Hartford Indian Football 2011

Varsity Indians Play Back-and-Forth Game, But Fall to Lawton, 27-24

By Web Staff
September 23, 2011

Hartford	3	7	14	0	24
Lawton	0	7	13	7	27

STAT LEADERS:

Rushing: Perez, Hartford, 80 Yards

Passing: Sauer, Lawton, 245 Yards

Tackles: Kucharski, Hartford, 6 Tackles

   It was the start of the Southwestern Athletic Conference South Division season. Hartford and Lawton were set to kick it off in grand style.
   It was grand, but for Hartford, all the wrong reasons.
   Hartford took the lead late in the game, but Lawton countered on a long pass play with less than three minutes left to leave Hartford with a stunning 27-24 victory over the Indians.
   The first quarter was won by Hartford, as they scored the only points of the first quarter, winning by a 3-0 margin.
   The only points of the quarter came at the 5:47 mark of the quarter, when Juan Perez kicked a 23 yard field goal to make it 3-0 after one quarter.
   The second quarter saw both teams score touchdowns and both teams split seven point scoring drives in the second quarter.
   Hartford scored the first points of the second, when Sergio Perez rushed one yard for the Indian touchdown. Juan Perez made the extra point to make it 10-0 Hartford with 7:37 left in the half.
   Lawton tied the quarter up at the 4:31 mark of the second, when Kurt St. Clair caught a nine yard touchdown pass from Trent Sauer. Tom Chapman hit the extra point and it was 10-7 Indians.
   The Indians missed a 40 yard field goal in the final seconds of the first half, but the ball was also poorly snapped and partially blocked by the Blue Devils. It became costly later on.
   After halftime, both teams decided they wanted to score big time points, as Hartford out-dueled Lawton by a 14-13 margin in the penultimate quarter.
   However, it was Lawton who came out and scored the first two touchdowns of the second half.
   The first came on a punt return. After Hartford was forced into a three-and-out to start the half, Lawton answered with a touchdown, when Josh Hamilton returned the Indian punt 61 yards for the Blue Devil touchdown. The extra point kick, however, was blocked, so Lawton led 13-10 with 9:41 left in the third.
   Lawton scored its second touchdown of the half on their very next offensive possession when Kurt St. Clair and Trent Sauer connected for the second time on the night, this time from seven yards out for the touchdown. Tom Chapman added the extra point and it was now 20-10 Lawton with 3:07 left in the quarter.
   Just that quick, in the final 2:50 of the third, Hartford answered with 14 points of its own.
   The first score came on the second play after the Lawton touchdown, when Luke Traver threw to a wide open Gareth MacMillan, who beat two Lawton defenders to the end zone for a 70 yard touchdown reception. Juan Perez added the extra point and it was then 20-17 Lawton.
   Hartford then held Lawton in check on the next drive, then scored themselves. With :1.4 seconds left in the third, Sergio Perez dashed one yard on a third down play to score the touchdown. Juan Perez added the extra point and after three quarters of play, it was 24-20 Indians.
   The final quarter belonged to Lawton, as the Blue Devils scored the only points of the fourth to win the game. They won the quarter 7-0.
   The only points of the quarter came on a big pass play, as Brandon St. Clair caught a pass between two Indian defenders and went 55 yards for the touchdown. Tom Chapman hit the extra point to make it 27-24 Lawton with 2:55 left in the game.
   Hartford had a late chance to tie or win the game, driving to midfield, but the drive stalled on downs and Lawton ran out the clock.
   The Indians were led on offense by the passing game from Luke Traver, who was two-of-five passing for 101 yards and a touchdown. Gareth MacMillan caught one pass for 70 yards and a touchdown, while Jimmy Mullins caught a 31 yard reception. The rushing game was led by Sergio Perez, with 80 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns, while Gareth MacMillan had 75 yards on 14 carries and David Mireles had 67 yards on 14 carries.
   On defense, the Indians were led by Tony Kucharski with six tackles, while Jared Meachum and Noey Lopez added five more a piece.
   The Blue Devils were led by Trent Sauer, who threw 14-of-25 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns. Kurt St. Clair was the top receiver for Lawton, making six catches for 114 yards and two touchdowns. His brother, Brandon, had 91 yards on three catches with a touchdown. Colton Callaway was the leading rusher for Lawton, with 23 yards on six carries.
   The Indians, now 4-1 on the season, are back in action this Friday, September 30th against Decatur at home. Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM. The Raiders come in 4-1, defeating Lawrence 44-0 last week.
   The Blue Devils, now 4-1 on the season, are back in action this Friday, September 30th against Marcellus at home. Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM. The Wildcats come in 2-3, losing 48-7 to Watervliet last week.