Jackets survive Eustis for winning season, November 19-20, 1983

By DANNY PROVENCHER
Special to the Leesburg Commercial

November 19-20, 1983

Leesburg - Though one foot may symbolize 12 inches to most people, it meant much more to the Eustis
Panthers Friday night-the difference between winning and losing.

With 27 seconds remaining in the game, Panther Dwayne McLeod attempted a 32-yard field goal but came up a foot short as the Leesburg Yellow Jackets hung on for a season ending 22-21 victory.

"it sure feels good," said Leesburg Coach Gene Foster as his team finished its season with its fourth consecutive victory and a 6-4 record, the fist winning season for the Jackets since 1977. Eustis, which clinched a berth in the Region 5 championship two weeks ago, finished its regular season at 6-4. Coach Clark Blake, however, said his Panthers were still trying to win their non-district game with Leesburg.

Leesburg High School Nike Men's Dri-FIT Mock Neck Long-Sleeve Golf Shirt - 203703

"We're not holding back for anyone-we came in to play," Blake said. "We don't want to be conservative. We will play the best we can."

The game not only ended in Leesburg's favor but also began that way.

On the Panthers' second play form scrimmage. Jacket linebacker Jimmy Sharp picked off a McLeod pass and rolled in from 33 yards for the score, giving Leesburg a 7-0 lead after Scotty Mullis' extra point.

On their next possession the Panthers bounced back to even the score. On a third and 10 from the Eustis 44, McLeod made up for his interception by connecting with receiver Chuck Mosley for 56 yards and TD. McLeod's PAT made it 7-7 with 5:12 left in the first quarter.

Leesburg scored again 3 1/2 minutes later when running back Charles Casey took a reverse around the left side for a 38-yard TD. Erick Berry ran for the two-point conversion, putting the Jackets up 15-7.

With 3:43 left in the half, running back Bernard Mickens scored on a 3-yard scamper for Eustis. The two-point conversion failed, and the Panthers trailed 15-13 at halftime.

During the third quarter, the Panthers took the lead for the first time on a 5-yard touchdown pass from McLeod to receiver Lee Jenkins. A two-point conversion attempt failed but Eustis led 19-15 at the 8:59 mark.

Leesburg's next points were scored three minutes later when running back Andre Graham burst through the Eustis defenders to find the end zone. Mullis' kick was good and the Jackets had the lead for good at 22-19.

The highlight of the game was the series of events that took place at the end of the fourth quarter after McLeod was intercepted by Jacket defender Vernon Allen. As the result of Allen's interception Leesburg gained possession of the ball on its own 4-yard line.

After three unsuccessful attempts at a first down, Jacket quarterback Dwayne Cornelius decide to play it safe by giving the Panthers a safety and two points.

Eustis fielded the free kick at its own 37 and went right to work with about three minutes left in the game. On a mixture of attacks from the ground and the air, the Panthers found themselves with a third and goal on the Leesburg 4-yard line. Eustis elected to try one more running play-a play that would it cost the game.

McLeod handed the ball to tailback Paul Whiley who attempted to run up the middle. When Whiley found the middle was closed, he ran backwards to try to round the corner, but was stopped for an 11-yard loss as Jacket defenders Sharp, Allen and Keith Williams mowed him over.

Eustis was then faced with a fourth down on the Leesburg 15-yard line. McLeod tried his 32 yard field goal but came up short...barely.

"I'm still proud of our kids," added Blake. "They just came up on the losing side of the scoreboard."

Leesburg finished the game with 289 offensive yards compared to 334 for Eustis. Berry was the game's leading rusher with 14 carries for 71 yards, while McLeod led Eustis with 66 yards rushing while completing 9 of 22 passes for 176 yards.

Foster concluded by saying, "We just thank God-all of us."

Next week Eustis takes its District 2A-10 championship to 2A-9 champion Wildwood to battle for
the Region 5 title.

By DANNY PROVENCHER
Special to the Leesburg Commercial
Leesburg Commercial
November 19-20, 1983

Article provided by:

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Staff Writer

Carver Heights Quarterback Club

www.leesburgyellowjacketsfootball.com

Gerald is a professional Internet marketer and social media marketing expert. His online business ventures and websites generate multiple streams of income annually. His consulting clients include best selling authors and international speakers.

