If you ever wanted proof that defenses can outline a recreation, look no additional than Friday night time’s heavyweight duel between IMG and Venice.
The Ascenders (5-1) handed the Indians (6-1) their first lack of the 12 months 21-16 in a bout that noticed each defenses shine.
IMG (ranked No. 1 in the USA Today Florida Network Super 25) wasted no time and drew first blood on their first play from scrimmage, and the sport seemed primed for one more shootout on the TeePee when Eric McFarland reeled in a lateral move from SMU commit Ty Hawkins, after which linked with Kansas State commit Adonis Moise for an 80-yard landing.
The trick play that caught Venice flat-footed was an enormous increase for the Ascenders in a recreation that ended up being determined by one rating.
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The Indians (ranked No. 4 in the USA Today Florida Network Super 25) responded in a a lot completely different trend, chewing up seven minutes and capping off their 16-play opening drive with a 4-yard landing run by Winston Watkins Jr.
“We knew we could play with them, that was never a doubt in our mind that we could play with them,” stated head coach John Peacock. “Overcoming penalties is a different thing. We let it slip away. We’ve been flirting with that all year, and it finally came back to bite us tonight.”
The Ascenders then scored two unanswered touchdowns in the second quarter, beginning with Michigan commit Donovan Johnson’s 7-yard landing rush. After IMG pressured a turnover on downs, they capitalized with one among their few huge performs of the night time with a 62-yard landing move from Hawkins to Missouri commit Donovan Olugbode that prolonged the result in 21-7.
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The Ascender protection rose up yet another time earlier than the half with Ohio State commit London Merritt getting a sack on a essential third down that pressured Venice to accept a 44-yard subject aim.
IMG saved the strain up firstly of the third quarter, and AJ Marks reeled in an interception on Venice’s first drive of the half. Venice pressured a fumble a number of performs later and obtained the ball again, however couldn’t capitalize on the turnover.
Nine minutes later, the Indians marched all the way down to the purple zone and sat on the 1-yard line on fourth down. They handed the ball off to Watkins, however IMG’s Jake Kreul waltzed off the sting untouched and introduced him down for a loss and turnover on downs.
“It was a design play to go up the middle and they brought someone off the edge and we didn’t pick it up,” Peacock stated. “He got underneath us which caused Winnie to bounce it. The play call was good, we pick up that guy off the edge and we score.”
Venice had one other alternative after a 42-yard move from Jayce Nixon to Malakai Corbett, and cashed in with a 1-yard keeper from Nixon that closed the hole to 21-16 with 11 minutes to play.
That can be the final rating of the night time, nonetheless, and the IMG protection held robust.
Here are takeaways from IMG’s win over Venice on the TeePee.
Defense wins championships, and Venice’s held agency
It’s no secret that IMG has probably the most loaded offense in the state, and when the Indians have performed offenses of comparable caliber, the sport would devolve right into a shootout.
But not Friday night time. The Indians saved themselves in the combination all night time on the again of their protection. They allowed simply two performs that went for greater than 20 yards, and each resulted in touchdowns. IMG’s 21 factors marked their lowest scoring night time of the season.
With IMG shifting the chains on a drive riddled with penalties on either side, the Ascenders had been gazing a third-and-17 close to the Indian 40-yard line. Olugbode streaked up the center and created separation, however Layne Kisovic closed the hole and broke the move up in the tip zone for Venice’s greatest cease of the night time.
“I knew the game would be different one we got a little pressure on them,” Peacock stated. “They opened the game and scored a touchdown on a trick play on the first play of the game, so they hadn’t had any pressure on them since they got off the bus. Pressure bursts pipes, and we knew the game would change a little bit when we got pressure on them. We out-physicaled them, on offense for sure, so it is what it is.”
Missed alternatives got here again to hang-out the Indians
With the protection taking part in at such a high degree, it was as much as the offense to capitalize. Too usually they sputtered in what might’ve been momentum-swinging drives, and the Ascenders' two huge performs had been sufficient to win. Penalties usually hindered Venice on key drives.
First the sack on the finish of the half on the IMG 23-yard line that resulted in a subject aim, then the missed block that resulted in a turnover on downs as a substitute of a landing on the finish of the third quarter.
Then, and most notably, late in the fourth quarter after Venice had as soon as once more pressured an IMG punt.
On what might’ve been the game-winning drive, the Indians reeled in three penalties that stymied any momentum that they had pieced along with a cease.
The Indians punted, and IMG moved the sticks a number of instances earlier than taking victory formation. After going 12-of-16 in the primary half, Nixon completed the night time 19-of-28 with round 190 passing yards and one speeding landing.
“We basically gave it away,” Peacock stated. “Down here at the goal line, not punching in was huge. We had had a drive in the first half where we had a personal foul penalty that stopped the drive, that was also a big moment that I’m thinking of. Then the last drive, we had a chance to win it – they hadn’t stopped us all night, we’ve only stopped ourselves. So I thought we would go down and punch it in, find a way to do it, and we had three penalties that drive. Take the penalties out and Venice is celebrating, and not IMG.”
Big-time gamers make big-time performs in big-time video games
It proved to be IMG’s stars who made the distinction for the Ascenders. Hawkins went 4-of-5 in the air for 105 yards and one landing in the primary half, with all 4 passes going to Olugbode.
Kreul, who holds over 40 gives, completed with a sack and a deal with for loss, each in clutch conditions, and Marks (with gives from Tennessee, Penn State and Kansas) had the big-time interception to begin the half. All whereas Miami linebacker commit Gavin Nix made certain just one Venice rush went for greater than 10 yards.
Both offensive strains lived as much as the billing
IMG’s offensive line gave Hawkins loads of time in the pocket and didn’t enable a sack all night time. For Venice, the Indian entrance held its personal against the star-studded Ascender defensive entrance and set the desk for Dorian Irving Jones to hurry for almost 100 yards on 28 touches.
