COVINGTON – The Covington Buccaneers put the finishing touches on a very fine 8-2 football campaign Friday night, with a tight 16-8 win over a visiting Miami Valley League foe, Urbana.
The Buccs’ two-touchdown second quarter uprising was all the cushion coach Larrie Tisdale’s crew needed as the Covington defense held a potent Urbana offense until late in the final period of the ball game.
The defenses literally dominated the first period of play as each squad could muster but one first down. The second period was the same old story for Urbana, but the Buccaneers broke loose for a pair of touchdowns.
Denny Cain, the Buccs’ flashy halfback and top scorer, capped a 10-play, 61-yard drive midway through the second period with a 21-yard scamper to paydirt. Cain followed with the conversion run, and with 6:50 remaining until halftime, it was Covington 8, Urbana 0.
Steve Sampson gave Covington its next scoring opportunity when he pounced on an Urbana fumble. But that chance was thwarted when the Buccs turned right around and fumble back to the Hillclimbers. That fumble gave Urbana the ball on its own 38.
Via some fine defensive work by Cain, Sampson and Jim Hardesty, the Buccs got the ball back by pushing the Hillclimbers back 12 yards in four offensive plays. The Buccs then took over in good field position from the Urbana 26.
On the next play from scrimmage, quarterback Rex Huffman found senior wide reciver Ed Hartley all alone for a scoring strike, and Bud Clark’s conversion made it 16-0 with just 15 seconds left in the half.
For the entire third quarter and for the first eight minutes of the final stanza, the defenses had command. Neither team put together any serious scoring threats until with 3:27 showing on the clock, Urbana quarterback Greg Johnson clicked with Lloyd Buxton for a 19-yard tocuhdown pass. The same combination earned the conversion, and the score closed with Covington on top, 16-8.
Tisdale, trying to keep from being repetitions, sounded praise for some of the players who rarely see the headlines his backfield sees. “It’s players like Dan Coate, Joe Ellis, Jeff Frantz, Larry Gearhardt, Jim Hardesty, Mike Lavey, Leonard Minnich, Denny Robinson, Steve Sampson, Dave Stacey, Nick Steel, Dave Wills, Gary Wackler and Bill Zimmerlin who are the backbone of our team,” commented the Covington mentor. “without them, nobody would get any glory because there just wouldn’t be any glory to celebrate.”
Scoring By Quarters:
Covington ……0…..16…..0……0 – 16
Urbana ……….0…….0…..0……8 – 8
Scoring Summary:
Covington – Cain, 21-yard run; PAT: Cain run
Covington – Hartley, 26-yard pass from Huffman; PAT: Clark run
Urbana – Buxton, 19-yard pass from Johnson; PAT: Buxton, pass from Johnson