SEYMOUR
The Owls couldn’t get out of their own way on Friday night.
Multiple penalties and costly turnovers did Seymour in on senior night, falling to the Floyd Central Highlanders 21-14 and dropping them below .500 for the first time this season.
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryBoth teams came into the contest with a heavy emphasis on the ground game and, early on, it was the Owls that had the advantage.
Yet, drive-killing holding penalties stymied the Owls’ first two chances at a touchdown after they got deep into Floyd Central territory.
“We were right there at the doorstep in the first half, driving the ball twice and then had some penalties that prevented us from being successful,” Seymour coach Mike Kelly said. “We had four turnovers tonight and you can’t turn the ball over and expect to be successful.”
Still, the Owls didn’t give up on their up-tempo offense, trying to wear down the Floyd Central defense. Kelly explained they were trying to eat up the clock and own the time of possession.
“I was good with three yards [a carry],” Kelly said. “It’s what allowed the play action pass to be as pivotal as it was in the game.”
After the Highlanders had their star running back Wenkers Wright held in check in the first quarter, the junior rattled off a 94-yard score on their first play of the second stanza.
With so much of a reliance of the rushing attack, the Owls scored their first touchdown of the game with a 53-yard strike from Brendan Smith to Drew Vehslage to knot the game back up at seven.
That was the last time the Owls would keep it that close.
An answer from the Highlanders, an interception from Smith that led to another Floyd Central score and the visitors took a two-score lead into the halftime break.
After the intermission, not much changed for the Owls.
They once again contained Wright, but the offense could not find their way into the endzone.
Yet, Smith and company were able to take their first possession of the second half deep into Highlander territory, but an interception inside the 5-yard line cost them yet another chance to score.
“Turnovers in the second half killed us tonight,” Kelly said. “We didn’t do a good job of taking care of the football tonight and you can see the results of that.”
Floyd Central almost made them pay for it with another long Wright touchdown run, but a holding penalty called back that back and the Owls were able to hold the Higlanders off the board for the entirety of the second half.
Wright finished with 232 yards rushing for the game.
Kelly praised Wright’s play, using the word “explosive” to describe the Highlander tailback.
Seymour’s defense played exceptional according to Kelly, who saw their play come to a head when Cameron James blocked a Highlander field goal attempt and Drew Schroeder returned it for their second touchdown of the night.
Though they’ve dropped their last five games, Kelly reflects that all of them have been by seven points or fewer.
It’s not too far fetched to think the Owls could be staring at a winning season and making other teams think twice before they look past Seymour.
The Owls will have a week off to get healthy before they travel up Interstate 65 to face the Franklin Grizzly Cubs on Friday, November 1 at 7 p.m.
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Highlanders;21
Owls;14
Floyd Central (7-2);0;21;0;0 — 21
Seymour (4-5);0;7;0;7 — 14
Second quarter
FC-Wenkers Wrights 94-yard run (Cole Hussung kick), 10:53
S-Brendan Smith 53-yard pass to Drew Vehslage (Josh Guevara kick), 8:41
FC- Tristan Polk 54-yard pass to Landon Deweese (Hussung kick), 4:48
FC-Polk 23-yard pass to Deweese (Hussung kick), 3:51
Fourth quarter
S-Drew Schroeder 69-yard blocked field goal return (Guevara kick), 2:09
INDIVIDUAL SHS STATISTICS
Rushing: Chandler Drummond 17-54, Josh Pennington 7-38, Brendan Smith 18-54, Ely Henderson 1-3, Cody Ruble 1-2
Passing: Brendan Smith 7-13-102, Ruble 0-1
Receiving: Ely Henderson 6-49, Drew Vehslage 1-53,
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