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Tribe defense delivers against Dragons

11/17/2017

By Dan Manley
Advocate Sports Editor

The Montgomery County defense shut down the Doss offense Friday night in Louisville as the Indians topped the Dragons, 28-6, in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs.

The Tribe held Doss to their low point total of the season. Doss entered the game averaging 30 points per game and 38 points per game during a seven-game win streak entering Friday night.

But the Indians shut them out most of the night with the backup defense yielding a TD with just over two minutes left in the game for the Dragons’ only score.

Montgomery County forced six turnovers and that enabled the Tribe to dominate the time of possession by almost two to one.

Meanwhile, sophomore running back Charles Andrew Collins rushed for 159 yards in a season-high 24 attempts and scored three touchdowns as Montgomery County grabbed the lead early and controlled the game most of the way.

The victory moves the Indians into the Class 5A Region 3 championship game Friday night at Berea as they get a rematch with Madison Southern, a team that topped them 36-30 at Cunningham Field during the regular season. Gametime at James Williams Stadium is 7:30 p.m.

Big start
Montgomery County benefitted from a great start Friday night when Doss won the toss and elected to receive.

Sophomore kicker Zane Carter blooped the ball 20 yards downfield and when Doss failed to handle it cleanly Montgomery County’s Andrew Rutledge landed on the loose ball.

On third down and seven from the Doss 37, Collins broke to the outside and appeared to pick up the first down when he fumbled the football. But wide receiver Pharoah Davis, coming back to make a block for Collins, scooped up the loose football and ran 30 yards to the end zone to put the Tribe on the board less than 90 seconds into the game.

When Doss went offsides on the extra point attempt, the Indians decided to go for two and Collins walked into the end zone to make it 8-0 with 10:42 still to play in the first quarter.

Junior Ty Eads, who would leave the game later with a shoulder injury, made a terrific play to break up a pass to force a Doss punt several plays later.

This time the Indians took over at their own 26 and went 74 yards in 13 plays, taking more than six minutes off the clock, to score on a nine-yard run by Collins.

Two major penalties against the Dragons and a 10-yard run by senior fullback Gage Jones set up the score.

Another Doss offsides penalty led to another two-point conversion run by Collins as the lead grew to 16-0 with 1:31 to play in the opening period.
“Getting off to a good start was so important for us,” said Coach Jamie Egli. “We could have been intimidated by their size and athleticism, but that early score took away any thought of that.”

Doss misses
opportunities
The Dragons did have their chances in the first half.

They got the football at their own 15 yard line with 7:57 to play in the half following Carter’s 36 yard punt.

With sophomore running back Dallion Young running for gains of 10 and 14 yards and Doss quarterback Deon Pumphrey completing passes of 25 yards to twin brother Deshon Pumphrey and 12 yards to tight end Michael Weaver, the Dragons had a first and goal from the five yard line with just over two minutes to play in the half.

Young bulled his way for a couple of yards but fumbled the football and Collins recovered at the one yard line to thwart that drive.

The big play
After Jones punched the ball out to the five, the Dragons were penalized five yards for off-sides and then Collins ran two yards for a first down at the 12.

The next play put out the Dragons’ fire as Collins went off right tackle and broke free and simply out-maneuvered Doss defenders down the field on an 88-yard scoring run that pushed the lead to 22-0 with just 57 seconds to play in the half.

One more try
Somewhat in desperation the Dragons put junior ShanKel Knight-Goff in to run the Wildcat formation and he ripped off three consecutive runs of 15 yards to give the Dragons a first and 10 at the Tribe 18 yards line.
But then Knight-Goff attempted to throw out of that formation and Indian middle linebacker Kris Moore intercepted the pass with just 26 seconds left in the half to send the Tribe into the break with a 22-0 lead.

Doss defense
stiffens
In the second half the Dragons’ defense was much more effective but the Indians continued to get a field position advantage.

The Indians missed a great opportunity to add to their lead when they recovered a fumbled punt at the Doss seven yard line early in the second half but they ended up, after getting hit with a five-yard penalty, giving the ball up on downs at the 10.

The Dragons moved out to their 45 yard line with a first down but then lost another fumble, Tyler Hamm recovering, and the Indians scored their final TD eight plays later on a 10-yard run around right end by Collins, who ended up with 22 of the Indians’ 28 points.

Fullback time
With the Indians in front 28-0 they went to their power game.
Collins had played several series on defense and he got a rest as the fullback tandem of Jones and sophomore Josh Wheaton took over.
They helped the Indians run six minutes off the clock, with sophomore Jaden Akers adding a pair of nice runs, and by the time the Dragons got the football they trailed 28-0 with just 2:43 to play in the game.
Then came a quick exchange of turnovers which led to Doss having the football one final time.

After Deon Pumphrey hooked up with Jaren Boyd on a 43 yard completion who found Dishon Pumphrey on a play that covered 36 yards and put the Dragons in the end zone with just 2:04 to play in the game.

Key players gone
The Indians have played the entire season without senior Luke Dragoo (knee injury) and are now without defensive back Luke Parks (spleen injury) and Justin Korossy (broken leg).

Kris Moore has played with a leg injury that could easily have e