Tomcats fall on late kickoff return at George Washington

 

 

By ZACK KLEMME The Independent

CHARLESTON, W.Va. Eighteen seconds removed from pure euphoria, Ashland tasted a bitter last-minute defeat to George Washington on Friday night.

 

On the ensuing kickoff after quarterback Hunter Prince’s 57-yard touchdown run gave the Tomcats a late lead, the Patriots stripped Ashland of a seemingly secure victory with Druw Bowen’s 94-yard touchdown return and Clayton Anderson’s extra point.

 

One final Ashland turnover — its third of the night — sealed GW’s 27-26 victory.

 

Ashland (1-1) was led by Quinton Baker’s 178 rushing yards. He caught a touchdown pass from Prince, who also rushed for two scores and 74 yards. Jake Long chipped in 66 rushing yards and a TD as the Tomcats outrushed GW 330 yards to 99.

 

That wasn’t enough to overcome the final sequence — the execution of which wasn’t exactly what Tomcats coach Tony Love had in mind.

 

Leading 26-20 with 46 seconds to play, Ashland didn’t want to kick the ball in the air to allow GW to set up a return.

 

However, Bowen fielded the ball cleanly from the sky on his own 6-yard line and ran through traffic to paydirt.

 

“The kid caught the ball and hit it deep, and that’s not what we really wanted, but it was what it was,” Love said. “We still had bodies around him, and the coverage team needs to make those tackles. That’s what they’re out there for, they’re good open-field-tackle kids, they’re fast, and they gotta get it done.”

 

GW coach Steve Edwards Jr. said his team’s preparation for the big kickoff return was rooted in having “no panic,” jokingly adding, “though I am inside, I’m not gonna lie to you.

 

Link

 

 

You win some and lose some. And sometimes you beat yourself that's what the special teams did. I do not know if it was them realizing who had the ball and started the panic effect. Or if fatigue hit them towards the end. I would probably go with fatigue.

You win some and lose some. And sometimes you beat yourself that's what the special teams did. I do not know if it was them realizing who had the ball and started the panic effect. Or if fatigue hit them towards the end. I would probably go with fatigue.

 

Welcome to BGP f81t ! :thumb: