Mustangs fall short to Ore City in season opener

OVERTON — Teray Smith scored two touchdowns and Telvin Darden ran in six points Friday, but the Overton High School Mustangs lost to Ore City's Rebels, 22-19.

The loss spoiled new coach Ty Robinson's regular-season football debut at Overton, but he vowed the Mustangs will improve and make the playoffs this year.

Overton took advantage of an Ore City fumble on the Rebel's first offensive play in the game. Mustang Garrett Williamson recovered the prize at his own 46-yard-line. Quarterback Darden, a junior, wove his way through four Rebels to the end zone, but a blocking penalty took that run back. The 'Stangs kept the drive going to Ore City's 31, then Jacoba Gardner added 11 more yards for the first down. Darden next passed to Teray Smith, who found his way into the end zone for the score. Kicker Robert Gonzalez booted the extra point.

Smith visited the Rebels' backyard again, capping an early third-quarter campaign begun by Draze Kennedy's 23-yard kick return to Overton's 33. Smith made a left turn and found the 45. Two plays later, Darden shuttled to Smith, who dodged white shirts to dash 66 yards for six more. Gonzalez did not get the 14th point.

Trailing 14-13 near the end of the quarter, with the ball and on their own 38, Overton's Gardner pulled a disappearing act. After taking the handoff, Gardner turned right and seemed swallowed up by a green and white whirlpool. Suddenly, Gardner burst out and sped diagonally to the left until forced out of bounds at the 16. A penalty on the Rebels surrendered 10 more yards to Overton. Second down yielded four yards. Third down added six points — and gave Overton the lead — as Darden scored. A two-point conversion by the Green Machine was unsuccessful, but the Mustangs now led, 19-14.

But things wouldn't end that way. The Rebels put themselves back in front with 2:03 left in the game as Shemall McCain returned a Darden punt to the Overton 30. Rodgers yarded his squad to the Mustang 10, then finished the drive himself for six. Buddy Shaun Nicholson caught a Rodgers pass for the giving Ore City the 22-19 edge. The Mustangs weren't able to get back in front.

"We had a chance to run it and put it away, but we made some mistakes and I made some bad calls," said coach Robinson. "But we're going to be a good football team this year. We'll get better as we go along and we're going to make the playoffs."

Overton is on the road the next two weeks, visiting Union Grove Friday, then Big Sandy on Sept. 12.