NEVADA — Two touchdowns in the last 35 seconds of the first half completely flipped the momentum in Friday’s frosh/soph game between Perry and Nevada, which the host Cubs claimed, 49-13.
The Cubs led, 7-0, when the Bluejays drove 79 yards, only to lose the football on a fourth down play from the one-yard line. Perry tromped back down the field on an 80-yard march, with Konnor Eppert finding Abner Rivera for a touchdown pass on a fourth-and-goal play. Ever Tobar added the PAT kick to tie the game at 7-all with 35 seconds to play in the second quarter.
Disaster struck for Perry on the ensuing kick off, as Nevada was able to return the ball to the Bluejay 15-yard line, from where they threw a touchdown pass for a 14-7 lead. The Cubs then recovered an onside kick, and followed up by hitting a long Hail Mary TD pass as time elapsed, taking a sudden 21-7 lead into the locker room.
Perry coach Shannon Cline admitted the Bluejay special teams play was less than stellar, save for one play, and that the poor effort cost the team a chance at victory.
Tobar was the lone exception, returning a Nevada kick off 90 yards for a score. The two-point conversion failed.
Cline noted the strong running of Erick Funez. Final statistics were not available, but Cline stated Funez “easily had 150 yards” on the ground. Guards Francisco (Frannie) Colin and Bryan Funez were credited with helping to open holes in the defense.
The coach also noted that, despite the loss, there were moments of excitement for the Bluejays. The current freshmen had failed to score as both seventh and eighth graders, and had dropped a tough 6-0 decision to North Polk Aug. 25. Rivera’s TD snatch of Eppert’s pass and Tobar’s kick return were thus the first points the freshmen scored, clearly an important hurdle to overcome.
