Larry Larkin
Sports Writer
SPERRY —
The Sperry team that went to the dressing room at half-time trailing by 22 points here Friday night did not return. The uniform numbers and the names may have been the same during the final two quarters, but the results were quite the opposite.
Sperry scored four unanswered touchdowns in the second half to upend the Verdigris Cardinals, 31-28, as both teams opened their 2010 high school football season.
On a weather perfect night for football, close to 2,000 fans on hand witnessed two complete different games. The younger and less experienced Cardinals could do no wrong early as they built up a 28-6 edge before the break.
Junior Bryce Lindsey broke free for a 76-yard touchdown run the first time he touched the ball.
Then another junior, Christian Hitchcock making his first start at quarterback, scored on a one-yard keeper before throwing touchdown passes to Jeremy Bernhardt and Jacob Lawrence.
Bernhardt's catch and following run covered 72 yards. With 1:35 left before the break, Lawrence's score covered 32 yards.
After each Cardinal touchdown Dillon Wallis successfully kicked the conversion points.
Right in the middle of the Cardinals' points the Pirates did managed to light up their side of the score board. An 80-yard, nine play drive ended as Aaron Beats scored from the three. At the time it didn't seem to cause much concern. With four TDs already, more seemed on tap.
With their favorites up 28-6 to start the second half, most Verdigris fans were feeling comfortable.
These feelings quickly ended when Sperry's 235-pound senior halfback Bennie Driver returned the half's kickoff 76 yards for a touchdown.
This was just the beginning of the end for the home team. Before Driver would muscle in for the winning touchdown two minutes before the final buzzer, Sperry used slippery sophomore Blake Teel to score twice on runs of 27 and 24 yards.
Teel's second score had both sides now with four touchdowns.
Still the Cardinals held a 28-24 edge because Sperry failed to add any extra points.
After getting big plays early when needed, Verdigris' all of a sudden failure to pick up needed first downs kept giving the ball back to the Pirates.
A 48-yard Linsey punt made the visitors start at their 12-yard-line for what proved to be the winning drive.
With Driver getting the call four times and aided by a key 22-yard pass to Cole Carr at the Verdigris 11, the Pirates needed nine plays for the go-ahead and winning touchdown.
Driver, getting the ball about eight yards behind the line of scrimmage, accounted for the two-yard score with a power run up the middle.
A major penalty against the Cardinals for fighting near mid-field aided the drive. This gave Sperry an extra first down and placed the ball at the Verdigris 34. The touchdown came five plays later.
