SKIP BAUGHMAN STADIUM -- The Memorial High School Roughriders capped off preparation for the 2003 prep gridiron season by outscoring the Hillclimbers from Urbana 14-0 in the Chicken Bowl.
More than a thousand fans braved the August heat to get their first glimpse of the Riders, and were not disappointed. While there was little flash there was plenty of grind, and the Riders never lost yardage on a play during the three 12-minute quarters of "game" play.
Urbana won the coin toss and came out looking like they wanted to throw. Half of the Hillclimbers' first series of plays were quarterback drop-backs, rollouts or draws, but the ball was never thrown. After a couple of first downs on some shifty quarterback scrambling, Urbana's drive stalled out at the St. Marys 45 yard line.
The Riders didn't so much as muster a first down the first time they touched the ball. Two runs into the line for short yardage and a well-pursued sweep forced a punt from our own 27.
Following a pair of keepers that combined for one yard, Urbana's QB dropped back to throw and lofted a 31 yard completion to the St. Marys 36, just over the hands of a St. Marys defender who was in position for the interception but apparently misjudged the arc of the ball. Another pass for a first down three plays later put them at the 18 yard line. St. Marys' defense rose to the test, stuffing a sweep for minus one yard, giving up four on a quarterback rollout but getting three of that back on a quarterback sack to bring up fourth and ten from the 18. As time ran out in the first quarter the Urbana place-kicker put it through the uprights from 35 yards with leg to spare, but an illegal procedure penalty forced a re-kick from forty yards away. The snap from center was low on the second attempt, and the first quarter ended in a 0-0 tie.
Taking over at their own 24 yard line, St. Marys got the wing-T math going: trap + sweep + dive + sweep = 14 yards. But the fifth play of the series caught the Hillclimbers napping as a Rider receiver got ten yards behind the defense on a quarterback rollout, waited for the ball to arrive, and rambled down the field to the 8 yard line. Dive + sneak + sweep + dive = touchdown at the 6:32 mark in the second quarter. The PAT kick was into the building at the north end of the field to make the score St. Marys 7, Urbana 0.
Urbana's quarterback connected on another pass for a first down in the ensuing series, but paid for it afterward when, in the pocket to pass on second and three, he was decked from behind and the ball popped out. Urbana recovered the fumble, but on the next play good pressure on the passer forced an incompletion, and the Hillclimbers were forced to punt.
For some reason the Rider kick returners are hesitant to catch the ball in the air, and they let a catchable punt hit the ground and roll all the way down to the ten yard line. Despite a couple of first downs, the poor field position resulted in a punt from St. Marys' own 36 yard line. The punt was shanked and sailed out of bounds after traveling only 18 yards, giving the Hillclimbers good field position at the Urbana 44.
A quick 12-yard pass apparently put Urbana back in business, but back-to-back clipping and illegal motion penalties put them right back out of business, and the half ended on a Hail Mary bomb to the goal line that was broken up by waiting Rider defenders.
The opening St. Marys drive in the third quarter gave the faithful their money's worth (rhetorically speaking - admission to the Chicken Bowl is free). The Riders rolled seventy yards in eleven plays to a touchdown, eating up 5 minutes and ten seconds of the clock in a classic example of football machinery at work. The one pass on play number three of the drive was good for 12 yards and a first down, and put the defense on its heels for the six short running plays to the left that followed. Then play number ten dove to the right - into space - good for eighteen yards to the three yard line and the longest run of the night for either team. Quarterback sneak, touchdown, extra point into the building. It was a thing of beauty.
The Riders intercepted a pass on the second play of Urbana's next possession, but failed to move the ball, and the teams traded punts in the middle of the field the rest of the quarter to end the varsity scrimmage with the score St. Marys 14, Urbana 0.
St. Marys was never stopped for negative yardage, but the Rider D stopped Urbana behind the line of scrimmage six times. Urbana ran 24 rushing plays for 76 yards or 3.2 yards per play. St. Marys rushed 34 times for 127 yards averaging 3.7 yards per carry. In passing, Urbana was 5/8 for 64 yards with one interception, and St. Marys was 2/3 for 37 yards. Urbana gained 7 first downs to St. Marys' 8. Total Offense: St. Marys 164, Urbana 140.
St. Marys again won the numbers game, dressing 77 players compared to Urbana's approximately 48. The players did not wear their game jerseys and are not identified here for that reason.
The Riders' regular season starts on the road against the Sidney Yellowjackets next Friday, August 22. Come to Ridertown hours after the game for stats, analysis and game photos by Andrews Photography. Go Riders!