Home, sweet Homecoming it isn’t
Tigers give valiant effort against Terrell, face tough Ennis next

By STEVE SNYDER
Lancaster News Editor

The Lancaster Tigers played with heart and spirit in a soggy Homecoming game.  However, fumble problems gutted Tiger comeback efforts in a 19-0 loss.

The game looked at first like it might become a Terrell runaway.

Terrell struck quickly on its first drive.  After Lancaster had to punt on a three-and-out drive, Shawn Ashley hit Jammal McCullar with a 44-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass.  Blake Berry’s kick missed, giving Terrell’s Tigers a 6-0 lead.

The Tigers had a three-and-out series, then had to punt.  The deficit looked bigger after Terrell posted what appeared to be a punt-return touchdown of nearly 70 yards.  But the play was called back due to an illegal block.

After that, the game settled into a different rhythm.  The pass, on Terrell’s first play from scrimmage, soon looked like it might be enough for the rest of the game.

Rain, which had begun as sprinkles Friday afternoon and escalated to showers and more before the start of the game, moved up to the downpour level by the end of the first quarter. The driving rains, hitting Lancaster’s grass field, quickly turned the playing surface into a muddy quagmire.

The result?  A case of fumbleitis for both teams.  With neither team able to consistently move the ball, it looked like the Terrell quick-strike touchdown could be all the scoring for the game. Terrell managed one first down on its third series of the first half and Lancaster turned the ball over on downs on a four-play series near the end of the half; every other series for both teams in four plays or less with either a punt or a lost fumble.

Terrell had to wait half an hour to run off the last 10 seconds of the first half, though.  Late in the second quarter, the rain escalated, to the accompaniment of lightning.  Game officials judged the lightning close enough to suspend play.

After a 30-minute countdown, the referee checked the weather situation again. With the lightning threat gone, he signaled to resume play.  The 30-minute delay was considered a replacement for halftime.  So, the two Tiger squads went immediately from the second to the third quarter.

The second half was Adrain Turner time for Terrell.  The running of Turner then killed valuable clock minutes while posting two second-half touchdowns.

The first of his touchdowns came directly off a Tiger turnover.  Terrell had moved the ball for seven plays after receiving the opening kickoff of the second half, but then had to punt.  The Tigers started with the ball at their own 17, but then had to punt. Lancaster fumbled on the first play from scrimmage.  Two plays later, both of them Turner carries, Terrell was in the end zone.

Lancaster picked up two first downs on its next drive and got into Terrell territory, but eventually had to punt.  The teams then exchanged the ball once before another Tiger turnover led to Terrell’s last touchdown.

This time, the Tigers muffed a punt that should not have been fielded.

Terrell had the ball at the Tiger 19-yard line. Five plays later, they found the end zone again.

The Tigers mounted a fourth-quarter drive, but another fumbled center exchange killed the chance for a touchdown.

Coach Andrew Jackson appeared to still be searching for answers at some skill positions. A.D. Matthews, the Tiger quarterback at the start of the season, who had been replaced by Dionte Dean the last couple of games, started the Terrell game behind center.  Dean was back in the game to take the snaps from the third offensive series on; however, Matthews took a few snaps later in the game as well.

Coach Andrew Jackson spoke about that and a number of issues.

“We’ve been very inconsistent at that position, and put our defense in some tough situations,” he said.

Jackson said he thought both quarterbacks were still having some trouble learning details of the option offense he brought with him.

“It can be pressure on a kid to make the right read,” he said.

But Jackson said Dean should be better next year, with a year of experience (Matthews is a senior) and that freshman and junior-varsity quarterbacks would be bringing their experience to the next level next year.

“We’re going to keep working harder on getting better.  I tell (the team) we have to go through something and learn from adversity and change,” he said.  “That will make us a better team.”

Jackson stressed that the off-season would include developing new levels of both mental and physical toughness for the team.

Meanwhile, to look ahead, the coming varsity season should offer new hope.  This year’s junior varsity squad is playing well and the freshman team leads district.  This past week, the freshmen defeated Terrell 20-14 while the junior varsity lost a 10-7 decision.

The Tiger road does not get any easier.  This Friday, the team travels to Ennis to play the defending state champions.  The easiest way to the stadium is to take I-35 south to U.S. 287, and exit east toward Waxahachie.  In Ennis, stay on the bypass, then take the Texas 34 exit and turn left.