Published: November 09, 2009 10:01 am      

Knights down Pirates for district crown

By STEPHEN MONAHAN

Register Correspondent



LINDSAY — The Lindsay Knights are district champions for the first time under Coach Cody Bounds.

With a playoff spot wrapped up heading into Friday’s game with Collinsville, the Knights wanted to put their stamp on a successful regular season by accomplishing one of their preseason goals — a district title.

The opponent they had to beat to win district was not an easy task on paper but the Knights made it look easy, piling up 447 yards of offense while scoring 21 points off five Pirates turnovers in a 37-14 win at Henry B. Schroeder Knight Field.

The win gave Lindsay the district title outright, avenging last year’s loss on the road to Collinsville, which gave the Pirates the district championship.

This year, the Knights turned to its powerful running attack to accumulate 304 yards while scoring all five touchdowns on the ground.

Collinsville didn’t help its cause, losing four fumbles while throwing an interception.

The first of those four lost fumbles came on the opening kickoff when Dalton Williams was stripped and the ball recovered by Garrett Yancey, who had three takeaways in the victory.

Three plays later the Knights punch the ball in, capping a three-play, 17-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run by Ryan Haverkamp, his first of three on Friday. Lindsay led 6-0 after a failed extra point.

The Pirates did not look deflated after their first miscue, marching right down the field on its next possession — a 71-yard drive, capped off in 10 plays by a Cory Ragsdale 28-yard touchdown run.

But from there it was all Lindsay as it ran off the next 31 points before the Pirates scored a late touchdown with the game out of reach.

On the first play of the next possession following the Pirates first score, Lindsay drove the length of the field again, thanks in part by a 73-yard screen pass by Dax Fleitman to Frankie Cornett, putting the Knights at the Collinsville 2-yard line.

Two plays later Haverkamp punched his ticket into the red zone again from two yards out, giving Lindsay a 13-7 lead after Travis Skinner’s extra point.

In the second quarter, Haverkamp scored again for Lindsay, adding to the lead at 20-7. But from there neither team could find the end zone.

With that 13-point lead heading into the second half, the Knights received to start the third quarter, and eventuallly scored another touchdown, this time by Robert Arend from 2 yards out. Lindsay’s lead was then 27-7.

The touchdown capped an 11-play, 68-yard drive which should have been a 1-play drive after Frankie Cornett, playing quarterback on the first play of the second half, fumbled, but scrambled enough to find himself scoring on a 68-yard touchdown run. Only thing is, Lindsay was called for an illegal block in the back, which knocked the touchdown off the books.

On the ensuing kickoff, Lindsay recovered a muffed catch and again it was Yancey with the recovery

The Knights scored in the fourth quarter when Skinner punched through a 29-yard field goal, giving the Knights a 30-7 lead.

Lindsay scored its final touchdown of the game when Cornett scored on a 3-yard run. Collinsville answered the Knights on its ensuing possession when it used six plays to drive 81 yards for a touchdown.

Chris Karney scored the lone Pirates touchdown in the fourth quarter from two yards out.

Collinsville recovered the onside kick after the score, but quarterback Cory Ragsdale threw an interception on the ensuining play. Again it was Yancey with his third takeaway of the night.

The interception by Yancey sealed the victory for Lindsay, who faces Cumby in the first-round of the Class A playoffs next week. That game is set for Friday at Princeton High School.

The Knights could be without senior wideout and All-State kicker Ross Jones, who did not play Friday due to an undisclosed knee injury. The coaching staff at Lindsay say they are unsure if Jones will return this season, but are awaiting test results to see if the all-district candidate can return in the postseason.