Sandies Fall in Regional Round, 59-8

Grapeland Finishes Season 10-3

By Will Johnson

Messenger Reporter

FAIRFIELD – This year was supposed to be different. The Grapeland Sandies and Mart Panthers met in last year’s Regional Round of the playoffs and the Panthers walked away with a 64-22 win on their way to a state championship.

The 2019 playoffs saw Grapeland and Mart squaring off again in the Regional Round. Grapeland was supposed to be better and Mart was thought to have lost a lot to graduation.

Sometimes, however, it’s just not your day. Such was the case on Friday, Nov. 29 when the two teams met in Fairfield for the right to advance to the State Quarterfinals.

It started with the sign the Sandies ran through to start the game. The wind wreaked havoc and forced a not so grand entrance by Grapeland.

Once the game got started, turnovers sealed the Sandies fate as they fell to the Panthers by a final score of 59-8.  

Grapeland started with possession of the ball at their own 30. Quarterback BJ Lamb completed his first pass of the game to Austin Driskell for 12 yards but on the next play, a fumble gave the ball to Mart on the Sandies’ 29-yard line.

Klyderion Campbell picked up four on first down for Mart. Roddrell Freeman followed up with a 20-yard rumble to move the ball to the Grapeland five.

The Sandies’ defense kept the Panthers’ offense in check for three plays but on but on fourth-and-two from the two, Freeman bulled his way into the end zone to make the score 6-0 at the 9:10 mark of the first quarter.

The next possession for Grapeland started at their own 39-yard line. Cadarian Wiley lost two yards on first down while an illegal procedure call pushed the ball back to the 32.

On the next play, disaster struck for Grapeland. Lamb was forced to scramble and as he was fighting to get back to the line of scrimmage, the ball popped loose and fell into the waiting arms of Da’Marion Medlock who waltzed into the end zone untouched. Freeman converted the try for two and just like that, Mart led 14-0.

Things got worse for the Sandies on their next possession. After three plays went nowhere, Grapeland was forced to punt. The snap was low and when Keizion Ashford bent to field the ball, his knee brushed the ground and he was ruled down, giving the Panthers the ball at the Grapeland 10-yard line.

The next play from scrimmage saw Mart QB Kyler Martin connect with wide-out De’traevion Medlock for a 10-yard TD. The extra point from Ayden Lane was good and with 6:35 left in the first quarter, the Panthers now led 21-0.

While the Sandies may have been shell shocked, their next possession showed promise. Lamb picked up one on first down and then connected with Cooper Ward for six yards on second down. Facing a third and three from the 34, Lamb found Ashford for five yards and a first down.

Wiley gave the Sandies four yards on first as the drive continued and then Lamb hooked up with Deco Bryant for three more. Four straight runs by Lamb moved the Sandies across midfield and gave them a fresh set of downs.

Just when it seemed Grapeland might get back into the contest, Dillion Lundy stepped in front of a Lamb pass at the Mart 15-yard line.

The Panthers kept the ball on the ground – after the turnover – as Freeman and Martin moved the ball across the 50, down to the 43-yard line of Grapeland. Facing a third-and-15, Martin found De. Medlock, who had gotten behind the Grapeland defenders, for a 37-yard completion. Martin took it the rest of the way for a six-yard touchdown at the 9:12 mark of the second quarter while the Lane PAT made the score 28-0, in favor of Mart.

After the two teams exchanged punts, the Panthers took possession of the ball at their own 34-yard line. Martin picked up 21 yards on first down and then Freeman rambled 45 yards to pay dirt. Lane’s PAT made the score 35-0 with 4:38 left in the half.

A second interception of Lamb gave the ball right back to Mart at their own 40. The Panthers methodically worked the ball down the field and Freeman plunged across the goal line from a yard out to increase the Panthers’ lead to 41-0.

The Sandies had one last chance in the half to put some points on the board, but when Grapeland turned the ball over on downs at the Mart 39, the Panthers took advantage as Kei’Shawn Clater took it to the house from 61 yards out to make the score 47-0.

Clater’s TD mercifully brought the first half to a close with the Panthers up big.

Mart picked up where they left off after halftime as Martin connected with De. Medlock for 46 yards and six points at the 7:22 mark of the third to make the score 53-0.

Grapeland’s first possession of the second half saw the Sandies drive from the 14-yard line all the way to the Mart three, but they couldn’t punch it in.

The Panthers, on the other hand, drove the length of the field following the turnover on downs and scored on a Robert Hickman three-yard dive to make the score 59-0.

The Sandies finally got on the scoreboard during their next possession. On first down from the 21, Lamb slipped through the line and raced 52 yards to the Mart 27. Bryant picked up six yards on the next play and then Lamb found Ward for 15 yards to move the ball down to the six-yard line.

Lamb took it the rest of the way for a six-yard TD and then connected with Ward for the two-point conversion to make the score 59-8.

That was the way the game would end up as Mart beat Grapeland in the Regional Round of the playoffs for the second consecutive year. The loss ends the Sandies’ season with a record of 10-3. While it wasn’t the way Grapeland would have liked to end the year, The Messenger would still like to congratulate the Sandies on a very successful season.

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].

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