TURNER – Finding themselves trailing for the first time since the opening week, the Leavitt Hornets responded with a touchdown late in the second quarter and held on for a 21-18 victory over Gardiner at Libby Field on Friday night.
“These guys (Gardiner) were the hardest hitting team we’ve played this year,” said Leavitt coach Mike Hathaway.
Things started out on a positive note for Leavitt. After Gardiner muffed the opening kickoff, Justin Rouillard pounced on the loose ball at Gardiner’s 29-yard line. Leavitt quarterback Tyler Angell did most of the damage during the seven-play drive. Carrying the ball five times, Angell scampered the final 5 yards yards to give the Hornets a quick 7-0 lead.
Gardiner’s first drive of the night ended when Angell intercepted a Kyle Stilphen pass and returned it 40 yards to the Gardiner 15. It looked like Leavitt would put more points on the board, but Gardiner’s defense forced a fumble two plays later.
Starting on its own 4-yard line, Gardiner moved the ball on its best drive of the night. The Hornets defense eventually stiffened, and Gardiner was forced to settle for a 33-yard field goal by Kyle Stilphen.
After Gardiner stopped the Hornets on downs and took over on the Leavitt 31, the Tigers marched 69 yards on 11 plays to take the lead. Stilphen scored on a 4-yard burst to give Gardiner a 10-7 advantage.
The Hornets came right back. This time, Angell completed two long passes – 14 yards to Corey Witham and 16 yards to Ben Boulay. Angell scored two plays later from 3 yards to give Leavitt a 14-10 halftime lead.
“That’s the difference between a 6-1 team (Leavitt) and a 3-4 team (Gardiner). They come right back and played like champions,” said Gardiner coach Matt Brown.
Both teams struggled offensively in the second half as the rain fell heavily.
Leavitt’s only score of the second half came when Chris Brewer rushed in from 1 yard out to give the Hornets a 21-10 lead late in the third quarter. Angell rushed for 18 yards on a key third-down play to keep the drive alive.
Gardiner threw a scare into the home crowd when it scored with 9:52 left in the game. The 13-play, 63-yard drive ended when Stilphen scored on a 3-yard run. The two-point conversion made it a three-point game.
Gardiner had one more chance and marched to the Leavitt 36 before giving up the ball on downs.
“That’s the heart of our defense,” said Hathaway. “We bend but don’t break.”
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