Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Gurdon Go-Devils Falter, Fall In Opening Round To Dragons

Gurdon did something few teams have done to Junction City  hold the Dragons to 14 points.

However, the Devil offense was unable to score in the game, thus ending Gurdon's football season with a 14-0 loss in the opening round of the class AA state playoffs.

The game got off to a good start as Gurdon won the toss and deferred until the second half.

On the opening kick, the Dragons were unable to capture an elusive squib, with Gurdon recovering the loose ball at the Junction City 48.

O.C. Webster ran twice, making it to the 42, but a pass from Colby Pace to Jeremy Means fell incomplete and Gurdon was forced to punt.

The boot was fielded by Easter, who returned it to the Gurdon 45 before being brought down on the off-track.

The Dragons opened in a wishbone, changing occasionally to the I formation. Easter took the first carry up the gut to the 36.

A bad snap on second down ended up with a 16-yard gain for Junction City.

The Dragons drove to Gurdon's 14 before the drive stalled and they turned the ball over on downs.

O.B. Moss gained four to the 18 on first down to give the Devils a bit of breathing room. He added five on second down, and K.P. Meeks was stuffed on third and one, forcing Gurdon to punt again.

The boot hit at midfield and rolled to the Dragon 45.

Three plays gained two yards with the Dragons returning the favor on fourth down.

Gurdon benefitted from a bad kick as the Devils took over at their own 44.

Unfortunately, the Gurdon offense sputtered, losing four yards in three plays, and having a third down pass fall incomplete again.

Pace punted to the Dragon 35 and got a favorable roll to the 25, where Junction City set up shop.

This proved to be the beginning of a 75-yard drive by the Dragons.

A quick snap on first down resulted in a 10-yard gain by Payne. Easter added nine on a draw play, before Payne marched to midfield on an option from the wishbone.

A pass to the Gurdon 30 was brought back when the Dragons were flagged for illegal procedure. However, Payne moved the ball to the Devils' 40 on the next snap.

The Dragons also got a flag in their favor as the Devils were nailed for a late hit, putting the ball on the Gurdon 31.

But, Junction City immediately lost five yards when flagged for procedure yet again.

Period one ended with neither team able to put points on the board.

The second quarter, though, began with the Dragons facing a second and 13 at the Gurdon 35.

Play one saw Eric Hozer break to the 20, followed by Payne gaining five more. Easter capped the drive with a touchdown with 11:05 left in the half.

The Dragons tried a two-point conversion, but failed. Still, Junction City held a 6-0 lead.

The kick sailed high and short, hitting the ground and resulting in a scramble with the Dragons recovering the ball at the Gurdon 30.

Junction City battled to the Devil 18 before Gurdon's defense stiffened and pushed the Dragons back to the 20, where, on fourth down, a field goal was attempted and missed.

With 7:10 left in the half, Gurdon had the ball on its own 20.

Right off the bat the Devils were flagged for procedure and lost five yards.

Gurdon was unable to move the ball more than back to the 20, and this on a Pace to Jason Simpson pass.

The ensuing punt hit at the Gurdon 45 and rolled to the 49.

Junction City took over with 5:37 showing, and kept the ball for 5:10 of this.

The Dragons, relying heavily on Easter, made it to the Gurdon 11 before turning the ball over on downs.

Junction City ran 11 plays, had a touchdown called back, and nearly had a pass picked off in the drive.

Halftime arrived with the score 6-0 in Junction City's favor.

Joe Plyler, on the opening kick of the second half, called for a fair catch at the Gurdon 30.

Meeks gained five and fumbled, but Gurdon recovered. The Devils battled to their 44, only to have to punt the ball away again.

This time, the ball was downed at the Dragon 34.

Three plays later, Junction City punted back to Gurdon, after gaining nine yards on three runs. Gurdon took over on the Devil 22.Moss carried twice, gaining a yard, before Pace was flagged for intentionally grounding the ball on third down. Along with the loss of five yards from the spot of the foul, the Devils lost a down and had to punt.

Pace's punt was a short one, rolling dead at the Gurdon 36.

When Junction City's offense took the field, it appeared as though the Dragons were marching toward the promised land for a second time.

Payne gained four on first down, with a reverse moving the ball to the 17. However, this was called back as the Dragons were penalized for holding.

Now the ball was at the Gurdon 27, and Easter gained nine to the 18.

Three plays later, Payne fumbled, with Gurdon falling on the loose ball at the 15.

A trio of runs, one by Meeks and two by Lasiter, moved the ball to the Gurdon 23, forcing the Devils to punt yet again. And, again, the ball was downed at the Gurdon 36.

A first down pass fell incomplete, before Easter fumbled, only to see Payne recover the ball for a gain of six.

Easter made it to the Gurdon 27 as time expired in the third quarter.

The Dragons were looking at a fourth and one to start the final 12 minutes. Easter fought to the nine, with four more yards added when Gurdon was hit with a facemask call.

Easter scored on the next play. The two point conversion was good, putting Junction City up 14-0.

Meeks fielded the kickoff at the 25, getting back to the 30 in the slop.

Gurdon put its best drive of the night together, running 10 plays.

Of course, the Devils got started on the wrong foot with a procedure penalty, putting the ball at the 25.

Moss helped Gurdon's cause with a seven-yard run on first down, before Jake Plyler gained 15 to the 47.

With the Devils on the move, Moss took a pitch to the Dragon 45, and, for one of the few times of the night, Gurdon was in Junction City territory.

Two more runs saw Gurdon lose to the Junction City 47, putting the Devils in a fourth and long situation.

Pace connected with Means at the Dragon 38 to keep the drive alive. Gurdon managed to move to the Junction City 34, before Pace slipped in the mud on a fourth-down pass play with 6:17 left in the game.

On its next possession, the Dragons almost exclusively used Easter, who ran five times, getting to the Gurdon 18.

However, Gurdon's defense had been stalwart all night, as it had throughout the season, and forced the Dragons to try a 40-yard field goal, which was no good.

Gurdon took over at its own 18, only to see Pace sacked on first down.

The Devils ran one more play, gaining three yards, before the game, and their season, came to an end.