Late-game surge propels Brookville past Raiders

APPOMATTOX - Practice doesn't always mean perfect. But sometimes it can help you win a football game. Brookville regrouped after a tough 40-14 loss to powerhouse Salem last week, to defeat Appomattox 19-15 Friday. "We had an absolutely great week of practice," said Brookville coach Bobby Johnson. "That was a tough game last week and our kids came back and they did everything we asked them to do."

Momentum was key to the game, and the team that had it last, won the football game.

The Raiders offense held all the momentum in the first half, giving its Brookville counterpart just two series of offense in the opening quarter. Appomattox (1-1) grabbed an early 7-0 lead on a 21-yard scamper by Jamie Mosley.

With Mosley acting as the workhorse, the Raiders wiped time off the clock, running their offense down the field with a slow running attack. They got in the red zone several times, but a missed field goal and two turnovers prevented another score.

"We had a lot of opportunities to take a big lead," said Appomattox coach Larry Kidd. "We just didn't make the play." But they had the momentum headed into the half.

Enter Chad Steuck. The junior quarterback came in off the bench and was an instant spark plug for the Bees. Brookville used just eight plays to score as Dejon Kennedy capped the opening drive of the half with a 25-yard touchdown. Steuck ran two bootlegs for first downs on the drive.

"I've been waiting for this chance for a long time and I knew once I got it I was going to take advantage of it," Steuck said. "I told the team in the second half that if we came out here and played as a team, we could win this ball game."

Brookville (1-1) had a fumble recovery on the ensuing kickoff, after Billy McDaniel forced the loose ball by leveling Mosley. Steuck once again led the Bees offense to a touchdown, as Kennedy scored from 6-yards out to give Brookville a 12-7 lead.

The Appomattox offense, which went into the locker room with a 7-point lead, was down five points before taking a snap in the second half. The Raiders never took a snap until the 6:43 mark of the third. "We told them at halftime that we were just going to stick to our game plan and run the football," said Johnson. "We wanted to keep their offense off the field."

The momentum quickly was riding on Brookville's shoulder pads.

With the help of Mosley, the Raiders reclaimed their lead late in the third. Mosley, who finished with 117 yards, broke a sweep to the left for 17 yards to put Appomattox in front 15-12.

Like a nagging little brother, Brookville never quit and pestered itself back.

Using a potent rushing attack, the Bees racked off four first downs and Kennedy ran up the gut for a 22-yard TD to cap the scoring for Brookville.

"They dug in deep and made up their minds that we were going to win the football game," said Johnson. With Steuck as their leader and Kennedy as their legs, the Bees were a totally different team in the second half. Kennedy finished with 109 yards on the ground. It's tough to see Steuck not getting the nod as starter, although Johnson said he has yet to name one QB.

"Chad played great for us tonight," he said. "We've got three quarterbacks that can play. We haven't named a starting quarterback yet. But that's what we gotta have, is a team effort."

"We all got some heart and we reached down and got some tonight," Steuck said. "We weren't pleased at all with the game last week and we wanted to come back out and show Appomattox that we're a good football team." Appomattox matched the Bees well, with Aaron Harris anchoring the defense with 11 tackles. Kidd had his team ready for the run.

"(Johnson) did a good job preparing his team," Kidd said. "I think we were prepared, but when it came down to crunch time, they ran it down our throat. I'm proud of my guys but I thought we were better than that defensively."I think if we convert all the one's we missed, it's a different ballgame. Then, we went back and took the lead, and all we had to do was stop them on defense."

You can bet that Johnson will be pushing his players during practice again this week. The Bees face off against William Campbell next week.

"It's going to be as good as it was last week," Johnson said with a smile. "We play a good team. But, we had a great week of practice (last week) and I think that's the reason we won the game."