Aug. 28—OKLAHOMA CITY — Turnovers were a problem for Community Christian Thursday night at Crossings Christian.
The Royals gave the ball away five times and had they given it away none, the Knights, rather than prevailing 23-6, might never have scored at all.
Still, a bigger issue may have been at hand and that was Crossings’ defense living in CCS’ offensive backfield, because it was that constant pressure that played a role in all but the Royals’ original giveaway, the one on the opening kick that set up the Knights’ first score, a 27-yard reverse from Mason Snyder just 59 seconds into the night.
Because Crossings opted to throw the ball over and over again rather than run clock — 15 attempts in the third quarter alone — and because the Knights went nowhere doing it, the Royals weren’t out of it when their offense finally found some fourth-quarter life on their fifth possession of the second half.
Yet, after quarterback Boyce McIntosh valiantly fought his into the end zone from 9 yards with 7:35 remaining — bringing the score to 16-6 — his two-point-conversion run failed, CCS’ chip shot kickoff was fielded cleanly, and when it was time for the Knights to punt again, fate conspired to to create the Royals’ final turnover on a play that may not be repeated for several seasons.
Matthew Jolliff was set to kick the ball away, but before he could get it off the Royals were in his face and chasing him toward the right sideline. Australian Rules Football style, he actually got a short kick away even as he was being slung to the ground.
Such a weird play, the Royals treated the ball as though it were live rather than scattering. In so doing, it deflected off a CCS hand without being possessed and a Knight fell on it, setting up the game’s final score.
“Offensively, we did not execute,” CCS head coach Mat McIntosh said. “We assumed coming in [they were] going to try to get to our quarterback and send guys to do that. That’s what we figured they would do and we weren’t prepared to stop it.”
The Royals finished with seven first downs, but none in the second and third quarters.
Boyce McIntosh completed 18 of 35 passes for 178 yards, but two were intercepted and seven went for 3 or fewer yards, while six of the Royals’ 18 carries went for negative yardage as well.
CCS ran for 18 yards on 16 carries.
Though under fire until he finally got some protection in the fourth quarter, the Royal quarterback took responsibility.
“Just because they got back there [to pressure me] doesn’t mean it’s acceptable,” he said. “So, from that standpoint, it’s one me. The game was on me for the three turnovers.”
He threw one interception and fumbled the ball away twice, though he was hardly ever allowed to be comfortable.
Given just a little time, he engineered the best drive from either team, directing a 74-yard march, one that included a 12-yard fourth-down completion to Keaton Schallhorn, a 24-yard third-and-long completion to Braxton Hartsock and one fortuitous pass interference call facing fourth-and-5 form the Crossings 35.
Though CCS gained just 18 yards total on the ground, McIntosh’s last four carries of the drive yielded 31.
“He’s really a classic example of a football player playing quarterback,” Mat McIntosh said of Boyce McIntosh, who is also his son.
The rest of the night, but for the defense that kept the Knights off the scoreboard in the third quarter and most of the fourth, did not go the Royals’ way.
Clay Horning
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