Saturday, October 18, 2008

McNick’s Kicker Tim Gormly Sets School Record in Win

25-Yarder lifts Rockets 29-26 over Cavaliers

by Bret Sims

With a 29-26 win over Purcell Marian the McNicholas Rockets guarantee themselves they won’t finish as the “Cellar Dwellar” in the GCL Central Division. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers there is no time left with only one game in the regular season not to finish last.

The Rockets jumped out to a commanding 24-0 lead and appeared to be on their way to an easy victory over their GCL foe. Sophomore QB Matt Staubach who is used to throwing touchdown passes found himself on the end of two himself.

The Cavaliers scored their first points of the game when senior quarterback Jason Knauer hit his main receiving target all season Martin Goins on a 92-yard scoring strike to round out the scoring in the first half.

“Scoring like that just before the half gave us big lift”, said Purcell coach Brian Miller. “I told my team that as poorly as we played in the first half we weren’t out of this game by any means and we needed to play our game not theirs”.

Purcell Marians’ senior RB David Anderson electrified the crowd with a second half 92-yard kickoff return and before anyone in the crowd could blink the Rockets lead had dwindled to twelve.

The Cavaliers would finish the third quarter on a 19-0 run and surge ahead 26-24 with only twelve minutes of football left to play. Their first win in the GCL was within their grasp. Had two extra point attempts not failed they would have been leading 28-24, which would come back to haunt them.

Kicker Tim Gormly connected on a 25-yard field goal for the Rockets, setting a school record with 15 on the season and regaining the lead for the Rockets.

With four minutes remaining in the game, the Cavalier’s punt attempt resulted in a safety due to a poor snap. Purcell’s chances of any comeback ran out as did the clock when McNick was able to sustain a drive and run out the clock.

As fans left the stadium they could only wonder what might have been had the Cavalier’s had a 28-24 lead and forced McNick to score a TD instead of a FG to beat them but as one fan said “You have to put this season and high school football in perspective. It is a great way to spend a Friday night but win or lose it isn’t going to lower my taxes”.

“I’m proud of how my team played tonight…it is a testament to who they are as young men to play this hard this late in the season when they really didn’t have anything to play for”, said Purcell’s coach Brian Miller.