Zion Christian Extends Streak
This is a piece I wrote while covering a high school football game for the Columbia Daily Herald in Columbia, Tennessee. It was published on October 19, 2003.
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The St. Andrew's-Sewanee Lions were clearly no match for Zion Christian Academy as the Eagles dominated the field and won their homecoming matchup, 31-15, Friday. The Eagles improved to 5-2, while extending their winning streak to five games. Zion also became eligible for a bowl game thanks to the victory.
"It's pretty exciting," Zion Christian head coach Paul Brenner said. "The kids keep getting better every week."
Senior Steven Shoup was the star of the game, gaining an impressive 195 yards on 26 carries, scoring two touchdowns, a field goal, a two-point conversion and three extra-point kicks.
"He really played well," Brenner said. "He's like a rocket, he runs hard and it takes a lot of to stop him."
The Lions (1-7) started the game with possession, but they lost the ball through a turnover just over a minute into the game.
Jacob Malone and Shoup then pounded the ball 75 yards down the field in a series of plays that quickly unsettled the Lions' defense. At 5:52 in the first quarter, Shoup ran the ball through the middle of the Lion defense to score the first touchdown of the game. A pass from Matt Wahlman to Shoup added two points, and the score was 8-0.
"(Wahlman) showed a lot poise back there," Brenner said. "He really lead the offense well last night."
Shutting the Lions down in three plays, the Eagles took possession of the ball and again consistently pushed the ball through the Lion defense. Wahlman made a 22-yard pass to Andrew Moore and a few plays later Moore ran the ball for 14 yards. At 10:09 in the second quarter, Moore punched the ball four yards through the heart of the defense and scored the Eagles' second touchdown. Shoup kicked for the extra point, and the score was 15-0.
The Lions fumbled the ball on the second play of their next drive, and Caleb Godwin recovered the ball for the Eagles. It only took one play for Shoup to run the ball 67 yards for the third touchdown. His kick brought the score to 22-0 at 9:12.
Lions' quarterback Ryan Barry did all he could to get his team to rally, running the ball for 23 yards and moving the ball through the air for 35 yards. Jamal Jones surprised the Eagles' defense and ran down the right side of the field for a 19-yard touchdown at 1:27. A conversion pass from Barry to Jones added two points, bringing the score to 22-8 entering halftime.
The Lions came out more aggressive in the third quarter and forced the Eagles to turn over the ball in just three plays. A 63-yard run by Kenny Burruss got the ball within inches of the end zone. Barry threw a pass to Joseph Resta, who fumbled the ball. Clark Dugger picked it up and tumbled into the end zone, earning the Lions their second and final touchdown of the evening. Resta added the extra point, bringing the score to 22-15 at 9:28 in the third quarter.
With renewed energy, the Lions defense came onto the field and made the Eagles work to move the ball, finally forcing them to kick a field goal on fourth down. The 20-yard kick by Shoup was good, and the score was 25-14 with 1:36 left in the third quarter.
The Lions tried but failed to move the ball, as the Eagles' defense was simply too much for them. They turned the ball over on downs, and Shoup once again moved the ball aggressively down the field. Moore made the scoring run, pushing through the center of the Lions for a three-yard scoring run. Shoup added the extra point, and the score was 31-15, with 4:06 left in the game.
Down but not necessarily out, Barry moved the ball through the air in a series of passes to Evan Barry. The Eagles defense pushed them back, and the Lions were forced to turn the ball back over with less than a minute left in the game.
One knee later, the game was over, with the Lions outmatched, and the celebratory Eagles running to the stands for a homecoming celebration.
Zion Christian rolled up 335 yards of offense, while St. Andrew's-Sewanee posted 177 yards for the contest.
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The St. Andrew's-Sewanee Lions were clearly no match for Zion Christian Academy as the Eagles dominated the field and won their homecoming matchup, 31-15, Friday. The Eagles improved to 5-2, while extending their winning streak to five games. Zion also became eligible for a bowl game thanks to the victory.
"It's pretty exciting," Zion Christian head coach Paul Brenner said. "The kids keep getting better every week."
Senior Steven Shoup was the star of the game, gaining an impressive 195 yards on 26 carries, scoring two touchdowns, a field goal, a two-point conversion and three extra-point kicks.
"He really played well," Brenner said. "He's like a rocket, he runs hard and it takes a lot of to stop him."
The Lions (1-7) started the game with possession, but they lost the ball through a turnover just over a minute into the game.
Jacob Malone and Shoup then pounded the ball 75 yards down the field in a series of plays that quickly unsettled the Lions' defense. At 5:52 in the first quarter, Shoup ran the ball through the middle of the Lion defense to score the first touchdown of the game. A pass from Matt Wahlman to Shoup added two points, and the score was 8-0.
"(Wahlman) showed a lot poise back there," Brenner said. "He really lead the offense well last night."
Shutting the Lions down in three plays, the Eagles took possession of the ball and again consistently pushed the ball through the Lion defense. Wahlman made a 22-yard pass to Andrew Moore and a few plays later Moore ran the ball for 14 yards. At 10:09 in the second quarter, Moore punched the ball four yards through the heart of the defense and scored the Eagles' second touchdown. Shoup kicked for the extra point, and the score was 15-0.
The Lions fumbled the ball on the second play of their next drive, and Caleb Godwin recovered the ball for the Eagles. It only took one play for Shoup to run the ball 67 yards for the third touchdown. His kick brought the score to 22-0 at 9:12.
Lions' quarterback Ryan Barry did all he could to get his team to rally, running the ball for 23 yards and moving the ball through the air for 35 yards. Jamal Jones surprised the Eagles' defense and ran down the right side of the field for a 19-yard touchdown at 1:27. A conversion pass from Barry to Jones added two points, bringing the score to 22-8 entering halftime.
The Lions came out more aggressive in the third quarter and forced the Eagles to turn over the ball in just three plays. A 63-yard run by Kenny Burruss got the ball within inches of the end zone. Barry threw a pass to Joseph Resta, who fumbled the ball. Clark Dugger picked it up and tumbled into the end zone, earning the Lions their second and final touchdown of the evening. Resta added the extra point, bringing the score to 22-15 at 9:28 in the third quarter.
With renewed energy, the Lions defense came onto the field and made the Eagles work to move the ball, finally forcing them to kick a field goal on fourth down. The 20-yard kick by Shoup was good, and the score was 25-14 with 1:36 left in the third quarter.
The Lions tried but failed to move the ball, as the Eagles' defense was simply too much for them. They turned the ball over on downs, and Shoup once again moved the ball aggressively down the field. Moore made the scoring run, pushing through the center of the Lions for a three-yard scoring run. Shoup added the extra point, and the score was 31-15, with 4:06 left in the game.
Down but not necessarily out, Barry moved the ball through the air in a series of passes to Evan Barry. The Eagles defense pushed them back, and the Lions were forced to turn the ball back over with less than a minute left in the game.
One knee later, the game was over, with the Lions outmatched, and the celebratory Eagles running to the stands for a homecoming celebration.
Zion Christian rolled up 335 yards of offense, while St. Andrew's-Sewanee posted 177 yards for the contest.
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