Miscues put a damper on Tiger Cubs' season opener

Saturday, August 22, 2009

MONROVIA -- It was a long and difficult night for Greencastle in its football season and West Central Conference opener Friday against Monrovia, who clobbered the Tiger Cubs 50-0 at Gordon Hadley Field.

Coach Mike Meyer didn't try to sugarcoat how the Tiger Cubs played.

"We got our butts kicked," he said. "They out-hit and out-played us from the beginning to the end of the game. We didn't play very well and we got beat by a very good football team. You don't turn the ball over and make silly mistakes against a good team and expect to win."

Greencastle had 30 yards rushing, two passing and three first downs. Monrovia had 254 rushing, 37 passing and 14 first downs.

The Tiger Cubs twice snapped the ball on the ground on punts. On the first, Monrovia's Tim Connor was on top of punter Dakota Campbell as he tried to boot the ball and blocked it. The Bulldogs' Grant Watson grabbed it and ran 16 yards for a touchdown 84 seconds into the game.

It didn't get much better from there.

Monrovia broke the game wide open with a 29-point second quarter. The Bulldogs' touchdowns include a 32-yard interception return by Watson and a 25-yard drive set up by the second snap on the ground to Campbell, who was swarmed under before he could take a step.

The Tiger Cubs also gave up a 33-yard touchdown pass on fourth-down-and-3 with 43.6 seconds left in the first half.

"I don't think Greencastle is that bad," Monrovia coach Kevin Hutchins said. "It's early in the year. They'll get better."

At Monrovia

Greencastle 0 0 0 0 -- 0

Monrovia 7 29 0 14 --50

First quarter

M -- Watson 16 punt block return (Reeves kick) at 10:36

Second quarter

M -- Parks 4 run (Connor run) at 11:53

M -- Watson 32 interception return (run failed) at 10:04

M -- Hadley 5 run (McCleerey pass from Clements) at 5:02

M -- Johnson 33 pass from Connor (Parks kick) at 43.6

Fourth quarter

M -- Parks 23 run (Reeves kick) at 6:40

M -- Voss 4 pas form Sichting (Parks kick) at 1:06

Individual statistics

Rushing -- (GHS) Richardson 10-15, Lenihan 3-17, Ford 3-10, Hickham 9-0, Remsburg 1-(-2), Campbell 1-(-10); (M) Parks 13-93, Hadley 14-68, Johnson 9-40, Connor 5-17, Klampe 2-32, McCleerey 2-5, Clements 3-2, Sichting 1-(-3).

Passing -- (GHS) Hickham 1-6-2, 4, Battin 1-2-0, -2; M--Connor 1-2-0. 33, Sichting 1-1-0, 4, Parks 0-1-0.