 2-56-yards 1 TD

LaVail Winters - 1-4-yards

AustinFiles - 1-2-yard

Courtney Taylor-Cain - 1 -4-yards

MILLBROOK

RUSHING

B. J. Smith - 10-104-yards - 1 TD

Kendarius Edwards - 5-65-yards

Ben Norris - 8-69-yards 1 TDF 2 2-pts

Rahman Hayes -1 16-yards

Rod Thrasher - 1-16-yards

PASSING

Ben Norris - 1-3-0-7-yards

RECEIVING

B. J.  Smith  - 1-7-Yards