LCM Bears are 3-0 after taming the Caney Creek Panters

Going into last night’s game Coach Randy Crouch was

a little worried that his LCM Bears may have their hands full when they met the

Conroe Caney Creek Panthers.

“They are a much larger school than we are, with

1700-1800 students and they are a team that will force us to take assignments.

We will have to play a very disciplined game,” said Crouch.

Looking at the team rosters the size and age of the

players was about even. LCM was carrying 20 Seniors, Caney Creek 22. There were

also a couple of heavy weights on each team.

LCM had Stephen Guilbeaux tipping

the scales at 280 pounds and Justin Judge weighing 270. The Panthers had Senior

Cody Britton with 295 pounds under his belt and Senior Chilton McMullen going

and even 300.

On paper, it looked like a fairly even match. Once

the kickoff was made and the two teams started play, things changed fast.

It only took the Bears six plays in the first

quarter to cross the goal line. The kick was good and the Bears were 7-0.

The Panthers took the offensive and in two plays

fumbled and the Bears regained the ball on the 21 yard line. On the Bears first

play Billy Jones caught a short pass and went over the goal line.

The Panthers possession did not go too well, taking the

ball on the 18 yard line. The Panthers first offensive play resulted in a pass

being intercepted by the Bears Shea Richards. On the Bears third play their

pass was intercepted by the Panthers Kyle Baird.

The Panthers fourth down play was to be a kick, but

the kicker got buried under a pile of Green and Gold. The ball was recovered

behind the goal line and put the Bears in the lead after the kick 21-0 with

2:31 left to play in the first quarter. The bears scored again and the score

was 27-0 at the end of the first quarter.

At the end of the first half the score was 35-0. The

Bears had held the Panthers to only 21 rushing yards, zero yards passing, and six

first downs. The Bears had earned 125 yards passing, 25 yards rushing and seven

first downs. Total yardage for the teams was 87 for the Panthers and 150 for

the bears.

In the third quarter, Panther quarterback Kyle

Herfurth punched the Bears when he led his team on a 74 yard drive that ended

with a touchdown keeper that put him over the goal and made the score 42-7 with

9:32 remaining in the quarter.

The Bears Caleb Bickham caught a bad pitchout by the

Panthers to give the Bears the ball. Number 22,

Trent Manuel kicked the ball an impressive 39 yards to make the score

45-7 with 7:50 left on the clock.

Later in the quarter Panther Kyle Baird grabbed a

Bear fumble, ran it 81 yards for a panther touchdown, making the score 51-14,

and leaving 0:20 on the clock.

The Bears dominated play in the fourth quarter.

Manuel kicked a 29 yard field goal bringing the score to 54-14. There was 4:49

left on the clock. The Bears ate up the clock and took the win to bring them to

3-0 for the season.

There were two injuries for the Bears, quarterback

Brilon Douglas suffered an ankle injury, a possible sprain, and tailback Alex

Sezer took a blow to the knee resulting in a possible sprain there.

The Bears earned 20 first downs to the Panthers six. Bears

carried the ball 34 times for 153 yards compared to the Panthers 33 carries for

104 yards. Completely dominating the air the Bears passed for 242 yards

allowing the Panthers zero yards passing.

The Bears will take next week off before heading to

the edge of the Big Thicket to face the Lumberton Raiders in Lumberton on Sept

23.