Miscues, missed opportunities doom Charles City in football season opener

Charles City defenders Khalil Bassatt (22), Cecil Tyler (2), and Troy Crawley converge on Cumberland running back Desaun Jennings to slow his progress down.

Andre' Jones photos

Charles City Panther head football coach Steward Greene’s facial expression after a 22-8 season opening loss to Cumberland’s visiting Dukes said it all about the game.

Miscues and missed opportunities were lowlights in the Aug. 28 contest in a game that Greene said was a “disappointment.”

Fueling that disappointment was the Panthers’ ineffective offense and inability to capitalize off Cumberland mistakes. Tack on eight first half penalties, including two that kept a drive alive for the Dukes and one that negated a Panther touchdown and you have a recipe for disaster.

In the opening quarter, Cumberland milked the clock for nine minutes, keeping the ball out of the hosts’ hands. Despite being in possession for most of the stanza, Duke running back DeSaun Jennings fumbled inside the five-yard line as the team attempted to score. Panther sophomore Craig Jones pounced on the ball in what would be the first of five Panther recoveries of the night.

But the Panther offense sputtered throughout the first half. Incapable of moving the ball, the hosts racked up only one first down prior to intermission. That first down came courtesy of a penalty for illegal contact to the helmet by Cumberland. Meanwhile, the visitors would finally break into the scoring column. Cumberland running back Daquan Trent took a quick pitch and found a seam down the Dukes’ sideline, scampering 63 yards for a touchdown.

Charles City regained control after its second fumble recovery and threatened to score as they sat on the opponent’s eight yard line. But Panther quarterback Troy Crawley’s pass was intercepted by Trent, thwarting the attempt. The visitors would orchestrate an eight-play, 96-yard drive culminating with a Brandon Leabough to Ahmad Booker fade pass to the end zone to up Cumberland’s lead to 14-0 heading into intermission.

Both teams struggled to move the ball on offense in quarter three, but Cumberland defensive end Jaylen Gilliam’s interception on a swing pass led to him rumbling 32 yards for a pick six. Jamie Trent’s conversion run allowed the visitors to pitch a 22-0 shutout heading into the final quarter.

Charles City’s glimmer of hope returned in the fourth, as defensive back Kyle Jones would pounce on a fumble deep in the Dukes’ territory. Five plays later, Crawley called his own number and snuck into the end zone for the touchdown. Cecil Tyler’s run cut the lead to 22-8.

Other opportunities emerged as the Panthers’ defense stifled Cumberland. However, the Panthers could not muster an offensive threat.

But late in the fourth with 1:08 remaining, Dukes running back Michael Pryor would run for five yards, but the ball was taken by the Panthers’ Jones who would return it 42 yards for a score. Oh so he thought.

A penalty flag away from the play for a block in the back negated the second Panther touchdown of the night. Charles City was unable to regroup as Cumberland would intercept one final pass and run out the remainder of the clock.

Greene’s dismay could only be described by him.

“We’ve got to make a change because the attitudes here are killing us,” said the frustrated head coach. “Tonight, penalties killed us and forced us to play on the short side of the field when we did get possession of the ball.

“Our discipline has to be better,” Greene continued. “Tonight, those penalties kept Cumberland’s drives alive, negated two of our touchdowns, and led to other mistakes.

“It all boils back to attitude. Jumping offsides and false starts all constitute to that [attitude],” the head coach concluded.

Charles City had more than enough opportunities to score. Four drives for the Panthers ended inside the opponent’s 10-yard line, as well as the hosts recovering all five of Cumberland’s fumbles. However, penalties, along with four interceptions, allowed the visitors to balance out the outcome and turnover battle.

Charles City (0-1) travels to Southampton to take on the Indians on Sept. 4.

2nd Quarter
CU (5:28)- D. Trent 63 yard run (run fail) 6-0
CU (0:14)- Booker 4 yard pass from Leabough (J. Trent run) 14-0
3rd Quarter
CU (3:09)- Gilliam 32 yard interception return (J. Trent run) 22-0
4th Quarter
CC (8:41)- Crawley 1 yard run (Tyler run) 22-8

Passing (completions/attempts/yards)
CU- Leabough 1/2/4, 1 TD.
CC- Crawley 7/21/62, 4 INT.

Rushing (attempts/yards)
CU- Leabough 8/39, D. Trent 7/70, 1 TD; J. Trent 9/57, Jennings 13/69, Berry 1/2, Boyles 1/0, Pryor 1/5, Jackson 10/28.
CC- Tyler 12/27, Jefferson 10/25, Crawley 10/32, 1 TD.

Receiving (receptions/yards)
CU- Booker 1/4, 1 TD.
CC- K. Jones 2/25, Tyler 3/18, Jefferson 1/24, Hicks 1/5.

Charles City defensive lineman Tyrus Allen (78) hunts down Duke running back Ziahir Berry to bring him down with a tackle.