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Archives 10-27-99 Sports
Livingston Academy played host to the state's top ranked Class 3A football team Friday night, losing to the Portland Panthers 39-0. The Wildcats, who entered the game ranked 12th in the latest AP poll, suffered their worst loss since a 48-0 loss to Kingston in 1993. The Widlcats struggled offensively as they were shut out for the first time since a 33-0 loss at Portland in last year's regular season matchup. The Wildcats continued an alarming decline in offensive production going in consecutive weeks from 36, to 28, 14, 9, and now 0. Portland rolled up 421 yards in total offense with Gerald Turner leading the way rushing for 158 yards and 3 touchdowns on 17 carries. The Wildcats had opportunities in the game, but turned the ball over 3 times and had a field goal attempt blocked. Robert Richardson completed 12 of 19 for 124 yards and one interception while Matthan Houser had 5 catches for 42 yards. Houser, injured in the third quarter, finished with 126 all-purpose yards and led the team in tackles with 11. Josh Parsons led the Cats rushing game with 10 carries for 48 yards. The game began with Portland receiving the opening kickoff and being forced into a fourth and one from their own 44. The Panthers enticed Livingston Academy to jump offsides and proceeded for the game's first score. The 11-play, 65-yard drive was culminated by Turner's 4-yard touchdown run. Kevin Eakes conversion kick made it 7-0. After an exchange of punts, LA began a drive on their own 25 and marched to a first and goal at the Portland 4. Richardson hit Matt Poston with an 18-yard completion to begin the drive that was highlighted by two 14-yard passes to Houser. Two running plays resulted in no gain and after Richardson was sacked, the Cats were forced to try a 33-yard field goal. Joseph McGill, who had hit from that distance the week before, saw the kick blocked by an untouched Josh Jones who returned it 28 yards to the Portland 48. The Panthers quickly went 52 yards in 6 plays with Jones scoring on a 21-yard run. The kick failed, but Portland led 13-0. The Panthers added another score on their next possession as Turner went in from 18 yards out. This time a two-point conversion pass failed and the state's top ranked team led 19-0 going into halftime. In the third quarter, the Wildcats received the opening kickoff and advanced into Portland territory before turning the ball over on downs. Portland took only 4 plays to go 58 yards using an unbalanced set to confuse the Cats defense. Turner scored from 13 yards out and after yet another failed conversion, Portland led 25-0. After the ensuing kickoff, the Wildcats fumbled on their third play and Portland recovered at the LA 29. The Panthers' Chad Bruce made a sensational one-handed catch of a Nathan West pass to score on the first play. Eakes kick made it 32-0. Portland tacked on a final score with 7:38 remaining as Derek Boyd went in from 22 yards. Eakes kick made the score 39-0. The Wildcats had one final chance to score, fumbling at the Panthers goal line only to have the ball batted out of the endzone for a touchback. The Wildcats, 7-2 overall and 4-2 in Region 4-3A, must now prepare to host Macon County, 1-8, and try to gain some momentum for the TSSAA playoffs. The Cats are assured a playoff berth and could wind up 2nd, 3rd, or 4th. Barring an upset somewhere, the Cats are likely looking at a third place seed, which would mean a trip to Chattanooga-Brainerd in the first round. Portland, 9-0, will close the regular season with 5-4 DeKalb County. Friday night will be senior night and will mark the last regular season game at Tom Davis Memorial Stadium for the seniors. Playing their last regular season game will be Matt Copeland, Chris Everley, Matthan Houser, Derek Knappenberger, Danny Webb, Jeremy McDonald, David Stockton, and Josh Young. Complete Statistics Portland - Gerald Turner 4 run (Kevin Eakes kick)
LA Portld. Individual Statistics Rushing (Atts.-Yds.-TDs) Sacks Against (No.-Yds. Lost) Receiving (No.-Yds.-TDs) Kickoff Returns (No.-Yds.-TDs) Punt Returns (No.-Yds.-TDs) Punting (No.-Yds.-Avg.-Longest) Tackles (Primary-Assists-Total) Tackles For Loss (No.-Yds. Lost) Sacks Fumble Recoveries Interceptions (No.-Yds.-Tds) Passes Broken Up Friday, Oct. 22 Results
x-Portland 6 0 - 9 0 (x-clinched Region championship; y-clinched playoff berth) Friday, Oct. 29 Schedule -end of regular season- Outlaws
To Play In Blue Devil Bowl Blue Devil Bowl in Gainesboro Saturday, October 30,
Time TBA Jr. Wildcats Win
