7th grade Cubs remain undefeated
By Sam Waller
The Albany Junior High Cubs football teams came away with a win and a tie last week in home games against Roscoe.
The junior high teams make their final home appearance Thursday, Oct. 27 (today) against Hamlin at Robert Nail Memorial Stadium. The seventh grade game will start at 4:30 p.m. with the eighth grade and junior varsity to follow.
On Thursday, Oct. 20, the seventh grade Cubs kept their undefeated status with a 28-0 victory over the Plowboys. The eighth grade settled for a 16-16 tie after being stopped inside the 1-yard line on the game’s final play.
Seventh Grade
Clay Chapman ran for two touchdowns and passed for a third as the seventh grade Cubs improved to 7-0.
Albany finished with 260 total yards, scoring on its first three possessions. Chapman rushed for 125 yards and was 3 of 5 passing for 28 yards. Bennett Neece added 51 yards rushing and a score. Jakobi Word rushed for 49 yards. Aiden Vickers had two receptions for 28 yards with a TD and rushed for 12 yards.
“I thought Clay threw the ball well,” coach David Fairchild said. “Aiden had some nice catches as well as runs, and Neece had some hard, strong runs. I was very pleased with our line.”
Albany struck quickly with Neece scoring on a 40-yard run on the second play of the game. Vickers scored the conversion on a pass from Chapman.
Word set up the next score with an interception and 38-yard return. Five plays later, Chapman and Vickers connected on a 12-yard TD.
Albany took a 20-0 halftime lead when Chapman scored on a 15-yard run.
Chapman added a 71-yard scoring run on the first play of the fourth quarter, with Word running for the conversion.
The Cubs held Roscoe to 81 total yards in recording their third shutout.
“Defensively, Chapman was all over the field making plays,” said the coach. “Aiden made several nice plays, and Word came on strong with a pick. Cash Edgar again had a good night defensively.”
Eighth Grade
Wesley Gleitz was ruled down short of the goal line on the final play as the game ended in a deadlock.
The Cubs (4-2-1) held the ball for the final 5:54 with a 12-play drive, overcoming third-and-34 from their own 38-yard line.
“We gave ourselves a chance to win at the end of the game,” coach Ryder Peacock said. “We just came up a little bit short.” Albany’s first drive, which Gleitz capped with a 12-yard run and conversion pass to Zane Green, was a 14-play, 76-yard march that consumed nine minutes spanning the first and second quarters.
Roscoe responded with two touchdowns in the final 1:44 of the half, taking the lead on a 53-yard pass with six seconds remaining.
The Cubs pulled even on Jack Nail’s 58-yard run and another Gleitz-to-Green conversion midway through the third quarter. Casey Estridge then recovered an onside kick, and Albany drove to the Roscoe 25 before losing a fumble with seven seconds left in the period.
Roscoe gained one first down before punting, and the Cubs started the final drive from their own 42. A 3-yard touchdown run by Nail with seven seconds left was negated on a penalty.
Albany gained 261 total yards. Gleitz was 4 of 6 passing for 95 yards and rushed for 39. Green rushed for 67 yards, with Nail rushing for 60 and recording all four receptions.
“Offensively, I thought we did a good job overall running and throwing,” Peacock said. “We had a couple of big conversions that set up scores for us, and Wesley and Jack connected for two big catches in crucial situations. Zane continued to run hard, and the offensive line came off the ball and opened up some running lanes for those guys.”
Roscoe finished with 130 total yards, 87 of which came through the air.
“Defensively, we really played well. We had guys come up and make some tackles,” Peacock said. “We gave up one big play before the half, but other than that, I thought we did good things during the game.”
