Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

GHS Rolls In 7AA

It was ugly.

Stamps should have just mailed the game in, because nothing the Yellow Jackets tried worked when they tangled with Gurdon Friday night, Oct. 8.

The Jacket offense was completely ineffective as the team could neither run nor pass well against the Go-Devil defense.

When the game finally came to a merciful end, the final score was 39-8 Gurdon. It would have been much worse, but Gurdon Coach John Pace put the reserves in most of the final period to get them some playing time.

Overall, it was a nightmarish game as the officials dropped penalty flags an even two dozen times in the game, with 23 of the offenses being accepted for 132 lost yards for both teams.

The first quarter took a full 40 minutes to end with Stamps passing on almost every down and 11 penalties being called.

On the bright side, Gurdon could do no wrong, other than committing 11 penalties for 70 yards.

The offense worked as smoothly as a Swiss watch running up 415 yards of total offense.

Stamps won the toss and deferred until the second half, making the first mistake of the night by giving Gurdon the ball.

The Jackets took a page from Gurdon and pooch kicked the ball. Joe Plyler called for a fair catch at the Devil 34.

Brannon Hatley was stopped for no gain on first down and Stamps was flagged for being offsides on second down.

Colby Pace flipped a screen to RaShaun Hopson, who moved the ball to the Devil 48.

Stamps aided the cause further with another offside call, moving the ball into Jacket territory at the 47.

Then it was Cody Cox's turn to get in the game, and he did it in a big way, getting an opening and running to the 16 before getting caught.

Gurdon drove to the 13 before two incomplete passes appeared to have ended the drive

However, the Jackets hit Hopson a wee bit early on a pass play, bringing the laundry out once again.

This moved the ball half the distance to the goal and gave Gurdon a much needed first down.

Two plays later Pace scored on a quarterback sneak. The point after was good and with 8:14 showing, Gurdon led 7-0.

In all, the drive took 10 plays and almost four minutes.

As has been the case most of the year, Gurdon's kick was short, forcing Stamps to cover the loose ball at its own 36.

Play one was a portent of things to come for the night as a pass attempt fell incomplete.

However, the second down try was good for 28 yards and a first down at the Devil 36.

Three more incomplete passes put the Jackets in a fourth and 10 situation. Then Gurdon got sloppy with back-to-back offside penalties to give Stamps a first down at the Devil 26.

Coach Pace was livid on the sidelines, furious at giving up a first down on two consecutive penalties.

Three plays later, the Jackets were again in a fourth down situation, needing seven yards to keep the ball.

This time, though, Stamps's offense made the mistake by having an ineligible receiver down field.

On a desperation fourth down try, quarterback Gary Millican was nailed by Hatley, causing a fumble recovered by Gurdon at the 37.

Drive two took considerably less time than drive one for the Devils, as Gurdon covered the 63 yards in 1:39 on four plays.

Hatley carried three times on the drive, scoring on a 30-yard run.

However, the PAT was wide left on this try, but Gurdon was up 13-0 with 4:13 left in the first.

The kick was covered on the Stamps 20, where the Jacket offense set up shop.

The Jackets moved to the 37 before Hatley's second sack of the game was recorded on third down, forcing Stamps to punt.

The ball rolled dead at the Gurdon 43 with 2:21 still left in the opening quarter.

This time, though, Gurdon was unable to maintain the required momentum, though the Devils moved to the Stamps 40 before the problems began.

First, the Jackets began blitzing and caught Hatley for a three-yard loss.

Next, Pace hit Hopson at the 37, but Hopson was called for offensive interference.

This led to Gurdon's first punt of the night. The kick was fielded at the 25 and returned to the 37. Stamps benefitted from a late hit call against the Devils and the ball was moved to the 47.

It really didn't matter as Stamps fumbled the ball away on first down, with Gurdon returning the favor on the next snap.

Time ran out in the quarter, finally, with Millican getting to meet Lee Marks up close and personal in the backfield.

Two plays later, it was time for Stamps to punt again, this time the ball rolled dead at the Gurdon 27.

Hopson rambled to the Stamps 46 on first down, before O.B. Moss lost three on a counter.

Hatley gained this back and more, getting to the 42, before Hopson broke around right end and scored with 9:47 left in the half.

Pace called for a two-point conversion, with his son connecting with Plyler for the points to make it 21-0 Gurdon.

The kick was fielded at the 37 and returned to the 42 for the Jackets.

Gurdon's defense was solid and forced another punt after three plays, including a sack by Jeremy Means, who tried to drive Millican under the turf.

Following the punt, the Devils began at their own 26 with 8:37 showing.

Coach Pace yelled at his team to "burn the clock". This signaled the team to keep the ball on the ground as the clock stops on all incomplete passes.

Hatley gained 16 to the 42, with Cox adding nine more to the Jacket 49. A flag and holding call against Gurdon put the ball back in Devil territory at the 42.

A pitch to Hatley wound up on the ground, but he recovered the errant ball.

The drive stalled and failed when Gurdon failed to convert a fourth down play with 2:12 left.

Stamps tried to get cute with a wraparound draw, and lost eight yards, back to their 19. A double reverse on second down gained seven, with Pace leveling the runner.Third down saw another incomplete pass and another punt. This time, though, the punt was short and was downed at the Stamps 47.

Gurdon was flagged for illegal motion with 0:27 left, and Pace took a knee to mercifully end the half.

Stamps received the kick to start the second half, getting underway at the 28 and immediately moving backwards after a four yard loss on first down.

Two incomplete passes later, the Jackets punted to the Gurdon 48. However, the Devils were penalized for roughing the kicker and the punt was done over.

