Frostproof Starts Strong Then Holds on for Win Over Hardee, 28-21

Fri. October 12, 2012 at 9:00 p.m. | By Solange Reyner

By SOLANGE REYNER

THE LEDGER

FROSTPROOF | Besides a fumble on its opening offensive series, Frostproof started Friday night's game against Hardee with a blitz of impressive plays. Reggie Allen returned an interception 65 yards for a score two minutes in, and freshman quarterback Xavier Gaines completed a huge throw to a wide-open Daniel Knighten for a 70-yard touchdown pass three minutes later.

Another big pass play by Gaines late in the second — a 55-yarder to Deonte Perry — led to another touchdown for Frostproof, but that's where momentum halted for the Bulldogs.

That's when a sea of yellow flags and an annoying buzz of whistles washed over the contest. Frostproof still managed to beat Hardee, 28-21, but did it with a strong defensive effort down the stretch.

The Bulldogs were called for 230 yards in penalties, 140 in the second half. Eleven of those were for unsportsmanlike conduct, including one late in the third that ended with Gaines being benched for the rest of the contest by coach Price Harris.

Gaines had just hooked up with Allen for a huge 60-yard pass play when the referees called one Frostproof player for illegal helmet contact. The play was called back, and another player whistled for unsportsmanlike conduct. Gaines was on the sideline from that point forward.

"He needed to be sat," Harris said. "He wasn't ejected, just benched."

By that point, Frostproof was ahead 28-14. But not for long when Hardee capped a nine-play, 52-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown by Aaron Barker. That made it 28-21 with 8:36 left in the game.

Marcus Bobb, who took over for Gaines, fumbled the snap on the ensuing drive to give Hardee a short field and a potential opportunity to tie it. Frostproof's defense, however, held tough to maintain the lead. Hardee quarterback Kris Johnson managed one big play — a 25 yard pass to Derrick Graham — to put Hardee on the Frostproof 15-yard line, but the Bulldogs; defense came up big when Allen and Kaleel Gaines batted down a pass in the end zone on fourth down.

Frostproof plays Cardinal Mooney on the road in a district game next week.

 

Hardee      7 0 7 7 — 21

Frostproof  14 7 7 0 — 28

 

First Quarter

FP — Reggie Allen 65 interception return (Sabastian Avellanada kick), 10:20.

FP — Daniel Knighten 70 pass from Xavier Gaines (Sabastian Avellanada kick), 7:01.

H — Aaron Barker 3 run (Octavio Alvarez kick), 0:36.

Second Quarter

FP — Xavier Gaines 5 run (Avellanada kick), 4:04.

Third Quarter

F — Xavier Gaines 5 run (Avellanada kick), 7:55

H — Keyonte Holley 2 run (Alvarez kick), 3:40

Fourth Quarter

H — Barker 15 run (Alvarez kick), 8:36

 

                       H   |  F

First Downs 16 8

Rushes/yards 41 /209 26/99

Passing yards 108 169

Passing 8-19-2-0 6-10-0-1

Total offense 317 265

Fumbles/Lost 2/1 4/3

Punts/ave. 2/25 3-30.33

Penalties/yards 15/160 20/230

Records 2-4 3-3

 

Individual Statistics

Rushing: H — Aaron Barker 22-104; F — Xavier Gaines 11-58.

Passing: H — Kris Johnson 8-19-2-0-108; F — Xavier Gaines 6-10-0-1-169.

Receiving: H —Derrick Graham 4-66; F — Daniel Knighten 2-71.