Ellerton, Moore lift Coffee to 30-21 win over Houston
Robert Preston, Jr.
The Douglas News
DOUGLAS — Friday night’s game between the Coffee High Trojans and the Houston Bears was supposed to be easy. The Bears came into the game with a 1-8 overall record and 0-5 in the region.
It was anything but.
The Trojans escaped with a 30-21 win, but once again they squandered a first half lead and found themselves fighting for their lives at the end of the game. Maybe Coffee was looking ahead to its first round playoff game against Jenkins next weekend. Maybe the Trojans thought Houston would be a pushover. Either way, one thing was clear — Houston came ready to play and wasn’t about to lay down.
But as tough as the Bears were, it was Coffee’s little guy — the diminutive freshman kicker Jacob Moore — who carried the team to victory.
The Trojans looked like they would turn the game into a rout, scoring on its first two possessions. Quarterback Burke Batten found Demario Bennett for a 10 yard touchdown on Coffee’s first possession. He connected with Akeem Wesley for a 15 yard touchdown on the offense’s next trip down the field. With 2:10 left in the first quarter, the Trojans had a 14-0 lead.
Houston stepped up and held the Trojans for the remainder of the first half, and added seven points of their own to the board on a long drive that ate up the clock in the second quarter. Coffee’s lead was 14-7 with 2:58 to go in the half.
The Trojans had another opportunity to score. With time winding down, place kicker Aaron Lott attempted a 39 yard field goal that sailed wide right. The second quarter came to a close with the Trojans ahead by seven.
Coffee didn’t look very explosive in the first half, and head coach Jerry Odom’s Trojans needed to make an adjustment to shift momentum back in their favor. When the third quarter opened, things looked good for the Trojans. Batten led the offense on a 65-yard drive that ended with a Josh Ellerton touchdown. Moore’s PAT was good, and Coffee had a 21-7 lead.
But Houston came roaring back, scoring two unanswered touchdowns to tie the game at 21 with 1:25 left.
Once again, the Trojans found themselves with their backs against the wall and time running out. Somebody needed to step up, and that person came in Josh Ellerton.
Ellerton took Houston’s kick and blew through the coverage team. His teammates opened a lane, and Ellerton raced down field for 48 yards to the Houston 29. Dermaine Gaskins moved the ball to the Houston five yard line. Rod Jones got the ball next, and nearly found the end zone. He was stopped at the two-yard line.
With six seconds on the clock, out came Moore to try a 19-yard field goal. “I was so nervous,” said Moore after the game.
You certainly couldn’t tell it. He split the uprights and gave his team a 24-21 lead.
On the ensuing kick, Houston tried the lateral drill but fumbled. D’Juan Smith recovered the ball for a touchdown with no time on the clock to give Coffee a 30-21 win.
“We made enough plays at the end. If you turn the ball over like we did and don’t get points in the red zone, you’re going to struggle. We looked rusty, and we have to play better next week,” said Coach Odom.
In commenting about Moore, Odom said, “He’s big time. He’s the man.”
Batten was 7-14 for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Rod Jones led the rushing category, running for 106 yards. Ellerton had 15 yards rushing, 46 yards receiving and 48 yards on his kick return.
For the night, the Trojans had 303 yards of total offense.
For the first time since 1981 and 1982, the Trojans are in the playoffs two years in a row. They travel to Savannah to face Jenkins next weekend in round one.
