One play doesn't decide the outcome of a game. Then again, maybe it does.
Pflugerville, which needed a defensive stop to secure a victory over Georgetown, forced a game-changing turnover in the closing minutes of Friday night's game against Georgetown. Linebackers Durrell Arsenault and Ashton Thielke combined on the play that helped the Panthers prevail 20-14 at Birkelbach Stadium.
Arsenault made a solid tackle against Georgetown tailback Darius Davis in Pflugerville territory and knocked the ball loose. Thielke pounced on the football, giving the Panthers possession.
Pflugerville ran off the final three minutes under the direction of quarterback Blain Kruemcke and running back Jamaree Love, who returned to the lineup after sustaining a knee injury in early September.
"Our defense played its best game of the year," Pflugerville coach George Herrmann said. "They forced some awesome turnovers and made a stop when we needed a stop."
Pflugerville (3-4 overall, 2-1 in District 16-5A) climbed back into the league race with the victory.
Georgetown (5-3, 1-2) trailed 20-7 in the second half before rallying. Receiver Parker Reyna scored on a 17-yard reverse to trim the lead to 20-14, and when Georgetown gained possession of the football with 5 minutes to play, the Eagles appeared poised to complete the comeback.
Arsenault and Thielke had other ideas.
"My mindset was just to make a stop," Arsenault said. While making the tackle on Davis, though, he instinctively slapped the ball out of his grasp.
"The defense knew we had to make a big play," said Thielke, whose recovery spoiled Georgetown's rally.
Pflugerville dominated most of the game on offense with its tandem tailbacks of Love (70 yards) and Adrian Dilworth (92 yards). Kruemcke passed for 153 yards and threw a first-half touchdown to Elvin Iloka.
Pflugerville's defense limited Georgetown to 229 total yards. By contrast, Pflugerville had 300 total yards.
Pflugerville scored touchdowns on its first two offensive drives of the game, but the first half was marked by the team's aggressive defense.
Dilworth, who rushed for 256 yards in last week's victory over McNeil, scored on a 7-yard run and Iloka caught a 6-yard pass from quarterback Kruemcke.
Georgetown counted with a touchdown drive on its first offensive series, capped by a 12-yard touchdown pass from Brent Ellerbee to Michael Smith in the left corner of the end zone.
The game was tilted in Pflugerville's direction, though, because the Panthers' defense stopped the Eagles on two fourth-down attempts in the half.
Georgetown plays at Westwood next Friday at Reeves Athletic Complex, while Pflugerville plays Leander at Kuempel Stadium. |
