Leopards Defeat the Hurricanes
It was another close one Friday night as the Canes fell short and lost to the Banks County Leopards 35-21. It was a hard fought battle all the way to the end, but sadly the Leopards pulled away with a surprising victory.
The Leopards kicked the ball off to the Canes which led to a great start to the drive as they passed for a first down on the first play. However, strong defense on both sides led to both teams being forced to punt the ball away. The Canes fumbled the ball and gave the Leopards good field position, but after a big defensive play, the Canes caused a fumble to stop the Leopards from scoring. After strong defensive performances by both teams, the first quarter ended at zero all.
It was a great start to the second quarter of the game as the Canes passed for a 40 yard touchdown to put the first points up on the board for the game. An interception on the defensive side of the ball led to another touchdown as the Canes walked into the end zone after the interception, giving the Canes a 14-0 lead. With defense looking to get the offense back on the field before the end of the half, the Canes defense came up with an interception to get the offense back on the field. Even though the Canes were unable to capitalize on this opportunity, they went into half time with a 14-0 lead.
It was a disappointing start to the second half as the Leopards rushed for a touchdown on the opening drive of the half giving them their first points on the board. With a poor start on the offense, the Leopards got the ball right back after a fumble. With the Leopards on the ball, they rushed for a touchdown to end the third quarter 14-12 with the Canes still in the lead and a hometown crowd on their feet excited about the fourth quarter.
The atmosphere quickly changed in the fourth quarter. The Leopards scored their third unanswered touchdown to take a 20-14 lead over the Canes early on in the fourth. The Canes, looking to get back into the game, scored a massive touchdown to give them a 21-20 lead. However, the defensive side of the ball was not able to stop the Leopards offense which led to the Leopards with a 28-21 lead. Back on offense, the Canes turned the ball over on downs giving the ball back to the Leopards. One more touchdown by the Leopards ended the game with a 35-21 score
The Canes will use this open week to reassess and refresh as they have a bye week. On Friday, Oct. 6, the Monticello Canes will host Social Circle at Rose Bowl Field. As we head into the second half of the season, the grit of the Canes will be needed as they continue to work hard and capture their first win of the season.