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| Former Leesburg Standout Undra Mitchem at The Citadel |
October 21, 1989|By Joe Williams of The Sentinel Staff
EUSTIS — On a night when a pair of Leesburg High School running backs each rushed for more than 100 yards, it was the Yellow Jackets' defense that played a starring role, leading Leesburg to a 21-0 victory over Eustis on Friday night in a non-district game played at The Panther Den.
Leesburg's duo of senior halfbacks, Undra Mitchem and Lee Hanks (playing in only his second game since recovering from a fractured ankle) both broke through for long runs to add to their totals.
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| Former Leesburg Yellow Jacket Standout Lee Hanks at Morninside College |
Mitchem would have scored on his long run if Brian Treves didn't trip him up at Eustis' 15 before Garlan Wilkins got to the stumbling Mitchem at the 9.
But it was Leesburg's defense that battered and stuffed Eustis' offense. The Panthers (3-4), who gave quarterback Steve Williams his first start in an attempt to build a better passing attack, never sustained much of an attack. Williams was 1 of 10 for 12 yards with three interceptions.
Leesburg keyed on Bayfus McCoy, Eustis' sophomore tailback who entered the game with 1,073 yards for the season and hadn't been held under 100 yards in a game. McCoy, who injured his left hand late in the first quarter and played the remainder of the game with it taped, never gained more than 2 yards on a carry and ended with minus 9 yards on 13 carries.
Without McCoy's standard performance, Eustis' offense could gain only 35 yards.
McCoy also fumbled the ball away three times, which accounted for half of the Panthers' six turnovers. Williams' interceptions were the others. Eric Sims picked off two interceptions and Willie Dickens grabbed the other.
''They just stopped us,'' Eustis Coach George Fuller said. ''Bayfus had a hand injury which didn't help, but the offense just wasn't clicking and they were stuffing us up front. We just played like we were flat.''
Eustis' only drive came in the first quarter and was aided by two 15-yard penalties against Leesburg, including a roughing-the-punter penalty. With those penalties and some hard running by Eustis fullback Darren Moore, the Panthers drove to Leesburg's 22 before turning over the ball on downs.
Eustis never again got closer than Leesburg's 46, but Leesburg spent much of the night in Eustis' territory.
The Yellow Jackets came up just short of the goal line on the final play of the first half. Leesburg linebacker Joe Fernandez recovered McCoy's fumble at Eustis' 49 with 1:22 remaining. Mitchem, following a 35-yard gain, got around the right end with time running out but was knocked out of bounds at the goal line.
''I don't think this was our best defensive game of the season,'' Leesburg Coach Ken Weir said. ''Without a doubt, I think that was against Vanguard a 30-10 victory. But this was a good defensive effort.''
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