Over McMinnville The Overton County Junior Wildcats completed their regular season with a 38-12 win over McMinnville. The Junior Cats used the big play, getting touchdowns from 75 and 89 yards in the one-sided victory. The Junior Cats jumped out to the lead on a 14-yard touchdown run by Mike Jones with 4:34 remaining in the first quarter. The conversion failed making the score 6-0 Cats. McMinnville tied the game on Markee Carr's 37-yard run early in the second quarter. The conversion run failed, but the score was tied 6-6 with 6:02 left in the second quarter. Overton County's Danny Ledbetter, who led all rushers with 126 yards, broke loose for a 75-yard touchdown with only 1:39 left in the first half. Ledbetter added the conversion run to make it 14-6 Cats. In the second half, the Cats opened the lead, first on a 28- yard touchdown by Brian Colson with Mike Jones adding the conversion to make it 22-6, then early in the third quarter Colson added his second touchdown on an 8-yard run. Colson then ran in the conversion to make it 30-6. With 3:23 remaining in the game, Mike Jones, on the longest play of the year, went 89 yards for the score. Ledbetter's 2-point conversion made the score 38-6 Cats. McMinnville added a final score on John Bartcher's 57-yard run to make the final score 38-12. Complete Statistics Individual Statistics Rushing (Atts.-Yds.-TDs-XP) Receiving (No.-Yds.-TDs) Kickoff Returns (No.-Yds.-TDs) Punt Returns (No.-Yds.-TDs) Punting (No.-Yds.-Avg.-Longest) Tackles (Primary-Assists-Total) Lady
'Cats Close 1999 In Tourney Livingston Academy's Christy Hastings was named to the All-District 9-A/AA Team. (OCN file photo) LA Volleyball By Dewain E. Peek The Livingston Academy Lady Wildcats volleyball team closed out 1999 playing in the District 9-A/AA Tournament. After closing the regular season with a 6-15, 15-11, 7-15 loss at Cookeville, the Lady ÔCats defeated Trousdale County 15-1, 15-4 in the first round of the district tournament, setting up a chance in the second round to avenge previous season losses to Upperman. LA Volleyball Coach Merl Smith said, "We came in tied for second with Upperman. They had beaten us twice. The first time they beat us pretty good, the second time we had them where we wanted them. We beat them the first game, then they beat us the second, and we had them 9-5 in the third game and missed two serves. You can't miss serves on rally points. "I felt we hadn't played our best game overall, and we never did play our best game against them. They were just too strong for us and they were the better team the night that we played them in the tournament. The first game was real, real close. We had the ball back in our court at 13-12 and should have put it away, and then they went ahead and scored it on out.Ó Upperman ended the Lady ÔCats season with a 15-13, 15-2 win. Van Buren County upset Macon County 16-14, 15-0, then defeated Upperman 17-15, 15-9 in the finals. "We had a good tournament," Coach Smith said. "We had five teams capable of going on. It was just whoever got hot at the time. We never did get that way. "It was the first time I've ever had a team to not improve down toward the stretch, to really play tough at tournament time. We've always done that, and this year we didn't do it." Overall, the 1999 Lady Wildcats finished with a winning 26-13 record. "You know, that's not bad with some of the competition we played because we played in three playdays, against Sparta, Cookeville, Glencliff, Riverdale, BGA and teams like that," Coach Smith said.. "That's not bad, but we just never did get it going right at the right time. We played some pretty good ball and we played some poor ball, but we never played really tough when we needed to against that real good team. We never got up enough to beat somebody like that. We were beating the mediocre teams and losing to the good teams." The 1999 squad will graduate five seniors - Christy Hastings, Adrianne Dial, Kara Masters, Cayce Parsons, and April Fletcher. "We lose both middle blockers, and the outside hitter. So we'll have to rebuild a little bit," Coach Smith said. "They're fairly athletic, we'll just see if they can learn how to play volleyball a little bit better." Coaches have to look to the next season after a season comes to an end, but thinking about the future doesn't ease the sense of loss of potential unrealized. Coach Smith is no different. His team did not perform to his expectations and he is left with the feeling that follows failed expectations. " A little bit disappointed. I was disappointed down the stretch because I've done the same thing that I've done for years and it didn't work. I was disappointed in how we got up for the big games. We just didn't get up and play like we're supposed to."
LA Girls Finish
3rd In Cross Country Meet The Livingston Academy Cross Country teams competed in the Midstate Championship on Wednesday, Oct. 20 in Gallatin. The girls finished 3rd out of 11 teams, with 82 runners competing in the girls competition. Placing for LA, Heather Petry finished 10 with a time of 23:50, Deidra Pryor finished 12 with a time of 24:04, Heather Walker finished 27 with a time of 25:36, Stephanie Thrasher finished 36 with a time of 26:25, Brook Thompson finished 48 with a time of 27:35, and Rachel Tollet finished 72 with a time of 30:48. The boys team finished 8th out of 11 teams, with 121 runners comping in the boys competition. Placing for the ÔCats, Josh Krack finished 5 with a time of 18:36, Colin Smith placed 57 with a time of 21:28, Bo Byers placed 65 with a time of 21:52, Eric Huddleston finished 68 with a time of 22:04, Silas Stoddart finished 95 with a time of 23:18, Anton Coleman placed 96 with a time of 23:20, and Jeremiah Savage finished 109 with a time of 24:34. The teams' next race will be Thursday, Oct. 28 at the Region 5 meet in Gallatin. The race will be run on the Long Hollow Golf Course beginning at 1:30 p.m.
Overton County News
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