Back

North 20 Reitz 29 - Central Stadium Sept 29, 2007

Game Stats    Game Recap   

Offense

Offensive line blocking scores:

Allgood  Tomlin  Todd    Douglas  Borman  Kuhlenhoelter

89%         87%     82%     88%        89%        84%

Defense

Game Recap

What story does a final score tell?

In all instances, it gives the final outcome. It tells who got a "W" and which team got an "L".

But it doesn't always describe the whole game.

Such was the case versus Reitz last Saturday night.

Depending upon which rating service or on-line blog you read, the Huskies entered the game an 18 to 22 point underdog. After having been manhandled by Castle, and given that Castle played Reitz to a standstill, North was not given much of a chance at staying up with the state's #2 ranked 4A team. North's narrow victories over Memorial and Mater Dei, from strictly a scoreboard point of view, had not indicated that much had changed over the last month.

Of course, that's why they play the games.

What transpired on September 29 was a coming of age for the 2007 North football team. There were certainly some memorable individual performances, but more than that, there was a "team" that showed up to play the game. There was a "team" that chose to give the Panthers all they wanted on both offense and defense.

In the end, Reitz' defensive and offensive lines provided the power that they needed to triumph on the scoreboard and some will say that's all that counts. But those that have watched this '07 Huskies team from July to September will recognize something else... something more difficult to acquire than victories. This team has now developed 'Character'.

...with a capital 'C'.

NORTH MAKES A STATEMENT EARLY

The Huskies took the opening kickoff and drove from their own 25 to the Panther 10 yard line in five plays. QB Dion Pendleton made the first two big gains with runs around either end and then RB Larry Merriweather ran through a gaping hole at midfield and carried the ball inside the 20. Two plays later, however, a pass deflected off first a linebacker, then a receiver, and finally into the hands of a Reitz defender.

The drive had not generated points, but it had certainly brought the North stands to a frenzy with its fast pace and crisp execution.

The Panthers, however, then gave their own fans reason to celebrate. Reitz generated a 95 yard drive that was a text book demonstration of their offense. Mixing runs, short passes, and option plays, they drove 95 yards in 7 minutes to take the early lead. Twice they extended their drive with short passes to the flat that broke free into the Husky secondary for large gains.


NORTH ANSWERS QUESTIONS

Earlier in the season, this Husky team might not have responded to a long drive. But this Husky team, having been tested by turmoil, competition, and pressure, was ready for the challenge. With Reitz choosing to squib kick rather than give the speedy Husky return men an opportunity to break free, North received good field position and made use of it.

First, North chose to stretch the Reitz defense with long passes. While a first attempt passed just beyond WR Ryan Parkman's outstretched hands, a second opportunity was snagged out of the air by WR Stephen Jackson. He leapt high for the ball, brought in close to his body, and withstood a jarring hit by both a Reitz defender and the ground itself.

The result was a first down in Reitz territory. After two running plays, another deep pass brought the ball to the Panther 12 yard line. From there, Pendleton executed what most thought was a run he couldn't possibly top.

Running right on the option play, a Reitz defender dove and grabbed the quarterback by the ankle. Pinned in against the sideline, dragging one defender, and with four Panther interior defenders rapidly closing the distance, Pendleton shook off his Panther ankle bracelet and then skirted all four defenders as he stided into the end zone for North's first score.

The Huskies' extra-point woes continued, however, and the kick was blocked. North, however, had answered one drive with another of their own and the buoyant affect was noted on the sidelines and in the stands.

REITZ CONVERTS TURNOVER

When a Reitz defender intercepted another pass in Husky territory, the Panthers made the most of a short field and went up another score on North. The two point conversion made a 9 point deficit and the forecasts of an 18-22 point defeat looked possible. Perhaps a month earlier, this Husky club might have yielded to such pressure. Perhaps the team-in-turmoil that was so apparent in the summer heat would have buckled. Perhaps some other city teams would have self-destructed at this point.

Not the '07 Huskies. This team buckled on its chin-straps, dug in, and gave a game to the Panthers that answered the questions about the Huskies' character.

FOURTH DOWN GAMBLES

Of course, the first person that the Huskies had to impress with their new found character was Reitz' coach. In the ensuing exchange of possessions, three times the Panther head coach made a choice to 'go for it' on fourth down. Reitz' staff obviously didn't respect North's defense or their ability to stop the passing game.

Twice they were right. Twice they got what they wanted. Neither opportunity yielded points, however, and then they went to the well once too often.

Facing 4th down and 12 yards to go near midfield, Reitz again decided not to punt and try for a first down. A blitz by LB George Quarles and pressure from DE Travis Carlile ruined any Reitz hopes for a first down. Under tremendous pressure and out of room to run by the right sideline, the Rietz quarterback sailed a hopeless pass out of bounds. The arrogance of the Panther coaches was rewarded with a defensive stop that netted the Huskies the ball in great field position with just three minutes to half-time.

