Forestview overcomes sloppy start, rolls rival Ashbrook

               No 2009 repeat here folks. But it sure looked like one in the works in the first half. It’s not that Forestview couldn’t move the ball but they just simply could not finish drives. Ashbrook, on the other hand, could only muster two first half field goals by kicker Matt Cloyd (24 and 35). Coming off another Forestview turnover early in the second half due to a badly timed snap, Cloyd kicked another 24 yarder.

                But the Jaguars would soon find the end-zone. Moe Neal got the Jaguars on the board with a four-yard touchdown run. Trey Heavner’s kick cut the score to 9-7. Then the defense got in on the fun too. Ashbrook fumbled on the ensuing drive near midfield. Trell McCaskill picked up the ball and ran 48 yards for a touchdown. The two-point conversion failed however making the score 13-9.

                The Green Wave stormed back with a Jeff Glenn screen pass Z’Andre Givens which Givens took 58 yards for a touchdown. Cloyd’s extra point gave Ashbrook a 16-13 lead. But the party was just starting for Forestview.

                Faced with a big decision on fourth-and-one from their own 32-yard line, the Jaguars went for it and it paid off as Neal tore through the defense for a 68-yard touchdown run. We all know Neal can run and catch. But on the next drive he made a play with his arm, as hit Isaiah Sanders for a 54-yard half-back pass touchdown. Heavner remained perfect on extra points as the Jaguars held a 27-16 lead.

                Montavis Rogers got in on the fun with a touchdown run from the ten-yard line. Forestview extends their lead to 34-16. But Ashbrook still had some fight left in them. Kristien Bell’s two-yard touchdown run cut Forestview’s lead to 34-22. The two point conversion try failed, however.

                The Green Wave did recover the on-side kick. But could not get anything on the drive. Jeff Glenn was sacked by Nathan Whitaker on third down and an illegal forward pass on fourth down ended their comeback hopes. A three-yard run by Rogers and a 70-yard interception return by McCaskill put the exclamation point on the game.

                Moe Neal finished the game with 241 yards rushing and two touchdowns, along with 27 yards receiving and the 54-yard touchdown pass. Jeff Glenn led Ashbrook with 192 yards passing and a touchdown for Ashbrook.  

                “We’re disappointed. I thought we played a good game defensively the first half and there was a gap in the second half where we lost it.” said Ashbrook head coach Greg Hill “It will be a disappointing weekend for our kids.”

                “You can’t go down there and not get points. Not against a good team like Forestview.” Hill said about taking field-goals early on “We’ve been in situations (this year) where we drove all the way down there and got nothing. We just got to finish strong. We got to get ready for a playoff run.”

                “There were a lot big plays and (the fumble return) was one of them. It gave us the lead.” said Forestview head coach Chris Medlin “Give (Ashbrook) credit, they have a good defense. They have a good team. Against a good athletic team, you have to find ways to put them away early.”

                “We just got to finish strong. We have a lot we can get better at. We’ve got to focus on every week.”

                Forestview (7-2)(5-0) will travel to Hunter Huss (3-6)(3-2) next week. A win at Hunter Huss assures them a share of the conference title. If the Jaguars win out, it will be their first conference title outright. Ashbrook (4-5)(3-2) will be back home against Lake Norman Charter (2-6)(1-4).