Lions Spot Huntsville 9 Points, Then Trounce Hornets 40 - 21, HUNTSVILLE, September 18, 2010 - The Livingston Lions went up to Huntsville on Friday night and spotted the Huntsville Hornets 9 points due to little mistakes, then turned around and railroaded Huntsville in a game that was played in Sam Houston Bearkat Stadium. The game got off to a bad start when the Lions fumbled the ball that set up a Huntsville touchdown. Then the Lions got themselves deep into their own territory and couldn't get out. When they attempted to punt from their own end zone, the snap sailed over the head of Lion punter Cassity Land for a safety giving the Hornets a 9 to 0 lead over the Lions. What was impressive about these young high school kids is that they kept their composure, on the road, in a big intimidating stadium, and did what they do in practice. Under the guidance of head coach Randy Rowe and his staff and led by sophomore quarterback Chevoski Collins, the Lions didn't panic and like professional business men, stuck to the plan. On offense, the offensive line did a great job opening up gaping holes for quarterback Chevoski Collins and his favorite weapon, kid dynamite Antonio White (they say dynamite comes in small packages). The defense wasn't perfect but was more than adequate as they kept pressure on the Huntsville quarterback throughout the game. Defensive back Ken Rue picked off another pass this week and tacked on a decent return and Ryan McClain was annoyingly camped out in the Hornet backfield.
Defense Has Intangible Assets... It's the little intangible unexpected things that make this Lion defense so much better than their opponents; a forced fumble here, an interception there, a quarterback pressure forcing an errant pass, a lineman like Dakarian Wyatt shedding his blocker and broad siding a runner for no gain. The majority of the time, it's the Lions that come up with a dropped ball. Why is this? It's called hustle and it's no accident or coincidence. It's coached into the heads of these players. This extra sense of being alert and ready for the unexpected is the reason why the defense is so disruptive. They believe in themselves. They believe they're going to make something happen...and as a result, they cause chaos. Ya just know it's gotta be tough for opposing offenses to effectively operate when everything is blowing around 'em like a whirlwind.
Offense Pounds the Rock... On the other side of the ball, there's nothing chaotic about the Lion offense. The offense runs like a well oiled machine. Running backs like Devon Barnes, Devonte Mays, and Marquise Thomas know how to pound the rock. They punish their tacklers with a bruising running style ripping off chunks of yardage. The next thing you know, Chevoski Collins is running a bootleg and slicing through the defensive backfield. Antonio White did his usual share of damage. Cassity Land caught a 30 yard touchdown pass from Collins.
Always Room for Improvement... Special teams played well except on kick returns. More than once the kick returners managed to find a seam make long returns that could've easily been touchdowns.
Is This Lions Team Special?... After three games, the 2010 Livingston Lions have crushed all their opponents quite handily. It's fun to watch 'em. It's fun to watch the defense create chaos. It's fun to watch the offense pound the rock, then in an instant, you see Antonio White or Chevoski Collins flying downfield for 70 yards or more. How far will this team go? Next week the Lions begin district play starting in Port Neches Groves in a return to the scene of the crime where Dustin Harris and Co. christened their newly opened stadium with a crushing defeat of the Indians in 2008. Excitement guaranteed in a family friendly atmosphere. Come on out and support the Lions.
Willie Openshaw
Escorted by friends: Devon Barnes (28) carries the ball for the Lions.
Traevione Plattenburg epitomizes the Lion defense all out attack style.
The Lions got burned early with a long touchdown pass...
...minutes later the Lions were trying to operate from their own endzone (which led to a safety).
Antonio White had a productive evening.
Antonio White crosses the goal line capping off a 65 yard run from scrimmage.
A happy Antonio White walks off after a long touchdown run.
White was a painful thorn in the side of Huntsville.
Quarterback Chevoski Collins (left) was a thorn in Huntsville's other side.
Collins gave the Hornets all they couldn't handle.
Devonte Mays rumbles for big yardage while he stiff arms a Hornet along the way.
Ken Rue leaps into the air and picks off a pass from Huntsville.
Ryan McClain sacks the Huntsville quarterback.
The Lions defense forced a fumble and Devon Barnes recovered for the Lions.
Cassity Land hauls in a 32 yard touchdown pass from Chevoski Collins.
Head Coach Randy Rowe barks out orders to his men.
Quarterback Chevoski Collins crosses the goal line on a 2 point coversion.
Antonio White carries the ball for Livingston.
The Huntsville quarterback was harrassed throughout the evening.
Collins crosses the goal line for another touchdown.
Collins takes a breather following a touchdown.
Lion fans turned out to watch the show.
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