Just when the Tigers’ offense seems to find its groove while marching down the field, it eventually runs into a roadblock and comes away with nothing to show for its efforts.
That was the case too often in 2007, and in Belton’s season-opening 43-8 loss to Class 4A power Ennis last Thursday the Tigers’ failure to finish drives with points struck again.
“The biggest thing that I saw (on tape) is we had opportunities and we didn’t execute,” Belton second-year coach Rodney Southern said. “We had chances to make plays and we didn’t. If you don’t make those plays, a game can get away from you pretty quick, as it did last week.”
Trailing 22-0 at halftime with only 43 total yards, Belton constructed its most successful drive to start the second half.
The Tigers used a 23-yard pass from sophomore quarterback David Ash - who will start in place of junior Kevin Thornton in Belton’s home opener against Round Rock McNeil on Friday night - to senior Jarrett Crowell to convert a key third-and-5 play.
On a third-and-10, Ash’s 17-yard run gave the Tigers another first down.
But with a first-and-10 at Ennis’ 11-yard line, Belton’s offensive line broke down, allowing three straight sacks for a combined minus-28 yards to end the scoring threat.
“It was a combination of things,” Southern said of the Tigers’ 10-play drive that resulted in no points. “On one play we didn’t pick up a blitz read and the other two there was some miscommunication.”
After recovering a fumble on the Lions’ 43, Belton had another chance to trim the deficit to two scores but came up short.
A false-start penalty, two Thornton runs and a 1-yard run by Anthony Huber made it fourth-and-2 on the Ennis 35. Then, on a quarterback zone-read play, Thornton stretched the ball out near the first-down marker, only to be denied by inches to thwart another bid.
From there, the Lions took command, pushing the game out of reach before Crowell eventually hauled in a 51-yard strike from Ash for the Tigers’ only touchdown.
Asked why Belton has struggled to finish drives, Southern replied, “That’s a good question. When you get down in the red zone, you have more of a limited field to work with and how people play you personnel-wise really changes. We just have to learn when you get inside the 20, you need to get points.”
Part of the reason for the Tigers’ struggles was their inability to gain yardage on first down and the lack of a running game. Belton mustered only 28 yards on 27 carries, with just two plays going for longer than 10 yards. The Tigers also converted five of 15 third-down tries, and their average distance needed on third down was 8 yards.
The insertion of Ash as the starter quarterback likely won’t increase the running game’s production, either, but it should bolster the Tigers’ passing attack, which moved the ball with ease at times. Ash, a transfer from Academy, went 11-of-17 for 129 yards and looked comfortable in his first varsity action at Belton.
Even though Thornton was bumped from his starting spot, he’ll still take some snaps at quarterback but primarily will be used at receiver. He caught three Ash passes for 16 yards against Ennis.
For the Tigers to defeat a McNeil squad that dominated College Station A&M Consolidated 26-3 last week, Ash, Thornton and the rest of Belton’s offense must come up with big plays when the chances arise.
“When you have opportunities as a young team, it may be one play,” Southern said. “But you have to take care of it. You have to look at that one play and not the whole drive. They know they missed some opportunities, so we focused on that."
cmeister@temple-telegram.com
