Indians primed for playoffs

Those who attended Friday night's Lindhurst-Marysville football game were in for a classic.

While both offenses struggled for the majority of the game, the Indians and Blazers more than made up for it with their hard-hitting, inspired play on the field.

In the end it was the Indians' defense that made the plays that mattered most, leading Marysville to a 21-14 victory and a share of the Golden Empire League title.

Matt Horsfall provided the offense for Marysville (8-2) with a dazzling 55-yard touchdown run on a reverse for the first points of the game, and a 20-yard touchdown grab early in the second half that proved to be the deciding score. The senior also shined at cornerback and recorded a key interception at the Indians' 1-yard line just before halftime.

Marysville's defense limited the high-scoring Blazers (8-2) to 221 yards of total offense — well below their season average of 499 — and scored a touchdown of its own on an 8-yard fumble return by Clint Tipton in the first half. And while Marysville's offense didn't pick up a first down after the intermission, its defense rose to the occasion by stopping the Blazers four times on downs late — twice inside the red zone — to preserve the win.

Key to the Indians' defensive success was their ability to do what no team has done this season — stop Lurrell Johnson.

The Blazers' explosive running back came in averaging 197 yards rushing per game and a ridiculous 9.98 yards per carry, but the Indians gave him no room to operate and limited the senior to a season low 40 yards on 20 carries.

Johnson was held to six yards on six carries in the first half as the Blazers came out throwing the ball out of the shotgun, using a multitude of three receiver, single back formations. Lindhurst made a conscious effort to get the ball in their playmaker's hands more in the second half by bringing in a fullback and lining Johnson behind him in the run-oriented I-formation.

However, the plan backfired when the normally sure-handed Johnson fumbled twice on his first three carries of the second half, one leading to Marysville's lone score after the break.

While Horsfall was no doubt the game's most valuable player, the best player on the field was Lindhurst quarterback Rick Davis, who finished a respectable 12-for-28 for 171 yards and two touchdowns while being harassed by a strong Indian pass rush all night long.

Although his receivers had difficulty finding seams in the Indians' secondary and the pocket often collapsed around him, Davis was able to elude pressure and keep plays alive with his feet. An accurate thrower on the run, Davis came inches away from completing at least six passes to receivers who were well covered. He even intercepted two balls at safety for good measure.

"Our defense played phenomenal," Lindhurst coach Scott Albertson said. "Offensively, the plays were there. We just didn't execute."

But the best statistic of the night had to be the fact that there were no personal foul penalties on either team, something rare in a rivalry game of it's magnitude. On several occasions players were even seen helping the opponent off the ground.

The Indians will have a first-round bye when the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. VI playoffs kick off this week, and will host the winner of Friday's Le Grande-Capital Christian game on Nov. 28. The Blazers host Waterford (5-5) in a first-round game on Friday.

There is a chance the two teams will meet again. If they do, it will be in the section championship game on Dec. 3.