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Tors are heading to playoffs despite loss
By Chris Greene
Contributor
Published November 7, 2009
FREEPORT — Not a lot went right for Ball High on Friday in a District 24-5A matchup with Brazoswood, but the Tors got a reprieve at the game’s conclusion when they learned they would be heading for the playoffs despite a 36-6 loss.
Clear Lake defeated Clear Creek, 28-20, at District Stadium to allow the Tors (5-5, 4-3) to celebrate a postseason berth. Ball High will play Fort Bend Hightower in a Class 5A bi-district playoff game next week.
“It is great for the people of Galveston, for Ball High and for the kids just to be in a position to have an opportunity to do well,” Ball High head coach David Suggs said. “It is a blessing.”
Ball enters the playoffs having lost three straight.
The Tors’ only touchdown Friday came with just 11 seconds remaining in the contest when quarterback Rodney Artmore jumped into the end zone from the 1-yard line to cap a 10-play, 86-yard drive. Ball went for two, but Artmore was sacked on a conversion attempt.
Artmore passed for 130 yards, completing 10-of-23 attempts. He was picked off twice.
Lester Block, who wore No. 8 for most of the game after his usual No. 28 jersey got torn, led the Tors with 36 yards rushing on seven carries.
The Ball offense finished the night with only 44 team rushing yards, however, against a firm Brazoswood defense.
Both teams’ defenses put forth a solid effort in the first half, but the Bucs (7-3, 5-2) got on the scoreboard twice.
Playoff-bound Brazoswood — which will represent District 24-5A as the top-seeded Division I team — built a 14-0 lead on a returned fumble recovery by Julian King in the first quarter and Bradley Peters’ 41-yard touchdown pass from Chase Matzke in the second.
In the second half, the Tors’ defense wore down and the Bucs’ running game revved up.
Ricky Lunford rushed for 44 yards before halftime but finished the night with 197, including a 50-yard touchdown run on the fourth play of the third quarter. Teammate Marqualle Davis joined in the second-half fun, finishing with 77 yards rushing and touchdown carries of 1 and 28 yards. Troi Johnson ran in a two-point conversion after Davis’ first touchdown run.
The Brazoswood offense rushed for 349 yards on 45 carries overall, while quarterback Chase Matzke completed 4-of-8 passes for 68 yards. All four of his completions were hauled in by Peters.
Suggs said his defense simply spent too much time on the field in the second half.
“The injuries we have started to show up,” Suggs said. “When the defense is on the field for a long time, that is going to happen.”
Ball’s Jarrius James intercepted Matzke in the third quarter.
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