[Fly Like a Duck]

Did larue lose the battle in the red zone to etown? Looks like larue only turned the ball over once to etown, but lost by over 20 in a game they outgained etown in.

A few key plays.

1) E-town returned the kickoff after LaRue's first score & it wasn't Becherer. E-town is dangerous everywhere, but especially on special teams. Becherer is their DUDE, but they have a few other guys back there that would be THE DUDE for a lot of people. So you either risk trying to kick it to one of them, and hope you cover OR kick it short and then IF you stop E-town, they now PIN you deep with their very good punter to go along with trying to score from 80+ out against a very, very stout D (their D is the most underrated part of their team- E-town that is & LaRue for that matter).

2) LaRue's final drive of the first half was cut short inside the E-town redzone; yes. It was another drive that consumed 15-16 plays and LaRue just ran out of time outs. Their first scoring drive was 19 plays and I know they burned a time out or two on that drive alone; then I think another one on the last drive of the half.

3) After the 1st half down 14-7; LaRue forces E-town to go 3 and out. On 3rd down for LaRue, their QB Dane Milby throws his ONLY INT of the game on about their own 30 and E-town runs it back inside the 10-15 yard line.

On that same play a little bit of a scrum breaks out; one where both a LaRue and E-town player were ejected. The player ejected for LaRue was one of their starting OL. ALSO on that same play (not in the scrum, but just a freak thing) LaRue also loses ANOTHER starting linemen with a broken wrist.

4) E-town scores on 4th and goal from the 2 to make it 21-7.

5) On the next drive; LaRue's QB Milby goes out on first down. Insert back up & Jaggers decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from their own 25 or so. Personally, I think he probably thought here they were down 21-7; if they punt E-town is going to get it with great field position, so why not go for it...eat the clock some more and try to put together another drive.

6) LaRue doesn't get that 4th down conversion and E-town scores a few plays later to make it 28-7.

7) LaRue now in the spread with their starting QB back, and they score either at the end of the 3rd or beginning of the 4th from 50+ yard run out to make it 28-13.

8) The rest of the 4th quarter was both teams stopping each other until E-town tacks one on late from the LaRue 10 after LaRue went for it on 4th and 6-8 with about 2:00 left the game.


E-town is the best team in the region; I don't think there is any doubt about that. However; if you're going to beat them I think anybody that was at that game (and, there were a lot....it was Region Final/Semi-Final type atmosphere) they will tell you that LaRue had the recipe for beating them. You better be able to move the ball, control the clock and play some D (ultimately score).

If you lose the turnover battle (which LaRue did with the games ONLY turnover and at a very very bad spot) and the special teams battle (which LaRue also lost with a kick return) then you can forget it with the Panthers.