Clippers will remember the A/W Titans

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Amboy/LaMoille’s C.J. Shields grabs an interception in the end zone, thwarting an Annawan/Wethersfield in the second quarter drive Saturday in Amboy. The Titans scored on their next possession to take a 12-7 halftime lead on the way to a 33-21 2A playoff win. (BCR photo/Kevin Hieronymus)

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Amboy coach Gary Jones said the Titans took away everything the Clippers tried to do.

“They controlled the line of scrimmage on us both ways,” he said. “We couldn’t run the option. They took it away from us, and the option is our bread and butter. And, we could not stop them defensively.”

With their running game grounded, Jones said the Clippers were forced to drop back and “wing it,” and quarterback Steve Apple did the best he could, completing 12 of 25 attempts for 172 yards and three TDs.

Apple’s 12-yard strike to C.J. Shields with 4:54 left in the third quarter brought the Clippers within 19-14.

Apple’s next attempt to regain the lead was thwarted by Titans’ counterpart Walker, who returned after taking a helmet to his left elbow on offense to pick off a Clippers’ pass at the goal line.

“I wasn’t going to sit out this game no matter what. The defensive line forced the interception, and I just caught it,” Walker said.

The Titans had a long touchdown called back for an illegal man downfield, but back-up quarterback Jake DeJaegger came right back with a 65-yard hook-up to Kyle Bumphrey down to the Amboy 5.

Walker hit pay dirt on a run the next play to give the Titans a 26-14 lead with 10:38 remaining to play.

A nice kickoff return by Jake Lytle with a 15-yard personal foul on AW tacked on, put the Clippers in business on the Amboy 42. The Clippers marched to the Titans’ 5 on seven plays but were flagged for a 10-yard holding penalty.

After a chess match by the coaches with Johnston calling a timeout immediately following one by Jones to set up the Titans’ defense, Westin Heinz broke up an Apple pass to the left of the end zone.

“We knew we’d been in for a fight for four quarters with these guys. Bottom line, our guys made big plays when they had to. Hats off to our kids,” AW coach Brandon Johnston said.

On the very next play, AW’s Nathan Long broke off an 85-yard run in front of the Amboy bench to take the sail out from underneath the Clippers and give the Titans a 33-14 lead with 7:01 to play.

Apple connected with Shields for a 15-yard TD pass with 3:39 to play.

• The Titans will face Gibson-City-Melvin-Sibley in 2A quarterfinal play Saturday at Wethersfield. GCMS beat Aledo Mercer County 60-19, a team that defeated AW 33-0 in Week 2 of the regular season.

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