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| Mount Dora High School Hurricanes Field, Mount Dora Florida |
Leesburg Upends Mount Dora 35-14 at Hurricanes Field Friday Night
Emmanuel Nelson scores 3 touchdowns in Jackets win
By Gerald Lacey
Staff Writer
Carver Heights Quarterback Club
September 17, 2011
MOUNT DORA - When second year Yellow Jackets Head Coach Randy Trivers took over the reins at Leesburg High School in 2010 he didn't know what his team would do schematically. He assured the Jacket Nation that his squad would play a physical style of football and be in the best shape possible.
"I am not certain yet where we will be schematically, but this will be a well-disciplined team that will play a physical style of football,'' Trivers said. "They will play with great passion, and they will be extremely well-conditioned.
"I think this has been the hallmark of all my teams."
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| Leesburg at Mount Dora, Hurricanes Field (BY ASHLEY BEYER/September 16, 2011) |
The Jackets have done all of the above as Trivers has returned the Jackets offense back to the I formation and the power running game of the past. They are 3-0 for the first time since 2007 when they won the Class 4A District 6 Championship. The Jackets defense wore down Mount Dora and contained quarterback Vegas Harley in a impressive 35-14 win down in Cane Country.
The Jackets came into the game as the #1 ranked team in the Daily Commercial 13 football poll. Leesburg was without the services of University of Miami commit wide receiver D'Mauri Jones and Under Armour-All American OLB Noor Davis due to injuries. Davis had made 19 tackles, 5 for loss in the Jackets first two games of the season. Without Davis and Jones in the lineup the Yellow Jackets had a complete team effort in shutting down the the Hurricanes. The Jackets defense slowed down Harley who finished the night with 70 yards passing and 134 yards rushing.
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| (BY ASHLEY BEYER) A host of Jackets bring down Mount QB #2 Vegas Harley |
The Jacket defense was once again relentless on a muggy night in Mount Dora. Harley who has had his way with defense's never was able to fine a rhythm it seemed on the ground or in the air in this game.
The Jackets received the opening kickoff and failed to pickup a first down in three plays. Mount Dora offense went three and out, on the next Leesburg possession the Hurricanes recovered a Jacket fumble and the momentum seemed to be on the host team side. A penalty was called on the play and Leesburg dodged a bullet. Leesburg resumed the drive on the Mount Dora 37 yard line. On first down junior quarterback Undra Mitchem, Jr. ran a quarterback keeper and picked up 10 yards on the carry moving the ball to the 27 yard line. Mitchem than threw a pass to senior RB/WR Jalen Dozier for no gain. A personal foul was called on Leesburg on the play backing up the Jackets 15 yards. On third and 23 Trivers called a timeout to regroup his offense with 3:35 left in the first quarter. After the timeout Mitchem went into shotgun formation with senior RB Emmanuel Nelson as the single back and twin wide receivers on his left and right. Mitchem took the snap and rolled to his right Nelson slipped out into the left flat five yards behind the line of scrimmage. Mitchem turned back left and threw a screen pass to Nelson who was wide open and had two blockers in front of him. Nelson caught the pass and ran 38 yards for the games first score. The Mount Dora defense was completely fooled by the misdirection play. Sophomore PK James Eldridge PAT was good and the Jackets had a 7-0 lead.
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| Sophomore PK James Eldridge attempts a PAT (BY ASHLEY BEYER) |
Jonta Scott returned the Eldridge kickoff up to the Mount Dora 17 yard line. After a short Harley pass and run the Hurricanes were looking at a third and 1 from the Hurricanes 39 yard line. Harley carried the ball and converted for a Mount Dora first down, the Hurricanes first of the game with 1:45 remaining in the first quarter.
Anthony Harris who replaced the injured Noor Davis in the lineup, came up with a big sack on Harley to end the Hurricane drive at the start of the second quarter. With starting FB Flint Hicks out with a injury the run gain struggled in the first half. Leesburg started the next drive with a 4 yard carry up the middle by Anthony Miller. Senior wide receiver Juilliard Roberts, Jr. took a handoff on a end around for ten yards. After a 3 yard carry by junior running back Anthony Miller and a offsides penalty by Mount Dora the Jackets moved deep into Hurricanes territory. On first and 10 Nelson was dropped by Ryan McCurdy for a 2 yard loss. On second and 12 Mitchem dropped back to pass and was picked off and Mount Dora seemed to have life again. Mount Dora defense was called for a penalty and Leesburg retained possession of the football. A couple of plays later and the Yellow Jackets had a third and goal at the Mount Dora 3 yard line. A holding penalty on Leesburg backed them up to the Hurricanes 20 yard line. Mitchem than found Dozier wide open in the back of the end zone for his second touchdown pass of the game.
