2005 Year in Review

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Ponies Suffer First Loss

The Amboy Rowboats took care of the Ponies on Friday night. The Rowboats doubled the Ponies by running 60 offensive plays while the visiting Ponies ran just 29 plays. Amboy rushed for 246 yards while holding Morrison to just 36 yards on the ground and 73 total yards en route to a 22-7 domination effort by the Rowboats. Clint Shepard and Derek Ward led a lackluster Pony defense with 17 and 11 tackles respectively.

The Ponies got off to a great start on just the second play from scrimmage, when Clint Shepard scooped up a fumble and ran it back 26 yards for a touchdown. Seth Ashpole added the extra point attempt and the Ponies led 7-0 just 46 seconds into the game. It was all downhill from there for the Ponies. Both teams went back and forth for a while before the Rowboats started to drive late in the quarter. Morrison answered the bell and forced a punt only to be driven backwards on offense. The first quarter ended with the Ponies having not gained a yard on offense in the first quarter, yet holding a 7-0 lead.
Amboy began driving again early in the second quarter following consecutive long runs by Travis Nauman of 12 and 13 yards. Three plays later, the Rowboats looked to the end zone, but Dustin Jones intercepted the ball to give Morrison possession deep in their own territory. The Ponies began moving the ball on an 11-yard run by Tylor Rus and a ten-yard run by Matt Proud before the drive stalled and Ethan Goodenough punted it away. The Rowboats came storming back downfield and were not going to be denied on this trip downfield. With 2:43 remaining in the half, Theron Green crossed the goal line on a nine-yard touchdown run. Spencer Morrissey added the two-point conversion and Amboy led 8-7 and would lead by the same score as the teams headed to halftime.
The Ponies started the second half by fumbling away their opening possession and giving Amboy good field position. The Rowboats took plenty of time in scoring. The hosts capped off an 11-play, 68-yard drive on a three yard run by Andrew Davis. Morrissey added the two-pointer and Amboy led 16-7.
Things didn't get much better when the Ponies fumbled the ball away again on the first play from scrimmage and once again the Clippers recovered. This time, the tired Pony defense forced a punt and were allowed to rest shortly. The third quarter ended with the Ponies in possession and trailing by the same score.
The Ponies punted shortly after the quarter break and once again Amboy took aim at the end zone, this time the lulled the Ponies to sleep before Morrissey hooked up with Stephen Gascoigne on a 48-yard touchdown pass that made it 22-7 after the two-point conversion failed. Morrison would try in vain to play from behind for the rest of the quarter, but the Rowboats successfully played keep away and the game ended with the Clippers taking a knee to preserve a 22-7 victory.
Derek Ward was 3-9 passing for 37 yards with two of those passes being completed to Matt Proud for 23 yards and the other being completed to Dustin Jones for 14 yards.
Ethan Goodenough was the Ponies' leading rusher and ran for 17 yards on three carries. Derek Hamstra gained 14 yards on six carries. Tylor Rus had 11 yards on one carry. Matt Proud carried five times for nine yards. Seth Ashpole managed four yards on three carries. Derek Ward recorded two carries for negative seven yards.
Clint Shepard led the defense with 17 tackles as well as a fumble recovery that was returned 26 yards for a touchdown. He was followed by Derek Ward with 11 tackles, Matt Proud with eight tackles, Derek Hamstra and Ethan Goodenough with five tackles, Doug Mouw, Jon Sumption, and Dustin Jones with four tackles, Taylor Boyles with three tackles, Seth Ashpole, Matt Urban, and Kyle St. Clair with two tackles, and Abe Houzenga, Jason Smith, Zane Woods, Adam Cook, Chris Nye, and Will Vandermyde with one tackle each. Jones recorded one interception.
The Ponies (3-1) will next be in action next Friday night, September 23, when they travel to Manlius to take on the Bureau Valley Storm at 5:30 p.m.

by rustinl
2005-09-18 17:44:45