Lancaster Kicks Game Winning 47-yard FG to propel Gales to 24-21 Win

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 It's not often that a High School football game lives up to the hype.  But Friday night, before a probable stadium record crowd of close to 9000 people, the Lancaster Golden Gales traded punches down to the final second before the Golden Gales prevailed with a hard fought 24-21 victory.  The winning kick game with just :25 seconds to go in the football game.  Logan had gone for it on fourth and inches from their own 37-yard line, but were stuffed when Lancaster linebacker Ryan Curry shot a gap and brought down Justin Pack for a one yard loss.  Four plays later the Gales Paul Seiberling kicked the 47-yard field goal to win for Lancaster.

The game was a track meet early, as the two teams combined for 21 of the gams 45 points in the first quarter.  Lancaster scored on their third play from scrimmage, a 57-yard pass from Cory Cook to SB Mitch O'Brien.  Seiberling's kick put the Gales on top 7-0 only 67 seconds into the contest.  Logan answered on the following drive however, using some trickeration on their first place, Tory Kratzenburg took a reverse and threw a pass down field to a wide open BJ Hughes for a 38-yard gain.  Logan moved to the 16 yard line over the next 3 plays, and on the 5th play from scrimmage Corey Spackey connected with Jake Wolfe on a play action pass that evened the score.

The Golden Gales came back again, this time with a long drive that ended with Ryan Marcus pounding the ball into the endzone for a 14-7 lead with 5:29 to play in the first quarter.  Marcus picked up all but 10 yards on the eight play 67 yard drive, and broke three tackles on the scoring play.  The first quarter came to a close with the Gales holding a one score lead.

Things quieted down a bit until late in the second quarter, when the first major mistake of the football game aided Lancaster.  Corey Spackey forced a pass that was intercepted by Bryan Gossell.  The interception put the Gales into scoring position, and the blue and gold capitalized.  Cory Cook led the way, running for 12 yards before fumbling the ball into the endzone.  Cook beat Kevin Call to the football for the recovery and the TD.  The score put Lancaster in charge with a two score lead with just under two and a half minutes to play in the first half.

The Chieftains fought back, as Corey Spackey led a two-minute drill to be remembered.  Spackey drove the purple and white 80 yards, with a spectacular catch by BJ Hughes being the longest gain.  Hughes out jumped a Gale defender to pull down the ball and barely drug one toe in bounds before going out of bounds.  The score came on a 24-yard Spackey-Patrick Howe connection.  Howe made an amazing grab, out jumping a defender, taking a hard hit, and getting into the endzone.  The score swung the momentum, and put the Chiefs within a touchdown.  Logan also would get the ball to start the second half.

Logan's opening drive of the second half was stuffed because of a Lancaster sack, but Lady Luck smile on the Chieftains.  Ryan Peden muffed a Jesse Wilson and punt and Logan was back in business.  A 38-yard catch by BJ Hughes on the one yard line put Logan in scoring position.  Just a couple of plays later, Justin Coakley powered toward the goal line only to fumble.  An alert Ray Robinson recovered the football for 6 Chieftain points.  Poindexter's PAT tied the score at 21.

Lancaster put together a solid drive in the third quarter, running the ball to a first goal inside the Logan one yard line.  At that point the Chieftain defense looked winded.  But somehow, the Purple and White sucked it up and pulled off a goal line stand that was the stuff legend is made.  On four plays against Lancaster's massive offensive line, Lancaster failed to gain the mere 6-12 inches they needed to move the football.  The third quarter ran out as Cory Cook was stopped for the last time.  Logan came out ready to play when the offense took the field.  A pass interference penalty got Logan out of the shadow of the goal posts, and a 40-yard Justin Pack run got Logan inside the 20-yard line.  Logan was set-up for a 1st goal on the 9 yard line when disaster struck.  A botched center exchange gave Lancaster the football back.  Ryan Marcus and Ryan Peden led the Golden Gales back down the field with solid running, and looked as if Lancaster was ready to slam the door shut.  But a fumble by Marcus inside the 20-yard line gave the Chiefs one more chance.

Logan's offense would stall on the 37-yard line however, leading to the faild 4th down attempt.  Both of these fine football teams left everyting on the line tonight, and have NOTHING to be ashamed of.

For Logan, the story of the night has to be the play of the offensive line, Tackles Joe Howdyshell and Cole Resler, Guards Ray Robinson and Jared Walton, and Center Bruce Lehman.  The line gave Corey Spackey the time to have a career night, and the start of what should be an outstanding season for the Senior.  Spacey finished 18-29 for 234 yards, 2TDs, and 1 INT.  Spackey completed passes to 7 different receivers, but the biggest man was Senior SE BJ Hughes.  Hughes tied a school record with 9 receptions, totalling 163 yards.

Justin Pack led the Logan rushing attack with 72 yards on 9 carries.  Kevin Call gained 22 yards on 3 carries and Justin Coakley was held to 29 yards on 10 carries.

Logan will go on the road next Friday to face Chillicothe, a 34-7 loser to Brookhaven on Friday night.

PASSING
Lancaster: Cory Cook 4-11-96-1TD-0INT
Logan: Corey Spackey 20-31-233-2TD-1INT, Tory Kratzenburg 1-1-38-0-0

RECEIVING
Lancaster: Mitch O'Brien 2-85 TD, Ryan Peden 1-16, Jay Stoughton 1-(-5)
Logan: BJ Hughes 10-167, Patrick Howe 3-31 TD, Justin Pack 2-21, Kevin Call 2-20, Jake Wolfe 1-16 TD, Michael Sexton 1-10, Tory Kratzenburg 1-1