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| Leesburg at Mount Dora, Hurricanes Field (BY ASHLEY BEYER/September 16, 2011) |
Mitchem completed his first 6 passes on the night for 68 yards. He finished the game with 6 of 9 passes for 68 yards and 2 touchdowns. The PAT by Eldridge was good and with 6:31 left in the half Leesburg led 14-0. Both teams traded possessions and could not move the ball and went into halftime the score still 14-0 Leesburg.
The Hurricanes came out the locker room on fire. Harley seemed to get in a rhythm for the first time in the game. Return man Jonta Scott got the ball on a reverse on the kickoff and returned it to the Mount Dora 24 yard line. On first and 10 Harley picked up a 9 yards on a carry. After a Harley fumble and incomplete pass the Canes were hit with a holding penalty. Harley again had a large gain on a carry and Mount Dora found itself deep in Jacket territory with 9:43 left in the third quarter. Three plays later Harley had twin wide receivers on his left and right and a single back in the backfield in shotgun formation. Harley took the snap and found Jordan Porter with a short pass and Porter did the rest for the score. The drive was for 9 plays and 76 yards. The PAT was no good and the Jackets lead was cut to 8, 14-6 Leesburg.
On the ensuing kickoff the Hurricanes place kicker Ashley Mosher caused a fumble and Leesburg had it committed its first turnover on the night. The turnover ignited the large Mount Dora crowd and suddenly the Canes were back in the football game with excellent field position at their own 48 yard line.
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| BY ASHLEY BEYER |
The Jackets defense came up big once again and forced Harley and the offense to a three and out series. The Jackets dressed 70 players for the game and their depth begin to wear down the Hurricanes.
Leesburg took over and Nelson carried the football three straight times for 10 yards, putting the ball on its own 31 yard line. On first and 10 from the Jackets 31 yard line junior running back Anthony Miller burst up the middle and found the end zone 69 yards later. The PAT was good and the Jackets were up 21-6 with 4:27 left in the 3rd quarter.
Jonta Scott received the kickoff and slipped down at the Mount Dora 3 yard line. The Jackets forced another three and out with Jermaine Gasden breaking a third down pass attempt by Harley. Leesburg took over at the Mount Dora 44 yard line. On the very next play Nelson took a handoff and went 44 yards for a touchdown. The PAT by Eldridge was good putting Leesburg up 28-6 and the Mount Dora fans started making their way to the exits at Hurricanes Field.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter the Jackets capitalized on a short field and Nelson finished the scoring for the Jackets with a five yard touchdown run for his third touchdown on the night. Eldridge PAT was good and the Jackets were comfortably ahead early in the fourth quarter. It was Nelson's third straight 100 yard rushing effort.
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| Austin Walker punts the football during the game against Mount Dora at Hurricanes Field September 16, 2011 (BY ASHLEY BEYER/SEPTEMBER 16, 2011) |
Mount Dora added a late touchdown and two point conversion to bring the final score to 35-14 Leesburg. Tempers started to flair late in the game in this hard hitting contest. Leesburg is off to its first 3-0 start since 2007 when they won the Class 4A District 6 Championship led by Danny Trevathan. This was a non district contest and the Jackets will travel to south Lake County to face Clermont East Ridge in the Dungeon. This will be the first district contest of the year for the Jackets. Mount Dora will host Keystone Heights High School from Keystone Heights, Florida in it's first district contest of the year Friday night.
Coaching staffs nor players for Leesburg or Mount Dora High Schools were available for comment at the time of this story.
Coaching staffs nor players for Leesburg or Mount Dora High Schools were available for comment at the time of this story.
SCORING SUMMARY
Leesburg 7 7 14 7 - 35
Mount Dora 0 0 6 8 - 14
Leesburg - Mitchem 38 yard pass to Nelson. Eldridge kick good.
Leesburg - Mitchem 20 yard pass to Dozier. Eldridge kick good.
Mount Dora - Harley pass to Porter. Kick no good.
Leesburg - Anthony Miller 69 yard run. Eldridge kick good.
Leesburg - Nelson 44 yard run. Eldridge kick good.
Leesburg - Nelson 5 yard run. Eldridge kick good.
Mount Dora - Harley pass to Scott. 2 point conversion good.
Article written by:
Gerald Lacey
Staff Writer
Carver Heights Quarterback Club
Gerald is the CEO/President of Lacey LLC and OmariWholesale, Inc. He runs his entire business from his home where he is able to spend quality time with his family and friends. He is passionate about helping individuals to build and monetize their personal brand online.
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