Highlanders fall to Longhorns on 2020 Homecoming Night, 35-8
Published 12:59 am Saturday, October 24, 2020
StarPhoto/Larry N. Souders Friday night was Homecoming at Cloudland High School and senior Kaylen Fields was named the Highlanders’ Homecoming Queen. She was escorted by senior Eli Preswood.
StarPhoto/Larry N. Souders The ‘Landers Seth Birchfield (4) bowls over Johnson County’s Tyler Wilson (1)for big yardage in the second quarter.
StarPhoto/Larry N. Souders The Cloudland’s Cory Laney (34)corrals the Longhorns Stacy Greer (3) after a short gain in the first quarter.
StarPhoto/Larry N. Souders Cloudland’s Coy Laney (34) goes up the middle on a fourth-down play for five yards and a first down in the first quarter.
StarPhoto/Larry N. Souders The ‘Landers Seth Birchfield (4) runs through an arm tackle for a 15 yard run and a first down in the first quarter.
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BY NIC MILLER
STAR CORRESPONDENT
ROAN MOUNTAIN – It was homecoming night at Orr Field for the Cloudland Highlanders as they would take on the Johnson County Longhorns in a late-season matchup.
The Longhorns would get the ball first and things got off to a hot start in this one as on the second play from scrimmage Connor Simcox would lob a pass to his receiver Ethan Bower for a 44-yard touchdown followed by a conversion to give Johnson County the lead early, 8-0.
But the ‘Landers pushed right back, after driving down the length of the field Seth Birchfield would power his way into the end zone from one yard out, followed by a pass from Chase Shell to Bentley Gilbert for the conversion to knot things up halfway through the first quarter, 8-8.
It would be a battle of defenses for the next eighteen minutes as neither team would be able to cross the goal line going into the halftime break with the same score, 8-8.
The defensive dominance would continue well into the third quarter, all the way until about the halfway mark when the Longhorns would use the air attack to their advantage again with Simcox hitting his receiver Bower once again from 30 yards out this time, giving the visitors a 14-8 lead over Cloudland.
On the next ‘Lander possession, an untimely fumble at midfield gave Johnson County the ball yet again with great field position.
That turnover would set up yet another Simcox to Bower passing touchdown from seven yards out a few minutes into the fourth quarter, followed by the same connection for the two-point conversion, giving the Longhorns a 22-8 advantage late in the game.
And it wouldn’t stop there as on Cloudland’s next possession a pass from Shell would be picked off by the Longhorns’ Bower at the forty-five and taken back to the house to increase the visitor lead to 28-8 with around eight minutes remaining in the game.
Johnson County would add one more with two minutes remaining when Sam Mann would run it in from twelve yards out, followed by the PAT from Jenna Horner to put the nail in the coffin with a score of 35-8.
There would be little action after that point as the Longhorns would best the Highlanders in this contest, 35-8.
The Highlanders will be back in action at home next Friday for their final game of the season against the Sullivan North Raiders.
