VAN BUREN — Van Buren couldn’t keep its momentum Friday after returning the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown.
Cabot countered after giving up the big play and earned a 35-28 victory over the Pointers at Blakemore Field. Jeremy Berry rushed for 229 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Panthers (7-2, 5-1), who had over 400 yards rushing in the game.
Van Buren (6-3, 3-3) delivered the first blow when Joseph Snapp returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a score. The Pointers had achance to go ahead by two scores on their next possession but Tyler Spoon threw the first of three interceptions near the Cabot goal-line.
Van Buren suffered another critical turnover in the fourth quarter when Jacob Jenkins fumbled at the Cabot 41 with 4:12 to play. Berry then padded the Cabot lead to 35-21 with a 38-yard touchdown run with2:35 left.
Van Buren scored a late touchdown, but Cabot ran out the clock after a 40-yard run by Berry, who had 16 carries.
“Berry ran the ball well and our quarterback, Zach Craig, did a good job of running the option,” Cabot Coach Mike Malham said. “He threw the ball well and we got some good pitches on the option. The second half turned out to be a defensive game until right there at the end.”
Most of the scoring came in the first half. Van Buren tied the game 21-21 when Drew White caught a high pass from Spoon and scored on an 11-yard play with 1:03 left in the second quarter.
But the Pointers’ defense couldn’t hold and Cabottook a 28-21 lead at halftime when Rod Quinn caught a 23-yard pass from Craig with 19 seconds left.
“The drive before halftime was big for us,” Malham said. “That at least gave us the lead and we got the ball first in the second half.”
Neither team had much trouble moving the ball, and Van Buren missed three scoring opportunities when Spoon threw interceptions.
Van Buren got the ball in Cabot territory after a fumble recovery, but Spoon floated a pass that was intercepted by Greg Phelps at the Panthers’ 29, his second in opponents’ territory. Cabot took advantage of the turnover when Ian Thompson scored on a 5-yard run to tie the game 14-14.
“(The mistakes) were uncharacteristic of us, but my hat’s off to Cabot,” Van Buren Coach Mike Lee said. “They were in some tough situations defensively when we were knocking on the door, and they came up with some plays to keep us out of the end zone.”
Berry went 47 yards to set up his 1-yard touchdown run, but Van Buren tied the game on White’s 11-yard reception with 1:03 left before the half. Cabot was held on downs to begin the second half and Van Buren moved quickly into Panthers’ territory on a 50-yard pass play from Spoon to White. But that threat died too when Spoon overthrew a receiver and Bryson Morris intercepted at the Cabot 5-yard line.
Sports, Pages 27 on 10/30/2010