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August 23, 2007

Murray loses to Pickens in scrimmage

By Larry Fleming

JASPER — The Murray County Indians are still looking for an offense.

The Indians may have already discovered the makings for an improved defense.

With new coach Josh Lowe at the helm in a preseason scrimmage on Thursday night, the Indians suffered a 6-0 loss to Pickens but had a chance to pull out a victory as the final seconds ticked off the stadium clock.

The Indians, who suffered through a winless season in 2006 with a meager offense and porous defense, battled the homestanding Dragons throughout the scrimmage on a muggy night at Pickens High School, where the temperature was in the high 70s at game time.

“Defensively we stepped up several times,” Lowe said. “We had a couple of interceptions, some key stops, a fumble recovery and they got one score.”

Murray’s Ethan Penland intercepted a Pickens pass at the goal line to stop the Dragons’ first drive. On Pickens’ next possession, Cody Hardy, the Indians’ starting quarterback last season, picked off another Dragons pass at the Indians’ 21. Defensive end Tommy Goforth recovered a Pickens fumble at the Dragons’ 29 in the third quarter.

Late in the game Murray County’s Angel Langley knocked down a pass at the Dragons’ 31, and that Pickens drive eventually stalled at the Indians’ 9, setting up Murray’s last-gasp try at pulling out a victory.

Murray County almost scored in the third quarter following Goforth’s fumble recovery. The Indians failed to take advantage of that break when Nick Peden’s pass was picked off by Pickens’ R.J. Harrington in the end zone.

Pickens made its one touchdown — a 14-yard pass from quarterback Harrington to tight end Raymond Bennett in the third quarter — stand up for the win. That capped a 55-yard drive following an Indians punt.

Murray County, which opens its 2007 season on Aug. 31 at home against Northwest Whitfield, gave the Dragons’ defense a scare as the game wound down.

Reserve quarterback Austin Williams, a sophomore, sparked a drive from the Indians’ own 9.

Williams completed a 34-yard pass to Chris Bierlien, moving the Indians to their own 45. On fourth-and-2 from the 49, fullback Jake White bulled his way for a first down at the Dragons’ 45.

With no timeouts left, Williams scrambled around the right side, scampered back to the visiting sideline and bolted 41 yards to the Pickens 4.

At the line quickly, Williams spiked the ball. On the next play, he scooted to his right and fired to White, who was dragged down by Pickens defenders near the 3 as the game ended.

“Offensively, at times we played like we’re capable,” Lowe said. “At times we didn’t. We’ve got to do a better job blocking and pass protecting. On some drives we moved the ball pretty good.”

Williams was Murray County’s leading rusher with 46 yards on two carries. He also completed two passes for 35 yards. Zac Dills gained 30 yards on eight carries.

Peden, who didn’t throw a pass in 2006, went 5-for-9 for 69 yards in the scrimmage. In all the Indians passed for 138 yards. They threw for just 426 yards last season.

Dakota Nelson caught two passes for 33 yards and Austin Godfrey had two receptions for 27 yards.

The Class 5A Indians, who had 74 total yards of offense in the first half, ended the scrimmage with 243 yards. Pickens, a Class 3A school, had 259.

“One thing we have to do better is maintaining drives,” Lowe said. “In this scrimmage I wanted to see what we needed to work on and I saw a few things. I wanted to see where we are as a team. “We’ve got a lot of work to do. But anytime you put in new schemes on offense and defense, it’s going to take time.”

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