New Diana's ground game, defense too much for Sabine

DIANA — The New Diana Eagles' rushing attack took control for most of Friday's game, largely on the abilities of Terry Newsome. Newsome gained 151 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries, and helped lift his team over the visiting Sabine Cardinals, 38-20.

Senior Shay Bradley also made a big impact for the Eagles, netting 111 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. New Diana amassed an impressive 394 yards rushing on the night compared to just 50 for the Cardinals. Sabine's Lie'Quan Byrd was a definite bright spot in the game, throwing for 209 yards and two touchdowns on a 15-of- 27 completion night.

With the loss, Sabine returns home this Friday to face 7-2 White Oak in the last game of the 2008 season.

Sabine (2-7 overall, 0-6 in District 18-2A play) took an early lead after recovering a New Diana fumble on a punt return. The ball bounced off the hands of Andy Hounsel around the Eagles' 39-yard-line, where the Cardinals' Tyler Weatherford recovered. Junior quarterback Lie'Quan Byrd shuffled up the middle for a 4-yard touchdown just minutes later for a Sabine score. Byrd's extra point was blocked, but the Cardinals had a 6-0 lead with 8:17 to play in the first quarter.

The Cardinal defense, led by Jurray Todd and Laramy Barber, shut down New Diana on the ensuing drive, forcing the Eagles to turn the ball over on downs when Bradley was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-4 from the 34 by Bernard Alexander.

Sabine was forced to punt on their next possession, but the same scenario played out again as the ball bounced off of a New Diana player's helmet on the punt return and the ball was recovered by Sabine's Jason Smith. The Cardinals couldn't capitalize this time, and Byrd punted the ball 32 yards back to the Eagles.

Bradley carried the ball 31 yards around the left side on first down. And after an unsportsmanlike penalty on Sabine, Beau Brewer rambled 45 yards around the left sideline for New Diana's first score of the night. The extra point was wide left, and the game was tied 6-6 with 1:05 left in the first.

The Eagles found the end zone again early in the second quarter when Terry Newsome shot through the Sabine defense 59 yards for a touchdown with 8:30 left in the half.

Byrd and the Cardinals would answer back before halftime when Byrd, working from the shotgun and facing a heavy blitz, threw a high screen pass to Weatherford, who weaved his way into the end zone for a 63-yard score with 3:23 left until the break. Byrd's pass intended for Smith fell incomplete on the conversion attempt, and New Diana held onto a 13-12 lead.

But they would extend it on the next possession. Bradley juked around the right side for a 45-yard touchdown. A bad snap on the point after attempt prevented New Diana from converting the kick and the home team took a 19- 12 lead into the locker room.

Both teams played stellar defense throughout the third quarter, until the Eagles finally found some daylight with Newsome's 49-yard touchdown run up the middle of the field on a misdirection play. Again the point after attempt failed, and New Diana led 25- 12 with 1:11 to play in the third.

The Eagles scored a pair of quick touchdowns early in the fourth quarter to take command of the game: first with a four yard run up the middle by Kyle Hendricks and then on a 40-yard punt return by Austin Brown with 7:47 to play. New Diana led 38-12.

Sabine would not go down without a fight, however, as Byrd and company constructed a seven-play 82-yard fourth-quarter drive that culminated with an 8-yard touchdown reception by Terrence Daniels with exactly five minutes to play. Byrd scrambled to his left and found Smith open in the end zone for the two-point conversion to round out the scoring, 38-20.

Jerrel Chumley caught five passes for 73 yards for Sabine, and Jacob Kenna also had five catches for 36 yards.