This time, the kick went to the Gurdon 39.

Again the Devils wasted little time in moving downfield and capping the 61-yard drive with the fourth touchdown of the night.

Cox started the drive with a nine-yard run. Hatley followed with a seven-yard gain, carrying three more times to the Stamps 36.

Pace kept the drive alive by gaining two on fourth down, giving Gurdon a needed first down. Cox added 10 more to the 24 before Hopson broke free on a sweep for his second TD of the night.

The PAT was wide right, and with 7:03 to go, Gurdon was up 27-0.

For the rest of the quarter, the two squads swapped punts.

Period three was the fastest of the night as only four penalties were assessed against the combatants.

The final 12 minutes began with Gurdon in a second and seven situation at the Stamps 37.

Cox gained three before Pace missed Plyler on third down, making it fourth and four.

Hatley broke free and made it to the 17 before getting caught.

Following a five yard motion penalty, Cox got four of it back, with Hatley adding 14 to his total, putting the ball at the Stamps 6.

Cox carried the mail two more times and earned his first touchdown of the season, putting Gurdon up 33-0 with 8:38 left in the game.

The kick for point after was blocked.

Yet again, the Jackets could do nothing and punted the ball to the Devils after three offensive snaps.

But, it was time to clear the benches and Pace put in the second string offense.

While the subs were out in three plays, the players knew they would be going back in and planned to do better on their second venture.

They got in quicker than expected as the receiver, after letting the punt bounce over his head, did something extremely foolish. It was the kind of thing that makes coaches old before their time.

As the ball was rolling down field, he tried to pick it up. He didn't, but the Devils did recover it at the Stamps 30.

Unfortunately, on Gurdon's second play, the Devils fumbled with Stamps recovering it at the Jacket 31.

Following a 16-yard pass play, the next snap sailed over Millican's head with Means falling on the ball at the Jacket 11.

A motion penalty moved the ball to the 16, where Marks, who appeared to be stopped after a short gain, fought through the defense to score.

With 2:02 left Gurdon held a commanding 39-0 lead. The point after was again blocked.

The Devils kicked the ball away, with it being fielded at the 22 and returned to the 48.

Stamps appeared to shoot itself in the foot with a motion penalty, moving the Jackets back to the 43.

It got worse as the snap was again high and fumbled by Millican. However, this time the halfback was able to pick it up, scoot outside containment and score.

This was a great disappointment to the players on the sideline who had been chanting for a shutout.

With 1:39 to go, it was now 39-6 and Stamps successfully went for two to make it 39-8.

The onside kick was covered by Matt Dickerson, his third in as many games.

Gurdon started at its own 44, gaining five yards on two plays before the final weirdness of the night occurred.

On third down the officials dropped a flag. However, Jesse Haak had been hit and fumbled the ball.

Then confusion arose as to whether the flag or fumble occurred first. The officials, after much debate, said the fumble was first and gave the ball to Stamps.

However, there was no time showing on the clock, but the referees allowed the Jackets one play.

Millican would probably have been glad just to leave the field as Justin Uchtman plowed into him for a sack.

This brings Gurdon's overall record to 4-2 while the Devils are 2-1 in 7AA-West play.

Statistically, the Devils owned the game.

Pace was one of four for nine yards in passing, while Millican was four of 20 for 50 yards.

Gurdon punted three times for 105 yards, giving up 15 yards in return. Stamps booted the ball eight times for 255 yards and no return yardage.

The two teams were nearly even in penalties, as Gurdon was flagged 11 times for 70 yards and Stamps saw the hankies hit 10 times for 62 yards.

Neither team held on to the ball well, as the Devils fumbled three times, losing three. Stamps coughed up the ball five times, losing four.

The Stamps quarterback was sacked three times, while Pace was untouched in the backfield.

Gurdon racked up 23 first downs, while giving up only four.

The Devils ran a total of 60 offensive plays, while Stamps had 34.

Gurdon's ground game was awesome in piling up 406 yards, while the defense stymied Stamps' rushing attack for a negative 32 yards  mostly because of sacks.

The Devils wound up with 415 total yards, while giving up a total of 18.

Hatley had a good night running the ball, carrying 26 times for 214 yards or an average of 8.23 yards per rush.

Hopson ran the ball six times for 86 yards, or 14.3 yards per carry.

Cox put in a good night's work as well, running the ball 11 times for 87 yards, or 7.91 yards a carry.

Marks had four carries for 28 yards and a seven yard average, while Pace ran four times for five yards.

In all, Gurdon ran the ball 56 times for the 406 yards for a 7.25 yard average.

Stamps, though, rushed the ball 14 times for a negative 32 yards.

At this point of the season, Hatley has unofficially gained 708 yards and is well on his way to a 1,000 yard season.

Hopson is next with 416 yards rushing in six games.

Mineral Springs remains atop the league at 5-1 and 4-0; with Foreman next at 6-0, 3-0; Gurdon is next at 4-2, 2-1; followed by Murfreesboro at 4-2, 2-1; Stamps at 3-3, 1-2; Horatio is 1-5, 1-2; with Dierks 1-5, 0-3; and Lewisville remains last at 0-6, 0-4.

In other conference play Friday night, Foreman demolished Lewisville 53-22; Mineral Springs posted a 25-3 win over Horatio; and Murfreesboro edged Dierks 20-16.

This week, Gurdon will host the Red Devils as Lewisville comes to town.

Dierks will be at Horatio, with the league leading Hornets of Mineral Springs heading to Gator country with a trip to Foreman. Stamps will be at Murfreesboro.

Kickoff for the Gurdon-Lewisville game will be 7:30 p.m.