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Leesburg rebounds to win against rival Eustis

Eustis High School running back Marquis Curry (4) tackles Leesburg High running back Kamonte Phillips (5) in the first quarter of their game at Leesburg High School on Friday , Oct. 9, 2009.

published: Saturday, October 10, 2009

BENJAMIN ROODE

Correspondent

LEESBURG -- It was a game of adjustments at H.O. Dabney Stadium Friday in Leesburg.

In the end, Leesburg adjusted, and Eustis got worn out. The Yellow Jackets erupted with 29 second-half points on 35 offensive plays to best the Panthers 36-21.

It was a homecoming win for Leesburg, who improved to 4-2 on the year. Eustis fell to 1-4.

Good old-fashioned power running broke the game open for Leesburg. Single-wing runs mainly to the right -- with the odd misdirection thrown in for good measure -- consumed more than three quarters of the second half for the Yellow Jackets and tired out a Panther defense that held high- scoring Tavares to just six points the week before.

Leesburg Yellow Jackets' running back Jalen Dozier (10) scores a touchdown at the 5:11 mark in the second quarter to score his team's first points against the Eustis Panthers in a game at Leesburg High School on Friday , Oct. 9, 2009.

Leesburg's revelation was a reaction to what looked like a Eustis team on a mission. The Panthers had stuffed Leesburg on the Jackets' first two series, forcing two three-and-outs. Eustis meanwhile went up 13-0 on two quick touchdown drives led by senior Panther duo quarterback Kelsei Brown and running back CJ Brown.
It was junior running back Kendrick Rowe who scored the first point of the game with a 47-yard touchdown run less than four minutes into regulation. Kelsei Brown added his own long touchdown run of 21 yards.


Leesburg needed to switch or face a long night, said head coach Charles Nassar after the game.

"We came out sleep walking, and they came out like fire," Nassar said.

The Jackets shifted from a flex-bone option offense to a single-wing power run that proceeded to eat clock like Pacman eats power pellets.



A grinding 13-play, 71-yard drive took more than 6 minutes off the clock in the second quarter and gave Leesburg its first points.
Sophomore running back Jalen Dozier scored the first of his three touchdowns on the night on the drive.

Stalled drives by both sides made the halftime score 13-7 in favor of Eustis. Leesburg got the ball to begin the third quarter and refused to give it up. Two drives of 10 plays and one of 14 plays put Leesburg up 29-21.

Leesburg took the opening kickoff and drove 84 yards to go up 14-13. Their next drive was 69 yards and tied the game at 21. A successful onside kick let Leesburg roll down the field again, putting them up 29-21. The Yellow Jackets didn't look back.

Eustis did its best to keep up, scoring on a five-play, 70-yard drive late in the third. But that effort lasted only 2:32, putting an already-weary defense back on the field to stop a determined Jacket rushing attack.

"Defensively, we let ourselves down tonight," said Eustis coach Bill Larkin. "(Leesburg) went to a power offense" and wore the Panthers out, he said.

Penalties didn't help either. Eustis was flagged 11 times for 75 yards, include two big personal foul calls -- one that extended a Leesburg drive and the other starting the Jackets at midfield.

Leesburg's Dozier finished the night with 18 rushes for 105 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran in a two-point conversion. Yellow Jacket junior Luther McDowell had 66 yards on seven carries and two touchdowns, one of 44 yards. Junior Malcolm Belton had 70 yards on 17 carries.

For Eustis, Kelsei Brown had 75 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries. He was 3 for 5 with 31 yards passing.

Resources

BENJAMIN ROODE

Correspondent
Daily Commercial
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Eustis' Gamble Fails, Leesburg Holds On, 7-6

September 28, 1985

By Tim Wilson, Sentinel Correspondent
 
LEESBURG — Senior fullback Jon Cannon rushed for 105 yards, including a game-tying touchdown midway through the fourth quarter Friday night, as Leesburg High School edged rival Eustis, 7-6.


