Cubs end up with wins against Pipers
By Sam Waller
The Albany Junior High Cubs football teams took different routes last Thursday in their games against the Hamlin Pied Pipers but both wound up with positive results.
The seventh grade team took the lead for good on its first offensive play on the way to a 36-0 victory at Robert Nail Memorial Stadium in its first official game. The eighth grade Cubs had to rally from a two-touchdown deficit to win 30-14.
The scheduled junior varsity game between Albany and Hamlin was cancelled because of a lack of players for the Pipers.
Lions head coach Denney Faith said efforts will be made to schedule a replacement game the week of Oct. 21, originally an open date.
All three Albany teams will be in action Thursday (today) at Haskell. The seventh grade will start at 4:30 p.m. with the other games to follow.
Seventh Grade
Jack Nail scored on a pair of long runs, while Wesley Gleitz, Zane Green, and Connor Smith each ran for one touchdown.
Smith also caught a conversion pass from Gleitz, and Colter Edgar had a pair of two-point runs.
The Cubs scored on all five of their possessions despite running just 11 plays. Four possessions lasted two plays or less. Albany finished with 203 total yards and the 36-0 win.
“Offensively, we didn’t run a lot of plays as we were able to score quickly in our drives,” Albany coach Ryder Peacock said. “Jack, Wesley, Zane, Connor, and Colter all did a good job of establishing the run game. I thought our offensive line blocked well and did a great job of staying on their blocks.”
Nail scored on a 50-yard run on Albany’s only play of the first quarter. Nicholas Gjerpe then blocked a Hamlin punt, and Gleitz scored from nine yards out two plays later.
Albany’s longest possession, which covered 58 yards in five plays, came at the start of the third quarter. A 47-yard touchdown run by Gleitz was called back on a penalty, but Nail went 47 yards to score two plays later.
The Cubs’ last two scores came on short drives after the defense stopped Hamlin on downs. Green had a 30-yard TD run late in the third quarter on his only carry. Smith took over at quarterback on Albany’s only series of the fourth quarter and scored on a 23-yard keeper.
Defensively, Albany allowed just four first downs on six Hamlin possessions.
“Defensively, Zane Green and Nicholas Gjerpe both made a lot of plays for us,” Peacock said. “We only gave up a few first downs overall.”
Eighth Grade
In a game that Albany eventuually won 30-14, Hamlin jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter behind two touchdown runs from quarterback Ian Gruben.
Breylon Billington, Calhan Fairchild, Shawn Keen, and Kaison Cehand scored touchdowns for Albany. Billington, Keen, and Fairchild each ran for a conversion.
“Offensively, I thought our backs ran well,” Albany coach David Fairchild said. “We had good blocking by our receivers Mason McCloy, Cade Fairchild, Woods Peterson, and Huffman Heatly.”
Hamlin’s Skylar Pond broke loose for a 62-yard run on the game’s first play, and Gruben scored from eight yards out on the next snap.
Gruben then intercepted an Albany pass and returned it 42 yards to set up his one-yard TD run.
After turning the ball over on downs at the Hamlin 20 on its next series, Albany began its comeback late in the second quarter. Brody Oliver forced a fumble that Calhan Fairchild recovered to set the Cubs up at the Hamlin 29, and Billington scored on a 14-yard run three plays later. His conversion cut Hamlin’s lead to 14-8 at halftime.
On the first possession of the third quarter, Fairchild capped a seven-play drive with a 12-yard touchdown run. Keen’s conversion gave Albany a 16-14 lead.
Keen gave Albany some breathing room with a 15-yard TD run with 2:33 to go, then Cehand sealed it with a 50-yard interception return with 1:22 left. On the interception, heavy pressure from Peterson forced Gruben into a bad throw.
Albany finished with 205 total yards of offense while allowing the Pipers 199. Hamlin was held to 56 yards in the second half, 32 of which came after Cehand’s score.
“Defensively, I thought Keen had some big plays along with Cehand,” David Fairchild said. “Up front, Tristan Howe and Tony Wheeler had good performances as well as Fairchild and Peterson on the outside.”
