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Devils 'Grow Up' In Loss To Pirates

Chris Hoffman/Highlands Today

Avon Park's Teddy Allen slips around Braden River's Ben Peacock for a 12-yard gain during the first quarter of Friday's game.

By CHRIS HOFFMAN

Highlands Today

Published: October 11, 2008

Updated: 10/11/2008 04:12 pm

BRADENTON - Players walked off the field in tears on Friday night as Avon Park head coach Andy Bonjokian tried to console his team knowing another game was placed into the "should've won" column.

"I feel really bad for the kids," Bonjokian said. "The game was there for the taking and it was unfortunate that we couldn't get the job done.

"I'm not down on them at all. I'm more proud of them than I ever have been. It came down to poor play-calling, and that's my fault."

Senior quarterback Albert Moses stood in shock on the sidelines after the game after Avon Park turned the ball over four times and still had chances to win in a 16-6 heartbreaking loss to Braden River in a Class 3A-District 12 showdown at Pirates Stadium on Friday.

"We stuck with our game plan and it was working," Moses said. "Our running game really came alive tonight but it came down to we didn't score.

"Is this a game we should've won? I look at every game that we've played like that. But at least we're taking steps in the right direction."

Missed opportunities in a game where every possession was critical came back to haunt Avon Park against an energized Braden River team in front of its home fans.

After Braden River scored to go up 16-0 with 4:35 left to play, Moses attacked through the air, going 5 for 6 for 59 yards on a beautiful two-minute drive that was capped off by 6-foot-3 sophomore receiver Alonzo Robertson's circus catch in double coverage for a 37-yard touchdown strike.

A failed 2-point conversion cut the Braden River lead to 10, but the Red Devils failed to recover the onside kick and the Pirates ran the clock down to mere seconds to seal the win.

"It really hurts right now," said AP linebacker Dwayne Council Jr. "We wanted this game really bad and I'm sad we couldn't get this team and our coaches a win tonight.

"I'm really speechless right now. It's just sickening when you think about it."

The loss keeps the Red Devils winless on the season (0-5 overall, 0-2 district), while the Pirates improve to 4-2 and 1-1 in district.

Avon Park's offense looked confident and poised for most of the night, but in the early going, fumbles cost the Red Devils as they coughed the ball up on their first three possessions - the final one giving Braden River the ball at midfield where they scored moments later on a 22-yard touchdown pass from Steven Fischer to Sharrod Neasman.

Down 6-0 moments into the second quarter, Avon Park's ground attack opened up with the tandem threat of Virgil Cooper and Teddy Allen sharing the rock.

Allen broke free for a 12-yard gain then Cooper cut and sliced the Pirate defensive front for back-to-back runs of 14 and 15-yards, as the Red Devils marched down the field 68-yards for a first and goal on the six-yard line.

Cooper would finish with 94 yards on 13 carries, while Allen had 16 carries for 95 yards in the Red Devils' breakthrough game on the ground.

A quarterback keeper by Moses moved the pile five yards and Avon Park was knocking at the door for a score, but three successive running plays were met by a game-changing goal line stand by Braden River.

Bonjokian blamed his play calling for not being able to celebrate a touchdown during that series.

"We obviously didn't call the right plays during when we got near the goal line," Bonjokian said. "There is no reason we get down to the one and not come away with a touchdown. We didn't execute like we should've.

"That just shows you that a good football team stopped us when they needed to make a play in front of their home crowd."

That proved to be the turning point in the game, as Braden River converted a key 3rd-and-10 from their one-yard line when quarterback Steven Fischer hit tight end Casey Hunt for a 13-yard gain and a new set of downs.

Pirate running back Jajuan Bell - who rushed for 107 yards on 26 carries - broke runs of 16 and 39 on successive plays, nearly going the distance on the later play, but was brought down by speedy linebacker James Bland at the Red Devil 30.

Seven plays later, kicker Kadin Kerns chipped in a 31-yard field goal to give the home team a 9-0 lead going into the locker room at half time.
Avon Park controlled the clock with their ground game in the third quarter, as the Red Devils had the ball for 7:53 seconds of that quarter and put together a 17-play drive that started on their own 13-yard line.

Cooper and Allen were like night and day when running the ball.

Cooper would juke and slip the defense to the outside, while Allen would use his strength to move the pile and break through the heart of the Pirate defense.

The duo had the Red Devils knocking on the door once again.

With a 1st-and-10 from the Braden River 25, a costly holding penalty negated a beautiful run by Allen that would've given Avon Park a first down inside the 15, but the Red Devil drive stalled early in the fourth quarter as a pair of Moses passes fell incomplete and Avon Park turned the ball over on downs.

"You have no room for error against a good team like Braden River," Council Jr. said. "We need to take advantage of every scoring opportunity that comes our way and we didn't get it done tonight."

Bonjokian and his coaching staff are resolved to getting the Red Devils in the win column and believe they made huge strides on Friday, despite the score.

"I think we found our identity," said the AP skipper. "We ran the ball good tonight and I'm proud of the kids for not giving up.

"This team has to get to the point where they hate losing and start winning. I think we're there. This team grew up tonight."
Avon Park is back in action next week when they travel to LaBelle. Game time is at 7:30 p.m.
Braden River 16, Avon Park 6

Friday at Bradenton
Avon Park 0 0 0 6 - 6
Braden River 0 9 0 7 - 16

SCORING SUMMARY

Second Quarter

BR - Fischer 22 pass to Neasman, (Kerns kick failed), 11:52

BR - Kadin Kerns 31 field goal, 1:37

Fourth Quarter

BR - Fischer 8 run, (Kerns kick), 4:35

AP - Moses 37 pass to Robertson, (2-pt conv. failed), 2:06

INDIVIDUAL STATS

RUSHING Avon Park; Allen 16-95, Cooper 13-94, Moses 5-13. Braden River; Bell 26-107, Fischer 6-13-1, Roderick 2-17.

PASSING Avon Park; Moses 6-11-74-1. Braden River; Fischer 10-14-109-1

RECEIVING Avon Park; McKenzie 1-4, Cooper 3-18, Robertson 2-52-1. Braden River; McNeal 5-27, Neasman 2-33-1, Hunt 2-42, Yannotti 1-7.