Cannon's touchdown was the first allowed by Eustis this season, and the Panthers made a run at offsetting it in the final seconds, but a 25-yard field goal attempt by Kris Haupt was short.

''Jon is just a great runner,'' Leesburg Coach Gene Foster said. ''It feels good to get this first win.''



The teams did little more than exchange punts in three scoreless quarters before Eustis (1-2) put together a 60-yard drive with 11:29 to play. Junior fullback C.J. Thompson, who picked up every yard in the drive on five carries, got the touchdown on an 8-yard run. But Eustis faked a kick on the conversion and fumbled, leaving the Panthers with a 6-0 lead.


The Panthers then tried an onsides kick, but Leesburg (1-2) gained possession with it came good field position -- at the Yellow Jackets' 45-yard line.

They drove to the Eustis 1-yard line, and Cannon burst into the end zone to tie the score with 7:55 left. Jody Phillips then won it with a conversion kick.

Cannon's score was the first touchdown allowed by the Panthers' defense this season.



Eustis' attempt at victory began with 3 minutes to go, when Robbie Terrell recovered a Yellow Jackets fumble on the Leesburg 40. The Panthers moved the ball to the Leesburg 15, but a 25-yard, field-goal attempt by was short as time ran out.
''I wasn't surprised when they the Panthers gambled on the onsides kick, but it gave us good field position -- luckily,'' Foster said.

Eustis Coach Steve Brown was not available for comment after the game.

Terrell rushed for 70 yards on eight carries, and junior quarterback Earl Young was 3-for-13 with 20 yards passing and had 20 yards rushing.

Leesburg junior quarterback Steve Madden completed 5 of 15 passes for 35 yards and rushed 60 yards for the Yellow Jackets.

Kevin Brown had 15 yards rushing and caught two passes for 22 yards to help Leesburg's effort.

plays Class AAA rival week. Eustis travels to Groveland.

Resource
Tim Wilson, Sentinel Correspondent
Orlando Sentinel

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Leesburg Stings Eustis, Ends 1-point Rivalry

September 04, 1993 By Gerard Shields of The Sentinel Staff

EUSTIS — What has been a dream one-point rivalry over the last three years turned into a nightmare for the Eustis Panthers, who fell to the rival Leesburg Yellowjackets, 14-0.
Turnovers, penalties and a first half of losing yardage put the Panthers (0-1) behind to stay, despite a valiant second half comeback that looked like it was going to make the game interesting.

The Yellowjackets (1-0) bulled their way through the first half, rotating four running backs and capitalizing on Eustis errors.


 
A 22-yard Yellowjacket punt return to the Panther nine-yard line by Aaron Blake set up Leesburg's first score early in the first quarter. Three plays later Blake plunged over for the game-winning touchdown.
Leesburg scored again in the second quarter when quarterback T.J. Gooden scrambled for an 11-yard run after getting the ball off a Eustis fumble.

The rotation of Leesburg backs was a far cry from a year ago when Leesburg counted solely on running great Oran Singleton, who graduated after high-stepping into the Florida rushing history books.

''We've got six backs and I'm not afraid to play any of them,'' Leesburg Coach Ed Hoffman said after the win.

While the Eustis defense couldn't slow down Leesburg, a torrential downpour did. After a 40-minute rain and lightning delay in the third quarter, the teams returned and a rejuvenated Eustis squad buckled down.

The younger and smaller Panthers juggled outside and inside runs to gain their first two first downs, before coughing up the ball with a fumble.

Panther defenders kept Leesburg at midfield behind the tackles of defensive tackle Billy Rhodes.

The Panther offense also got rolling behind the running of John Potts. Potts caught two passes in the winding minutes, but Eustis fumbled again at the one-minute mark.

''Every time we got something going it seemed something happened,'' Eustis Coach Kevin McClelland said. ''We whipped their butts the second half. I'm not happy with the score but I think we earned some respect.''

The past three years, the rivalry ended in one-point victories. Three years ago, Eustis won 22-21. Leesburg won the past two games by identical 7-6 scores.

Resources
Gerard Shields of The Sentinel Staff

Orlando Sentinel

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Gerald Lacey
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Lacey LLC and OmariWholesale, Inc.

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