The Strawberry Crest Chargers fought hard for their first win of the season, but couldn't overcome a rough fourth quarter on Friday, Sept. 30.
The Lennard Longhorns started the game by recording a safety to go ahead, 2-0, and followed up with a Jahryn Bailey rushing touchdown with just under four minutes left in the first quarter. That score would hold for much of the game, thanks to a slew of penalties and turnovers affecting both sides.
Crest's secondary saw plenty of work in the first half, containing the Longhorns' aerial attack. Devonte Lowe and J.J. Franklin each snagged an interception for the Chargers.
For a while, it seemed as though each big play was followed by something bad. Lennard would drive down the field, then record a turnover. Crest would set itself up with a big run, then immediately give the ball away. The one time this hurt a team the most was at the 2:01 mark in the third quarter, when a long Crest run would have counted as a touchdown if not for a holding call, which was also paired with an excessive celebration flag that only made things worse.
In the fourth quarter, Lennard scored its first insurance touchdown on a seven-yard run at the 5:13 mark, and scored again almost exactly one minute later when a Braxton Plunk pass attempt was tipped into the hands of a Longhorns defensive back, who promptly ran into Crest's end zone.
Although the final outcome wasn't what Crest had hoped it would be, the coaching staff still had praise for the players' effort.
"I think the fact that these kids stayed here – when a lot of kids transferred out – they still stayed here and fought for a hard-nosed program," assistant coach Will Terry said. "And that shows a lot of character in these young men."
In other area action, Durant rolled through Bloomingdale, 41-7, and Tampa Bay Tech made a strong case for the 7A-9 title with a 39-6 win over Plant City.
