Howell, MI - There's no "I" in team. That message stood loud and clear Wednesday, as the Highlanders used a complete team effort to defeat the feisty Patriots, 28-21. Each player on the Highlander roster caught at least two passes, and each Highlander also played outstanding defense.
The Patriots mounted their comeback midway through the third quarter, when Colin B hauled in his second touchdown of the day, a 58 yard bomb from all-time quarterback Mr. Horne. Colin's TD narrowed the gap to 21-14.
However, the Highlanders were not to be outdone. Dillon F caught a 24 yard touchdown on the Highlanders next possession. Dillon's score put the Highlanders up 28-14 with less than two minutes remaining in the game.
The Patriots were not about to go down without a fight. Teddy reeled in his first touchdown reception of the season with 10 seconds left on the clock. Teddy's TD cut the deficit to 28-21, but the Patriots were without their timeouts, and the Highlanders simply ran out the clock.
"I thought all the kids played well today in these tough conditions," said all-time quarterback Mr. Horne. Horne was referring to the slick grass and the slippery football, caused from a rain shower prior to the game. "Normally, you would see these kids making all kinds of great catches, but I think the wet football proved to be to tough to handle. I look for more plays to be made when these teams play again!"
The win puts the Highlanders (1-0) atop the 4th Grade Football standings, while the loss temporarily moves the Patriots (0-1) down. "The Patriots refused to quit, and that attitude will pay off in future games," quipped Horne.
Colin B had a standout game for the Patriots with three receptions and two touchdowns. Billy and Dillon lead the way for the Highlanders. Billy caught 3 passes and one touchdown, while Dillon hauled in 2 receptions and two TDs.
4 and Out ... For the first time in league history, the game began with three straight series of "4 and out".
Congratulations! ..... Mr. Horne surpassed the 500 career touchdown mark during today's game. "I've been at this for a few years, and I've had a lot of great players making plays, so I can only take part of the credit," said Horne. "But 500 touchdown passes is definitely an an accomplishment!"
CAM AND TADDY AND COLIN PLAYED A GOOD GAME.
I was there it was a great game.