Strong second half pushes Celina past Leopards

By JIM OTTS

Register Correspondent

Turnovers and big plays marred the night for the Gainesville Leopards as they fell victim to the Celina Bobcats 39-0 to begin the toughest stretch of the football season.

Also, for the second week in a row the Spotted Cats found themselves without much offensive punch.

“We were manhandled up front,” coach Ricky Lock said. “It was obvious we were whipped along the line of scrimmage and it does not get any easier from here.”

The Leopards, 5-3 overall and 1-2 in district, have a home game with the conference leading Argyle Eagles and a road bout at Prosper remaining. Both of those teams are state-ranked.

“I thought our kids played with a lot of heart,” Lock said. “We had a good first half and did some things that were good but we were overmanned.”

The Bobcats led at the intermission 18-0 despite the fact they had done very little offensively. The guests had 115 total yards, but 77 of that came on one play. The Leopards held the Bobcats to just two first downs.

Miscues did the Reds in, however.

Harold Wills caught a Kielyn Lewis pass late in the first quarter, but got hit after a step and fumbled. Celina had just 12 yards ahead of them after the recovery and running back Jose Romero went in from the four two plays later.

The guests tried the swinging gate play for the PAT, with most of the linemen and a couple of backs far to the left, the center and a couple of backs in the middle of the field and a wide receiver far right. When the Leopards were a little slow to get in position Celina snapped the ball and quarterback Cody Worrell threw a strike to wide receiver Jay Perez for the two points.

Romero later intercepted a Lewis pass intended for Guy Bradley and returned it 38 yards to the Gainesville nine in the second quarter.

The defense stiffened and stopped Simmons twice, then knocked down a Worrell pass intended for Daniel Mendoza to bring up a 22-yard field goal attempt. Alex Juarez put it through to up the Bobcat lead to 11-0.

Simmons provided the 77-yard romp to paydirt that constituted most of the Bobcat offense on a second-and-seven pitch sweep to the left. Juarez added the point after to up the ante to 18-0.

With the exception of that one rushing touchdown the Leopards could feel good about their first-half defensive performance, but the offense managed just 14 rushing yards and seven passing steps.

It took less than two second-half minutes for the visitors to put the contest out of reach.

Running back Cody Sandler took the ball nine yards on his first carry of the evening. After a holding penalty moved the Bobcats back to their 39, Sandler went off the right side on a quick opener and rambled the distance.

Juarez added the point after, then lofted the ensuing kickoff high to the left where Perez ran past Leopard front men and hauled the ball in before it hit the ground. Lock argued the Bobcat defender was out of bounds when he caught the ball, but officials awarded possession to the guests at the Leopard 46.

A 37-yard pass from backup quarterback Garrett Stephenson, who was in as a wingback at the time, went to Perez and got the Bobcats to the Leopard nine. A run from Chad Hawley put them on the one and Worrell rolled to his right and pulled in the cornerback before lobbing an easy pass to Romero in the end zone.

The best chance for a Leopard score came late in the third after Kenyon Morgan leapt in front of a Stephenson pass for an interception that set the Spotted Cats up at the Bobcat 41.

Passes from Lewis to Patrick Westbrook and Landon Lock and a run by Morgan got the Leopards to the Celina 10, then Lewis swept around right end and into the end zone for an apparent TD.

Officials called holding at the three, however, and marched the Reds back to the 13. A penalty and a couple of incompletions brought up fourth and goal from the Celina six and Ricky Lock sent in Justin Espinosa and the field goal team for a 23-yard attempt.

Celina called time out to ice the kicker and the coach changed plans and sent his offensive unit back onto the field. Lewis scrambled to his right and was dropped for a two-yard loss before he could find an open receiver.

The Leopards lost the ball on downs at their own 41 late in the contest and Celina used six plays to push in the final touchdown, a 1-yard plunge by Simmons. A 33-yard pass from Stephenson to Cody Rhodes set the Bobcats up at the Gainesville five in that drive.

Argyle comes to town next Friday for the last varsity game to be held in Leeper Stadium.