The Cougars took possession of the ball first. They looked to ground and pound the Sturgeon defense and they had moderate success but the drive was cut short when Blake Maxfield intercepted an ill-advised pass to give the ball to the Sturgeon.
The Sturgeon’s first offensive possession did not go according to the game plan for they were forced into a three and out and had to punt the
ball away.
The Cougars were the first team to get on the scoreboard when they scored on a four yard run.
The Sturgeon on their next offensive drive still could not get on track and despite a fourth down and short conversion by quarterback Josh Elsley they were forced to punt the ball once again and this brought an end to the first quarter.
The Cougars opened up the second quarter with the ball on offense and plans on getting on the board once again. However, the Sturgeon defense once again played tough and the Cougars were forced to punt the ball away.
After this strong stance by the defense the Sturgeon knew that they need to establish some rhythm offensively but the lateral speed of the Cougars defense proved to be a difficult hurdle for the team to overcome. The Sturgeon was forced into yet another three and out.
The defensive battle continued as the Sturgeon forced the Cougars into a three and out of their own.
The Sturgeon managed to get on the scoreboard for the first time on their next offensive possession. Dale Bressette caught a big third down pass from Elsley to keep the drive alive. Mitchell Smiley picked up a fumbled option pitch and scored from eight yards out to make the score 7-6. The score remained that way when Maxfield’s extra point was blocked.
The Sturgeon defense gave the Sturgeon their first lead of the game when Mason Kett intercepted a pass and took it in for a twelve yard touchdown. Elsley added the two point conversion on a scamper to make the score 14-7 in favour of the Sturgeon.
The Sturgeon continued to grab more momentum when Christian Fanset of the Sturgeon recovered a short kickoff to give the ball back to the Sturgeon. The Cougars defense held firm and forced the Sturgeon to punt the ball once again.
The Cougars had one more offensive drive before halftime but were unsuccessful when Jared Lippiat intercepted a pass that brought an end to the second quarter.
The Sturgeon received the kickoff to start the second half of the game. Despite the drive looking promising #33 on the Cougar defense forced and recovered a fumble to give the Cougars a chance to tie the game.
The Cougars offense once again sputtered. The Cougars had to punt the ball back to the Sturgeon when Greg Roberts made a huge sack on third and long.
The Sturgeon failed to add to their lead when they were forced to punt the ball away once again.
The Cougars offensive woes still continued and frustration seemed to be setting in when they could not get anything positive on their next offensive possession.
The Sturgeon started to get something going offensively but it seemed to all be lost when a forty yard touchdown run was called back because of a holding penalty. The Sturgeon, however, kept their composure and Smiley scored on a forty yard touchdown run to give the Sturgeon a 20-7 lead.
The Cougars looked to get back into their game on their next offensive possession and they seemed to be on the right track to do this. The
hard running of Anthony Cunha seemed to be giving the Cougars some life. Once again though the Sturgeon defense shut the door and as the third quarter came to an end the Cougars had to punt the ball away.
The Sturgeon looked to milk the clock in order to seal the win. They were assisted by a too many men penalty against the Cougars on a third down that kept the drive alive. Ramone “butter” Bustillo also got in on the action when he converted a big play around the left end for fifteen yards and another first down. The Cougars, however, made one last stand and forced the Sturgeon to punt them back the ball.
The Cougars knew it was now or never when they took the field once again. However, like the Sturgeon always seem to do every week they made a huge defensive stand inside their own five yard line and forced a turnover on downs.
The Sturgeon offense took the field with only a few minutes left in the game. Fullback Yenel Olivero ran hard all game long and he finally broke a fifty yard run to move the chains. Smiley added another touchdown on a forty yard run which was the final nail in the coffin for the game. The final score once again was 26-7 in favour of the Sturgeon.
“It was a hard fought game,” said Sturgeon head coach Steve Belrose.
“It was great having Chatham come down and play us under the lights,” added Belrose.
The game overall was lethargic in nature with neither team really taking control of the game. However, in the end the Sturgeon played well enough to win and will take it for next week they will be playing for second place in the South division when they take on The Forest City
Thunderbirds. The game will take place on July 14th at 3:30.
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