Cherokee slips by Murphy in Dog fight
By Dwight Otwell Editor

DWIGHT OTWELL/Sentinel photo Rickey Edwards (#40) plunges through the line for the Dogs' second TD. It put them ahead 14-7. Blocking are Michael McDonald (#65) and Patrick Canizio (#34).

Murphy's 21-7 third quarter lead didn't hold up Friday against the Cherokee Braves.

The Braves, behind the running of Langston Wood, came back and took a 27-21 lead late in the fourth quarter. The Dogs, whose offense suddenly went stale in the fourth quarter, mounted one final drive for a winning touchdown as time ticked down. But a desperation pass with 20 seconds left in the game was intercepted by the Braves, who took the important Smokey Mountain Conference game 27- 21 from the Bulldogs.

The Dogs got a brilliant effort from running back Patrick Canizio, who rushed for 181 yards on 23 carries. But Wood topped that with 217 yards rushing on 27 carries.

Murphy Coach David Gentry said the turning point in the game was the Dogs' lack of offensive output in the fourth quarter.

"After we were up 21-7, they scored on their next possession and we didn't do anything offensively in the fourth quarter," Gentry said.

DWIGHT OTWELL/Sentinel photo Georgie Kerber (#10) intercepts the ball to stop a Cherokee drive. Kerber returned the ball 53 yards. Total yardage and turnovers were about even for each team, but the Dogs had 70 yards in penalties to 33 for the Braves. It was a tough conference loss for the Dogs.

Gentry pointed to dropped passes and a lack of blocking at the point of attack as some of the reasons for the defeat.

Murphy started the game with an 87-yard drive for a touchdown. On the first play from scrimmage, quarterback Luke Charles found Ian Reese over the middle for 41 yards. On third and six, Cody Killian ran through the middle for six yards and a first down at the Cherokee 36. On second and 19, after a holding penalty, Canizio ran through the middle of the line for 33 yards. He was pushed out-of-bounds at the 12-yard-line. Charles scored the touchdown on a quarterback sneak. The extra point was missed and Murphy led 6-0.

Cherokee tried to mount a drive but fumbled after a Ryan Stiles tackle. Heath Curtis recovered the fumble. Reese ran right for 21 yards but Murphy fumbled the ball back to Cherokee at the Murphy 29-yard-line. But the defense stiffened and stopped the Braves on four plays.

DWIGHT OTWELL/Sentinel photo Dogs chase a Brave. Closing in are Ryan Stiles (#76) and Ben Ledford (#53).

The Dogs couldn't manage a first down and the punt was blocked, settng the Braves up in good field position again, only 32 yards away from a touchdown. The Dogs again showed their stuff on defense, stopping the Braves on four downs. The first quarter ended with the Dogs leading 6-0.

Cherokee mounted a drive to the Murphy 31- yard-line but Georgie Kerber intercepted a pass at the 10-yard-line and returned it 53 yards to the Cherokee 37-yard-line.

Cherokee finally drove for a touchdown late in the first half - 80 yards on 10 plays. The extra point was good and the Braves led 7-6.

Murphy came right back with an 83-yard drive in 10 plays. Big plays included a third and 10 Charles pass to Reese for 10 yards and a first down and a Charles pass for 24 yards to Reese. Charles completed a 15-yard pass to Kevin Williams. Canizio ran for 20 yards to the two-yard-line. Sophomore Rickey Edwards carried the ball up the middle for a touchdown and a 14-7 halftime lead.

On their second pos- ses- sion of the third quar- ter, the Dogs scored again. Canizio burst through a hole in the line into the open and ran 52 yards for a TD and a 21-7 lead.

However, Cherokee came right back with a touchdown drive that covered 72 yards in nine plays to make it a tight game at 21-14, which is how the third quarter ended.

Murphy again couldn't manage a first down and Cherokee drove for the tying touchdown at 21-21 with 5:49 left in the game.

It looked as if Murphy had something going on their next possession. Taking over at their 25, Charles hit Williams with a pass good for 40 yards to the Cherokee 45-yard-line. On third and one, Canizio burst through the line and rambled 21 yards to the Braves' 15-yard-line but a holding penalty set the Dogs back.

Gentry called it a "phantom" holding call. "We were looking at film and couldn't see any holding," Gentry said.

On fourth and one from the 34, Canizio was stopped short of a first down.

Cherokee took over at the 36 and on first down, Wood ran to the left for 61 yards. He was brought down by Reese at the three-yard-line. Gentry said film shows that Wood stepped out-of-bounds at both the 41 and 33-yard-lines. The Braves scored on the next play. The twopoint conversion play was a pass and was broken up but the Braves led 27-21 with 2:35 left in the game.

Murphy returned the kickoff to their 30. Charles rolled out and scrambled for six yards. On fourth and two, Reese ran for three yards and a first down at the Murphy 41. Charles completed a pass to Kerber for 15 yards to the Cherokee 44.

A penalty pushed the Dogs back five yards. On third and 11, Charles passed right to Canizio good for 22 yards to the Cherokee 23 with 38 seconds left.

Charles spiked the ball to stop the clock on first down. On second down, Charles couldn't find an open receiver and scrambled for two yards and ran out-of-bounds at the 21 with 26 seconds left. On third down, the defense chased Charles and he tried to hit Reese but the ball was intercepted with 11 seconds left in the game and the Braves won 27-21.

Gentry said that even with the bad calls by officials, the loss was the Bulldogs' fault for not executing in the fourth quarter. Murphy Bulldogs team stats

First Downs: Murphy 20, Cherokee 22

Rushing: Murphy 36 attempts for 212 yards, Cherokee 63 attempts for 355 yards

Passing: Murphy 9-25-1 for 166 yards, Cherokee 1-4-1 for 31 yards

Fumbles: Murphy 1-1, Cherokee 1-1. Penalties: Murphy 9-70, Cherokee 7-33

Murphy Bulldogs individual stats

Rushing: Canizio 23-181 for a TD; Reese 5-25; Charles 5-10 for a TD; Levi Killian 1-6, Edwards 1-2 for a TD;

Passing: Charles 9-25 for 166 yards;

Receiving: Reese 3-75; Williams 2-55, Kerber 1-15, Canizio 2-21;

Defense: Stiles 15 tackles, Kerber 14 tackles, Curtis 14 tackles, Ledford 14 tackles, Alvarez 11 tackles. Lovingood 14 tackles.