PENDLETON IGNITES AND EXCITES

This was the point at which Dion Pendleton took control. Escaping around left end on the first play of the possession, he picked up a downfield block from Parkman, and was finally brought down at the 27 yard line. Two more carries took the ball inside the ten and from there Pendleton managed to 'one-up' his first quarter touchdown run.

With a play designed to get outside on the left hand side, Pendleton found himself instead facing a wall of three evenly spaced defenders. Facing a certain tackle for a huge loss, the senior quarterback found a safe haven when senior tackle Cory Allgood caught up with the play and blasted the nearest defender. Pendleton reversed his field, gave ground back to the fifteen yard line, and then angled towards the end zone flag. Jetting between two defenders with a burst of speed, he angled back toward the middle of the field, shook off a would-be tackler near the goal line, and ran in his second score of the game.

On one play he had faced almost certain tackles by no fewer than six defenders. Reitz came up 0-for-6 on the play and North was back within three points. A two point conversion attempt by Merriweather was stuffed and the Huskies went into half-time trailing 15-12.

THIRD QUARTER BELONGS TO REITZ

Reitz again demonstrated the reason for their lofty ranking in the third quarter. They took the opening kickoff and sustained a long drive against the Husky defense for a touchdown. With North trailing 22-12 and having given up a long drive, it again gave the Huskies a chance to fold. Instead, they answered with some of their best defensive football of the season.

When North's first possession ended in a three-and-out, it appeared that the dreaded "Reitz Steamroller" was ready to take over. The Huskies responded, however, with some solid football of their own. First, LB Clinton Brown made a big third down sack and then LB Larry Merriweather repeated the feat on the next possession. While Reitz moved the ball, no more points were in the offing due to a spirited hard hitting defense that rallied to the occasion.

There came a point, however, when it appeared that the Huskies might be stretched to the breaking point. When a Panther running back broke free up the middle, it fell to Pendleton, now playing defense, to make the touchdown saving tackle. He did so, but was late getting up from the collision. His efforts had yielded him severe cramps to his legs and he was forced to come out of the game.

MITCH PARKER COMES UP HUGE

With Pendleton out of the lineup, the next North got the ball it was feared that a great deal of North's offense would be gone from the game as well. But, in tough situations, tough teams find new players to go to. North found a new hero in its big wide receiver, Mitch Parker. With junior Cameron Whitler in at quarterback, he looked to Parker in one of the game's most critical situations. Faced with third and thirteen from deep in his own territory, Whitler stepped back into a well protected pocket and launched a deep spiral into the Reitz secondary.

Parker, a 6'3" receiver and defensive back, went up for the ball near the right hand sideline and came down with a spectacular 34 yard reception. The play moved North out from the shadow of its own goal post and netted the Huskies some breathing space. Parker would enjoy a second half that few, if any, receivers have duplicated in history. On the night he would grab six passes and gain 134 receiving yards--both numbers rank second in the annals of North Husky football. Only John Grimmer's 1998 playoff performance against Jeffersonville would produce more receiving yards and receptions in a game.

REITZ CONVERTS ON ANOTHER TURNOVER

Two minutes into the fourth quarter Reitz got the benefit of a generous call from the officials and made the most of it. A Reitz cornerback went up in the air to defend a pass near his own 20 yard line. He definitely went up for the ball with both feet in bounds, but whether any part of his body was in bounds when he came down with the ball was in dispute. Pictures show that while the North receiver landed in bounds, there wasn't much of the cornerback that was touching inside the boundary line.

None the less, Reitz had possession and put together their final drive of the night. Despite fierce blitzes and rushes by the Husky defense, the Panthers marched downfield and put up their fourth touchdown. With five minutes to play, the Huskies were in dire straits.

PENDLETON RETURNS AND LOOKS TO PARKER, TOO

Following the kickoff, North took the field down 17 points and needing to move the ball quickly. Dion Pendleton, still battling painful cramps, returned to run the offense. Now, however, without his 'best' legs underneath him and battling the clock as well as Reitz defenders, he turned to his receiver corps as his primary weapons. On first down, he hit Parker with a 15 yard gain and then he found Jackson on a slant pattern. After a sack, he connected with WR Ryan Parkman on a middle screen and generated another first down near midfield.

From there it was all Pendleton to Parker--including a leaping catch on 3rd and long to move the ball inside the 30. With a minute to play, it was Merriweather who went the final yards for his 32nd career touchdown. When Pendleton hit Parkman with a two point conversion pass, the margin was trimmed to 29-20.

Not enough time remained for a serious charge, but North had again demonstrated its character. When key players went down, others stepped up to fill the gap. When confronted with a relentless opponent, the defense had failed to give in and continued to battle against tough odds.

Without the turnovers, the outcome might've been different.

But "the game" wouldn't have been. North proved on this night that there's more to the score than the final tally. There is "the game" and how it is played. The Huskies conducted themselves as first class competitors should: they battled and they fought and they adjusted.

They proved to everyone, including themselves, that they are contenders and a T-E-A-M and nothing about the final score could change that aspect of the game.

BACK TO TOP