Southern Sports & Travel

Moore's blocked field goal preserves River Oaks win
Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas
River Oaks held off a furious second half rally by the Washington Generals to earn a huge 27-24 win over the defending AAA Division II state champions in Monroe on Friday night before a packed Woody Boyles Memorial Stadium. River Oaks senior Vincent Moore blocked a 17 yard field goal attempt by Washington’s Nathan Noble with 22 seconds remaining to preserve the win and move the second ranked Mustangs to 2-0.
In the early going it looked as though River Oaks would finish the Generals in the first half. The Mustangs took just two plays and 33 seconds on their first possession to hit pay-dirt. Teshadi Talton quickly scampered 18 yards on his first carry and Ryan MacGregor hit Vincent Moore with a short completion that Moore turned into a 49 yard touchdown at the 9:49 mark of the opening quarter.
On the Mustang’s next possession MacGregor nailed wide-out Joseph Hakim with a 31 yard strike into Washington territory at the 46 yard line. Three plays later while facing a 3rd and long two Teshadi Talton picked up 7 yards plus a 15 yard horse-collar penalty that moved the Mustangs down to the Generals 16 yard line. MacGregor’s 14 yard pass to tailback Aaron Rogers put the Mustangs in scoring position at the Washington 2 yard line and following an off-sides infraction by Washington MacGregor punched in a one yard keeper at the 5:54 mark to cap off a 7 play, 77 yard drive. A failed PAT attempt left River Oaks sporting a 13-0 lead. (Above) Vincent Moore of River Oaks
Washington managed to put together an 11 play drive to answer but the Generals stalled at the Mustang 16 yard line. With 1:41 remaining in the first quarter Nathan Noble nailed a 26 yard field goal to trim the deficit to 13-3.
On the ensuing kickoff Washington got the first turnover of the game as Teshadi Talton mishandled the ball and the Generals recovered at the River Oaks 33 yard line. Washington advanced to the Mustang 21 yard line on a 12 yard pass from Eric Brozovich to Jeffery Davis on a 3rd and nine to end the quarter.
The same combination of Brozovich to Davis to start the 2nd quarter moved the Generals just inside the Mustang’s 10 yard line. On the second play of the quarter tailback Ryan Gober rambled 10 yards for a touchdown as Washington capitalized on the River Oaks turnover. River Oaks blocked the PAT but Washington narrowed the margin to 13-9 with 11:13 remaining in the first half.
What momentum Washington had regained was crushed on the ensuing kickoff as Vincent Moore took the General’s pooch kick in at the River Oaks 30 yard line and cut across the field to sprint 70 yards for a touchdown at the 11:01 mark. Corey Talley’s PAT increased the Mustang lead to 20-9. (Above) Teshadi Talton (#9) of River Oaks
River Oaks looked prepared to blow the Generals out after scoring again on their next possession. This time River Oaks put together a 6 play, 53 yard drive that culminated on Ryan MacGregor’s 17 yard strike to Vincent Moore with 5:01 left in the half. Corey Talley added the PAT to push the Mustang’s lead to 27-9.
Washington threatened to strike before the end of the half. Eric Brozovich hit Nathan Noble for 31 yards down to the River Oaks 33 yard line and the Generals received an additional 15 yards on a Mustang personal foul infraction to put them in striking distance at the River Oaks 18 yard line. Washington’s drive would crumble on the next play as Andrew Steinle put the pigskin on the turf and River Oaks linebacker Davis Harris recovered it to preserve a 27-9 lead heading into intermission. (Above) Washington's Read Kelly (#32)
Washington began moving the ball in the 3rd quarter as senior quarterback Eric Brozovich executed the Generals short passing game like a surgeon. After moving the Generals to the River Oaks 33 yard line on their second possession of the half Brozovich appeared to be trapped in the backfield by Mustang defenders but the senior scrambled and found wide-out Hayden Lewis in the end-zone for a 33 yard touchdown with 2:45 remaining in the 3rd quarter. Washington trimmed the River Oaks lead to 27-17 after Brozovich hit Dylan Elkins in the end-zone for the 2 point conversion.
With a big momentum swing Washington’s defense quickly forced a River Oaks punt and regained possession at midfield with just under one minute left in the quarter. Facing a long 3rd and five from the River Oaks 46 yard line Brozovich hit tight-end Read Kelly in the flat and Kelly bulldozed his way to the Mustang 9 yard line to end the quarter.
Washington committed a costly turnover to begin the final quarter as Corey Talley picked off a Brozovich pass attempt in the end-zone at the 11:50 mark.
River Oaks couldn’t move the ball as Washington’s defense stiffened forcing another Mustang punt. Washington regained possession on their own 43 yard line following a 38 yard Davis Harris punt.
Washington put together a 10 play, 57 yard drive highlighted by a balanced mixture of the running and passing game. Washington capped of the drive on a Brozovich quarterback keeper from one yard out with 5:36 remaining. Nathan Noble’s PAT pulled the Generals to within three points at 27-24. (Above) Washington's Read Kelly (#32) is met by four Mustang defenders
With the River Oaks offense stagnant Washington looked to capitalize on the momentum swing as they took possession at their own 25 yard line with 2:43 on the clock following another River Oaks punt. Behind the running of Ryan Gober and Lea Turner the Generals moved methodically down to the River Oaks 37 yard line. Eric Brozovich then hit Nathan Noble two plays later for a 15 yard pickup down to the Mustang 17 yard line with 1:19 left in the game and Turner followed with a 7 yard run to the River Oaks 10 yard line where the Generals would burn a time-out with 53 seconds remaining in the game.
Following the time-out Brozovich would pick up a short three yard gain that left Washington a foot shy of a 1st down. Washington went for the win on 3rd down and a foot but Brozovich’s pass into the corner of the end-zone was incomplete setting up a 4th down field goal attempt from 17 yards out to tie the game at the 22 second mark.
Nathan Noble’s attempt was blocked by Vincent Moore as the senior pushed around the left end of the Washington line to send the River Oaks crowd into hysteria and preserve a 27-24 win.
River Oaks improves to 2-0 and will travel to Porter’s Chapel next week while Washington slips to 0-2 and will host Pillow.
Full game stats will be posted on Monday.

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