By STEPHEN MONAHAN

Register Correspondent



Leeper Stadium’s final chapter did not end the way the Gainesville Leopards hoped it would be written.

Turnovers and field position proved to be the driving force for the Argyle Eagles, who spoiled Leeper Stadium’s farewell party with a 38-14 win over the Leopards to remain undefeated on the season.

In the end, the fairytale upset wasn’t in the making for the Leopards, who managed just 211 yards of offense, most of which came in the fourth quarter with the game in hand for the Eagles, who tallied just 214 yards of total offense in the win.

Argyle capitalized on three of four Gainesville turnovers, turning those into 17 points while starting deep in Gainesville territory after each of the Leopard miscues.

The Eagles intercepted Gainesville quarterback Keilyn Lewis on the game’s second play. Argyle cashed in with a 40-yard field goal by Chad Hedlund to take an early 3-0 lead.

A three-and-out on Gainesville’s next possession helped Argyle get into good field position because on the punt, Storm Griffin stormed down the sidelines for a 60-yard return to the Gainesville 25-yard line.

But the Leopards defense didn’t let the offense move much down the field, holding them to a 38-yard field goal try. The kick by Hedlund was partially blocked at the line by Leopard defensive lineman Calvin Calhoun, which sailed well short of the crossbar, holding Argyle’s lead at 3-0.

Unfortunately for the Leopards, Argyle stretched their lead to 10-0 in the second quarter when Lewis was intercepted by Dran Crenshaw set up a 17-yard touchdown run by quarterback Austin Aune three plays later.

Gainesville (5-4 overall, 1-3 district) managed its first earned first down in the second quarter as the Argyle defense put a clamp on the running game most of the night.

Gainesville’s longest drive in the first half game was just five plays, ending in a punt. Five plays later, Argyle running back Murphy Eliis, on his first carry of the game, scampered 44 yards to put Argyle up 17-0 with 7:53 left in the half.

The Eagles tacked on two more touchdowns in the first half thanks to a Leopard fumble at its own 13-yard line. Gainesville held the Eagles to fourth down and goal from the five thereafter, but could not keep them out of the end zone as Aune hit Jake Sizelove on play-action pass to put his team up 24-0.

Argyle’s final score came with 56 seconds left when Blake Dunham punched it in from five yards out, capping a nine-play, 53-yard drive for the Eagles.

In the second half, Gainesville outscored Eagles 14-7, but the deficit was too much to overcome for the Leopards.

Argyle punched in its final score in the third quarter when a muffed punt by Gainesville put the Eagles in Leopard territory at the 19-yard line. Argyle wasted little time in putting the ball in the end zone again when Aune hooked up with Justin Hammel with 3:14 left in the third.

Gainesville, having been shut out a week earlier against Celina, failed to throw in the towel late in the game, scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

Lewis finally broke free from the Argyle defensive line early in the quarter, scampering 40 yards on a quarterback sneak to put his team on the board at 38-7. The score capped off a 12-play, 90-yard drive.

Gainesville forced Argyle to punt on its next possession and went down the field again, but Justin Espinoza missed a 34-yard field just left, giving Argyle the ball at the 20-yard line.

But on the next play, Argyle’s Scotty Seiber coughed up the ball, recovered by Gainesville’s Merline Davis. Gainesville put the ball in the end zone on the next drive when Lewis ran seven yards for a touchdown, cutting the lead to 38-14.

While the outcome was not in favor of the Leopards, many fans came out to give Leeper Stadium its proper send off as the Leopards will move into a new stadium for the 2010 season.

The Leopards final game of the season is Friday when they travel to Prosper. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.