March 29, 2024

Turnovers hamper Hawks in district play

SULLY — When you give the ball away five times in a football game, it is hard to win.

Lynnville-Sully’s Hawks found that out last Friday night at home in Class A, District 6 play against the Pekin Panthers. Hawks entered the game 0-2 and the Panthers were 1-1.

The first half proved to be pretty event. Pekin capped a late first-quarter drive on an 12-yard touchdown run by Chase Copeland on the second play of the second quarter. Bryan Brain kicked the extra point.

Hawk quarterback Brandon Dunsbergen guided the Hawks on a march to the end zone on their next possession. Bailee Samson lost the handle on the football as he was going   over the goal line. Lynnville-Sully teammate Darin Hofer recovered the fumble for a touchdown.

The Hawks went for the two-point conversion. The run came up short, leaving it 7-6 with  just over six minutes left in the first half. That is where the score stood at halftime.

“We played pretty well the first half. We made too many errors in the third quarter. We have to take care of the football to be successful,” said Mike Parkinson, Hawk head coach. “We were on defense way too much in that quarter. We have to get our defense off the field.”

Pekin scored 26 points to push out to a 33-6 lead. The Panthers snatched three interceptions and recovered two Hawk fumbles in the second half.

Samson scored on a four-yard run in the fourth quarter for the Hawks. Parkinson said he was proud of the way his team responded in the fourth quarter.

Samson finished with 68 yards on 19 carries for Lynnville-Sully. Caden Doll had 77 yards on 16 hauls. Dunsbergen completed 13 of 25 passes for 43 yards.

T.J. Cunningham threw a 13-yard pass, plus caught eight for 44 yards. Darin Hofer made two catches for 22 yards.

The Hawk defense had three takeaways. Dunsbergen had an interception. Payton Scandridge recovered two Panther fumbles.

Lynnville-Sully (0-3, 0-1) travels this Friday to BGM at Brooklyn, which beat Southeast Warren 70-0 in district play last Friday.