| Smithson lifts G’field by DMS |
By: Sara Rachels — Special to the Weakley County Pres
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Posted: Wednesday, September 29, 2010 9:50 am
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What goes up — Greenfield’s Tanner Smithson (left) wraps up leaping Junior Lion Joey Smith during the Junior Yellowjackets’ win Thursday night. Smith and Smithson were the key weapons for each team. Photo by Sara Rachels
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The race stood nearly dead even after one half of play, but the running machine that was Tanner Smithson pushed Greenfield into the lead for good in the second half and led the Junior Yellowjackets to a 40-24 win over Dresden this past Thursday night.
Each team scored four touchdowns in the first half. Dresden’s Junior Lions failed on all four two-point conversions, while Greenfield was perfect on all attempts and led 32-24 at the break. In the second half, Dresden failed to reach the end zone and Smithson ran in another TD to make the final tally 40-24.
From the first play of the game, Greenfield put the ball in the hands of Smithson and he delivered 44 yards on the first three plays. He made it to the end zone on the fourth straight carry, but the Jackets were penalized on an illegal procedure. At the Lion 8, Smithson was held to two yards on two carries and Dillon Jolley sacked John David Ricketts for a three-yard loss and a fourth-and-goal situation. This time, however, Smithson focused on the right corner of the end zone and covered the nine yards to post the first score. Ricketts found Miles Cavitt through the air for the conversion and Greenfield led 8-0 with 4:14 left in the opening quarter.
Dresden was ready to answer and a lateral from Tyler Hutcherson to Joey Smith picked up 16 yards and a quick first down. Quincey McDonald lost a yard on his carry, but Smith broke free on a long run. He appeared to be end-zone bound, but was popped by Smithson and fumbled back to Greenfield.
On the Yellowjacket 29, Smithson found a hole and raced forward 35 yards, but was held to a single yard on his next handoff. Ricketts threw incomplete and was stripped on the next snap to give possession to DMS.
Hutcherson’s pass missed its mark on first down and McDonald was stopped for no gain, but Smith switched gears on his handoff and ran 63 yards for Dresden’s first points. Hutcherson threw incomplete on the conversion, but Greenfield’s lead slipped to 8-6 at the end of one quarter.
Starting on the Lion 47, Smithson picked up a first down on carries of nine and eight yards. Cavitt gained five and Smithson netted another first down on a five-yard carry. Ricketts missed the target on his throw, but Cavitt picked up nine yards up the middle and Smithson finished the drive with a 13-yard touchdown carry. Ricketts’ throw to Hunter Maness completed the conversion and the Yellowjackets led 16-6 with 5:13 left in the first half.
Smith was ready to answer again and needed just one play — a 62-yard run — to score for the Lions. McDonald was stopped on the conversion, but Dresden pulled closer at 16-12.
The celebration was short-lived, as Smithson ran 61 yards for a quick GJH score and, with the conversion, the visitors doubled up on the Lions 24-12.
Each team scored once more before the half — Dresden on a one-yard keeper from Hutcherson and Greenfield on a 60-yard halfback pass from Smithson to Cavitt — as Greenfield led 32-24 thanks entirely to making all of its conversion attempts.
Both squads were stricken with mishaps early in the second half as they traded fumbles three times and failed to put any points on the board in the third.
A 21-yard sweeping run to the end zone in the fourth by Smithson left little doubt in the game’s outcome and the Yellowjackets took the 40-24 victory.
Smithson finished with 336 yards and four touchdowns on 28 carries. He also threw a 60-yard touchdown pass. For Dresden, Smith had 126 yards and two TDs on five carries. |
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