Alva takes down the Eagles 49-13
September 23, 2018
Friday's rain cooperated, moving out of Alva before the home football game against Hennessey. In Alva's first district game of the season, it appeared the teams were unevenly matched. Alva came to the contest with a 3-0 record while Hennessey was 0-3.
But the Goldbugs took nothing for granted. Hennessey faced some very tough teams in those games: Perkins, Kingfisher and Hobart.
In the end, Alva's speed trumped Hennessey's brawn. Alva won 49-13. Hennessey actually led at the end of the first quarter 13-7, but they never scored again despite the 15 penalties assessed against the Goldbugs.
First Quarter
Alva started in control of the ball on the ten, set back by the first penalty. It took only seven plays for the Goldbugs to cross the goal line. The first play, a pass from senior quarterback Mitchell Meyer to Stephen Willyard, moved the ball 28 yards.
Meyer connected on a couple of passes to Kaden Hensley, handed off to Dalton Hess twice, and kept the ball once to get within a yard of the end zone. Then Meyer ran across for the touchdown. Cameron Gordon kicked the extra point, and Alva led 7-0 before the Hennessey offense ever gained possession.
On the ensuing kickoff, junior running back Treyson Dunigan stunned Alva with his run back to the Alva four yard line. The Goldbugs cut that to two yards with their second penalty for illegal participation. Dunigan ran the ball in, followed by a good point after, and the score was knotted at 7-7.
With nine minutes left in the first period, Alva started from the 27. On the second play, a nice pass to Hensley was nullified by another Alva penalty. Meyer couldn't get a pass off but ran for 10 yards. On the next play, Dawson Manning was tackled for a loss and Alva had to punt.
Hennessey started at their 46 and made it to the Alva 43 in seven plays, suffering a penalty that left them at 4th and 11. Zane Hugaboom punted into the end zone.
Starting at their 20, Alva immediately earned a five yard penalty. Meyer completed passes to Hennsley and Gavin Perez, getting to the 48. A pass to Dalton Rose was incomplete so he tried a handoff to Hess who ran for 12 yards. From the 32, Meyer tried a throw that Reece Martin couldn't reel in. Meyer tried a pass into the end zone that was tipped by Hennessey and intercepted.
The Eagles took possession on their one yard line, but that was no problem for Dunigan who ran 99 yards for a one play touchdown. Flags were thrown but the call was on Alva for a personal foul. The TD was counted, and Hennessey led 13-7. The Eagles were unsuccessful in their conversion attempt and the score stood with less than a minute remaining in the quarter.
The Alva penalty was assessed on the kick off with Kevin Suarez set up on the Goldbug 45. He tried an onside kick, but Alva was ready and fell on it at the 43.
The Goldbugs managed three plays and one first down before the clock ran out.
Second Quarter
The determined Goldbugs set out to make up the deficit. In six plays they tied the score despite earning two more penalties. The first flag canceled out a great pass catch by Martin and backed Alva up to their 45. A Meyer pass overshot Hensley for an incomplete. Then Hennessey earned a personal foul penalty boosting Alva to the 40. Meyer handed the ball to Hess who took it to the 25, but another Goldbug penalty set it back five yards. Then Meyer connected with Martin for a 30 yard touchdown. Gordon's kick was good, and Alva led 14-13.
Hennessey made it from the 20 to the 34 in two runs but earned a flag to set the ball back to their 29. At that point, the Goldbugs stopped everything the Eagles tried, and they had to punt from the 29.
Alva took over at their 39 and moved the ball despite a five yard penalty on the second play and a holding call on the third. Eventually they were at the 29 after a nice run by Meyer. From there he connected with Perez to score a touchdown. Gordon's point after kick was good, and Alva led 21-13.
The kickoff had to be done over after Alva was assessed a penalty. Gordon's squib kick was fumbled by Hennessey, and Alva recovered at the Hennessey 41.
The Goldbugs didn't make much progress in three plays with two penalties assessed. Meyer had to punt from the 47.
Hennessey's possession was short-lived as Gordon stripped the ball from Dunigan on the third play.
Alva started at the Hennessey 32 and made five plays to score again. Meyer threw eight yards to Martin in the end zone for the TD. Gordon's kick was good again, and Alva led 28-13.
That score stood at the half with Hennessey managing only two plays before time ran out.
Third Quarter
In the second half, the Goldbugs cut down on the penalties and toughened the defense to hold Hennessey scoreless.
The Eagles made it to the Alva 17 yard line, but a pass into the end zone was knocked down by Hensley. Then Gordon intercepted another Hugaboom pass and ran it back to the 49.
Each team was assessed a penalty in the next sequence, Alva for holding and Hennessey for illegal man downfield. Then a holding call on Hennessey gave Alva an automatic first down and set them on the 31. Another flag on Hennessey, this time for a face mask call, moved Alva to the 15. Alva was stopped there until Meyer ran the ten yards on the fourth down. A hand off from Meyer to Hess lost six yards, but Meyer threw to Gordon for the 11 yard touchdown. Gordon's kick was good, and Alva led 35-13.
Hennessey was pretty much shut down for the final minutes of the third period, and earned a dead ball personal foul just before time ran out.
Fourth Quarter
Hennessey started the final period on a third and 18. The Eagles were flagged again on the first play, moving them back five more yards. The Goldbug defense pressured Hugaboom who lost the football. Darian Malone fell on it, and Alva took over at the 14.
Meyer handed off to Hess who ran the ball in for the TD. The extra point by Gordon was good, and Alva led 42-13.
The Eagles moved the ball from their 14 to the 22 where they faced a fourth and one situation. Hugaboom tried a fake punt but his run was stopped.
Alva took the ball back at the Hennessey 23. From there, Meyer immediately threw to Rose in the end zone for another score. Gordon continued his perfect extra point record, and Alva led 49-13.
Hennessey was looking defeated, and Alva started substituting players. The tiring Eagles didn't make much headway, and Alva took over on their 39 yard line.
Stephen Willyard came at quarterback and had a lot of success handing off to Harley Bynum who made some really good runs. Freshman Kaden Slater tried his hand at quarterback but lost the ball on a high snap.
The Eagles only retained control for a couple of plays before losing the ball on a handoff, and Alva took it back.
The team of Slater and Bynum did a good job of moving the ball downfield until time ran out. The final score stood at Alva 49, Hennessey 13.
Up Next
With a district win under their belts, the Goldbugs are now 4-0 for the season while Hennessey falls to 0-4.
Alva travels to Chisholm next Friday to take on the Longhorns. Chisholm is 1-3 on the season with a win over Perry 35-22 over the weekend. Their losses were to Weatherford, Fairview and Bethany.
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