Photo credit gotmix.net
Two unfortunate district losses at the hands of Aldine Nimitz and rival Westfield may have been a wake-up call for the Lions. Trailing 22-13 and starring at yet another district loss, Spring outscored the Falcons, 22-8 in the second half to post a 35-22 come from behind defeat of Aldine Davis on Thursday night at Thorne Stadium.
“Going into this week with a 1-4 record, a district opponent, we knew our backs were against the wall tremendously,” Spring coach Trent Miller explained. “So we preached all week the importance of finishing games. We lost three games by a combined nine points. So we know we have the talent. We know we have the capability. We’re just young both offensively and defensively. We need to teach our kids how to finish.”
The win keeps Spring in contention for a playoff spot with four games remaining in district 16-6A.
Quarterback Clifton McDowell knifed through the Davis’ defense to the end zone, giving Spring a 26-22 lead. McDowell then capped the drive with a run-soaring, two-point conversion-dive from three yards out to increase the score 28-22 with 4:55 to play. Its first lead since leading, 13-7 in the second quarter and one that would hold for its second district win of the season. McDowell’s touchdown was set up by sophomore running back Clyde Lacy’s nifty 56-yard sprint to the Falcons’ two-yard line.
“He (McDowell) looked at me halfway through the third quarter and said coach, I’m good, give me the ball,” says Spring coach Trent Miller. “I said okay. Let’s go.”
The Lion (2-4, 1-2) did not let up, shocking Davis a play later with a surprise kick as the ball landed in a space on the 35 yard line, took a bounce back, bounced off two Davis players, Joshua jack and De’Robert Flint, and finally, recovered by the Lions’ Roane A’Zavier in Davis territory at the 31. With all the excitement going on, the clock never ticked off any time; it still read 4:55 left. The clock wasn’t a concerned of Spring as Lacy took the hand-off, sliced left and outran the defense to the end zone to put the game away, 35-22 following kicker Samuel Malone’s extra point kick.
Spring began its comeback on its second possession of the fourth quarter. After two incomplete passes, the Lions got a break when defensive back Brian Uzowuru interfered with receiver Aaron Williams who gave it a fresh set of downs at the 47-yard line of Davis with 10:02 left. The running game began to wear on the Falcons front seven as Lacy found running room down to the 32-yard line of Davis. Williams added eight more yards, rushing to the 20. And three plays later, McDowell took it in from three yards out. That made the score, 22-20 with Davis leading.
Coach Showers admitted the teams’ defense was tiring. “We are short backups,” Aldine Davis coach James Showers said. “We don’t have a lot of depth. We needed to get off the field three and out. Once we stay on the field longer, our legs start getting tired. They (Spring) could feel it, and they could see it, and they started popping the big ones.”
McDowell, a Louisiana Lafayette commit, suffered a high anchor sprain two weeks ago against Westfield and sat out last week against Nimitz, connected on 7-of-15 attempts for 102 passing yards. Standout sophomore tailback Clyde Lacey rushed 181 yards on 17 carries.
Then Spring’s defensive linemen Jonathon Hawkins, Howard Titus, Jr., and sophomore linebacker Joseph McNeese pulled out back-to-back stops to give the ball back to its offense.
Titus was especially tough against the run, fighting off blocks at nearly every point while bringing down Barlow and DeCarie King.
“I try to beat them with speed,” Spring defensive end Howard Titus, Jr. said. “I lack in my size. I try to get them off me by using my quickness. I try to get off blocks.”
Davis (4-2, 2-1) had a chance to draw near when talented sophomore quarterback DeMarcus Barlow stepped up in the pocket and aired out a strike to receiver Reggie Ellis, who went up high to make the catch at the 37-yard line and ran uncontested to the end zone. But the play was erased because of a chop blocking call at the 20-yard line. Of course, it was well after Ellis was out of reach.
“We let up, and we weren’t focused,” says Aldine Davis running back/quarterback DeMarcus Barlow. “We had penalties. They (Spring) were more focused than us. They (Spring) came out ready to play. They outplayed us.”
It wasn’t pretty. Both teams combined for 22 penalties, totaling 195 yards.
“Well, we just quit executing, bottom line,” Aldine Davis coach James Showers said. “What we came out within the first half, worked for us. Came out the second half, we said we’ll make some minor adjustments, here and there. After the first series, we started holding, shooting ourselves in the foot, we got down in the red zone we started fumbling the ball and giving up the big play.”
In the first quarter, on the first play from scrimmage, tailback Culverson Taylor, Jr. took the handoff, found an opening and sprinted 71-yards to the end zone in stunning fashion to give Davis a 7-0 lead after Carlos Pardo’s extra point kick.
The Falcons held Spring scoreless on its first two possession before the Lions put together 66-yard touchdown drive under the direction of McDowell. McDowell threw a pass in the direction of junior receiver Bailee Davenport, who made a significant adjustment on the ball in blanket coverage. He slowed his route to reel the ball, turn inside toward open field and waltzed into the end zone. Spring trailed 7-6 after Malone’s kick sailed wide left.
The mistake filed game would see both teams’ trade touchdowns in the second quarter. Spring struck first, driving 69-yards in seven plays. McDowell’s pass had interception written on it when it appeared Davis defensive back Jamel Thomas reach the ball first but somehow missed it as receiver Kamron Andrus caught it and ran in for the score. That gave the Lions its first lead of the game, 13-7.
Barlow and King rotated at quarterback as Davis offense struggled. Self-inflicted mistakes served as the enemy. The Falcons turned the ball over three times which proved costly
Taylor led Davis in rushing with 90 yards on seven carries. Barlow added 82 yards on 11 carries.
Just before halftime, the Lions forced a punt only to give the ball back to Davis after the ball was touched by a Spring player down near the 20-yard line where Davis jumped on the loose ball.
Even after great field position on the Lions 20, Davis pushed itself back with a chop blocking penalty. Now at the 35, facing first and 25, running back/quarterback King breaks free on the carry down to the 14. The ball was moved half the distance to the seven-yard line following a personal foul against Spring. Barlow finished it with a keeper that would give Davis a point lead 14-13 with 12 seconds left going to halftime.
