Cubs finish with big wins
By Sam Waller
The Albany Junior High Cubs closed out their football season Thursday, Nov. 3 with a pair of shutout victories over Abilene Texas Leadership Charter Academy at Robert Nail Memorial Stadium.
The seventh grade Cubs finished off a 9-0 campaign with a 46-0 victory. The eighth grade won 31-0 to end the season at 6-2-1.
Seventh Grade
Bennett Neece, Clay Chapman, and Jakobi Roberson each scored two touchdowns as the Cubs scored six different ways.
“I’m very proud of this group of young men on their season going undefeated,” coach David Fairchild said. “They worked hard each day, and I look forward to what the future holds for them.”
The Cubs finished with 74 total yards of offense on just eight plays but racked up 166 return yards. Entering the fourth quarter, Albany had run more PAT attempts than plays from scrimmage.
Chapman was 2 of 3 passing for 56 yards and two touchdowns. Cash Edgar was the leading rusher with 15 yards on his only carry.
The Albany defense held TLC to minus-46 yards. Graham Ceder had a sack, and the Cubs turned two takeaways into points.
Neece scored on a 10-yard fumble return on the first play of the game. Aiden Vickers scored the conversion on a pass from Chapman.
TLC surrendered a safety on its next possession, and Chapman returned the free kick 55 yards for a touchdown. Roberson ran for the conversion to make Albany’s lead 18-0 before the Cubs ran an offensive play.
That first play produced a score as Roberson took a short pass, broke a tackle, and raced 51 yards to the end zone late in the first quarter.
Chapman connected with Neece for a 5-yard TD on the next series and ran for the conversion. Albany’s first rushing play attempt was when Chapman took a knee to run out the half.
Roberson returned the second half kickoff 70 yards for his second touchdown. Two plays after the ensuing kickoff, Chapman returned an interception 31 yards to score. Vickers again caught a pass for the conversion.
Eighth Grade
Albany scored once in each quarter with Jack Nail rushing for two touchdowns while Wesley Gleitz had one TD rushing and one passing.
Nail rushed for 127 yards on 11 carries as the eighth grade Cubs gained 222 of their 268 total yards on the ground. Gleitz added 63 yards on five carries and was 3 of 5 passing for 46 yards.
“Offensively, we were able to work on a few things and do some things we hadn’t done,” coach Ryder Peacock said. “We kind of opened up the playbook a little bit and let them have some fun. It was a good way to end the season.”
The defense held TLC to 54 total yards and two first downs.
“Our defense played really well,” Peacock said. “We didn’t give up a lot of first downs. TLC had a couple of big plays but didn’t really give us a scare.”
Connor Smith had an interception, and Zane Green recovered a fumble.
“I saw some guys come up and hit and make tackles,” Peacock said. “I think they let themselves play more freely and just played tougher, more aggressive.”
Nail capped Albany’s first drive with a 21-yard touchdown run. Gleitz ran for the conversion.
Gleitz scored on a 3-yard run in the second quarter. Green, who rushed for 34 yards on six carries, ran for the conversion.
Albany missed two chances to add to the lead before halftime. Nail recovered the kickoff after Gleitz’s TD at the TLC 49-yard line, but the Cubs lost a fumble two plays later. The Cubs drove to the 18 late in the half before the clock ran out.
Green returned the second half kickoff 35 yards to the TLC 30 to set up the next score. Albany overcame two penalties and faced third-and-9 at the 17 when Gleitz connected with Sam Vickers for the touchdown. Smith caught the conversion pass to make it 24-0.
Nail added a 10-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. Christian Hernandez had a 28-yard reception, and Gleitz ran for 32 yards to help Albany overcome another penalty. Gleitz kicked the extra point, the first time the Cubs tried kicking for the conversion this season.
“The extra point was something we threw together at the last second on Thursday,” Peacock said. “I saw Wesley kicking and thought we could pull it off. He nailed it, and that was probably the most exciting part of the game for those guys, executing that kick with very little practice.”
