Warrenton Folds During Fourth Quarter

By: Derrick Forsythe
Posted 2/9/09

By the time it submitted the lead during Friday's season opener, the Warrenton football team had been beaten both physically and mentally. Markus Golden used his 6-3, 230-pound frame to wear down the …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Warrenton Folds During Fourth Quarter

Posted

By the time it submitted the lead during Friday's season opener, the Warrenton football team had been beaten both physically and mentally. Markus Golden used his 6-3, 230-pound frame to wear down the Warrior defense and drive Affton to a 29-24 victory at home. The all-state performer attacked relentlessly, hammering his way down the field on 28 carries. But Golden was only partially responsible for Warrenton's second half implosion. The Warriors led 24-7 heading into the third quarter, before unraveling. "We had a few penalties that we caused that really hurt us," said Coach Ken Moore. "We put ourselves in some bad positions and two turnovers in that second half. It was just killer. Their momentum was building. We were getting worn down because we're limited on the numbers of kids we play, so it was really tough for us." An overload of penalties and sputtering offense spelt trouble in the third quarter. A Warrior defense that had bent just slightly in the first half broke wide open as the fourth quarter approached. The Warriors had committed just one penalty en route to a 24-7 halftime lead. Ball movement was consistent, decision-making was precise and by most accounts, Coach Ken Moore's team was in great shape. "There's a lot of good things that happened the first half for us," said Moore. "I think it took all the kids by surprise." Early indicators deemed this game would be nothing like last year's meeting, when Warrenton won a low-scoring defensive affair in the final seconds. Affton fumbled on its first pair of possessions, and the Warriors took advantage of each turnover. "We executed well on offense," said Moore. "I was proud of those guys. It looked like we were executing the little things. Our snaps were good. I saw kids getting downfield, making blocks and hustling." The game had its share of interruptions from the get-go. An illegal block in the back negated an 89-yard return on the opening kickoff for Affton. The Cougars had barely settled into their offense before coughing up the ball on the game's third play. Warrenton's Bob Hess recovered the fumble on the Affton 15-yard line. Five plays later junior quarterback Scotty Lathrop scampered in from 2 yards out and put Warrenton in command 7-0 with 8:51 left in the first quarter. Affton answered immediately, as Golden scored on a 64-yard run on the first play of the ensuing drive. The offense began developing a more deliberate approach midway through the quarter. Warrenton used a seven play drive to tack on its next set of points. Junior kicker Eric Christopherson booted a school-record 49-yard field goal. Affton helped the cause by surrendering the kickoff return on its own 16-yard line. Derrik Chapman corralled the fumble, and the Warriors were again in prime scoring position. One play later, Lathrop connected with senior Cody Lemons in the deep left corner of the end zone, as Warrenton took a 17-0 advantage. Lathrop completed 8 of his 16 passing attempts for 64 yards. Both teams ended the quarter on empty drives. Warrenton opened the second quarter with another scoring drive. Junior Nick Reese was pivotal in moving the ball, while Lathrop capped off the push with a 19-yard touchdown run. The Warriors led 24-7 with 8:51 remaining in the second quarter and would never score again. Still, Warrenton closed out the half with the momentum, shutting down Affton on a goal line stand and regaining the ball on downs. Ultimately, Reese and Turner led a ground crew that generated 150 rushing yards. The third quarter began with a Warrior interception at midfield. Warrenton was plagued by penalties on the next drive and forced to punt. Golden burst in from four yards out with 2:38 left in the third, as the Cougars closed the gap 24-15 after a successful two-point conversion, also by Golden. Affton began its next possession with a 60-yard return and scored moments later on a 4-yard plunge by Dominique Preston. The Warriors denied the two-point conversion, holding on to a 24-21 edge heading into the fourth quarter. Warrenton's effort to defend its lead was shaken by another interception - on the Warrior 40-yard line with 10:55 remaining. "The second half it just snowballed on us a little bit," said Moore. "We made some errors and bad judgment." Affton needed just over a minute to score again, as Golden bullied his way in from 15 yards out. "It's hard to tackle that kid," said Moore of Golden's immense strength. "I thought our kids did a pretty good job on that most of the times." The Cougars took command of the game with 9:29 left, leading 29-24. Warrenton dropped to 0-1 with the defeat and will travel to Washington this Friday for a 7 p.m. game.


X