Pacific
Football roundupPerry starts strongly to topple Edgren
Stars and Stripes
September 24, 2022
Robert D. Edgren's Aiden Larry tries to cut around left end against Matthew C. Perry's Eddie Pacleb. (Kevin Rossiter/Special to Stripes)
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan – Maddix Larue and Matthew C. Perry rebounded smartly from their shutout loss a week earlier at Yokota by taking better care of the football, producing more on offense and clamping down defensively.
Larue, the Samurai’s senior fullback, rushed for two touchdowns, quarterback Jordan Wooten ran for another and Billy Hill returned an interception for a score as Perry scored all 26 points in the first half of Saturday’s 26-14 win over Robert D. Edgren.
“We played a little more disciplined today,” said coach Billy Henry, whose Samurai improved to 2-1 on the season. “We still have some young guys, they have a lot to learn. But I think we did well.”
It was a significant turnaround from the Yokota game, in which the Samurai only managed 97 yards on offense and suffered four turnovers. On Saturday, Perry recorded 237 yards and only had one miscue.
Larue rushed for 83 yards on 14 carries, including his two scores. Wooten went 2-for-3 for 58 yards and had 29 rushing yards. Hill’s interception return went for 55 yards. Eddie Pacleb also had an interception for the Samurai.
Robert D. Edgren's Daichi Goodson tries to elude Matthew C. Perry defender Maddix Larue. (Kevin Rossiter/Special to Stripes)
Robert D. Edgren's Daniel Phillips tries to create some running space against Matthew C. Perry's Jordan Wooten. (Kevin Rossiter/Special to Stripes)
The Eagles’ turnovers “put us in a 13-0 hole very quickly,” Edgren coach Marcus Thomas said. “An uphill battle is never a good thing.”
Still, for the second time this season, the Eagles’ defense rose up in the second half to shut down the Samurai.
Dennis Nelson caught a 10-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter from Jayse Ulechong and Gabriel Guajardo snagged an 8-yarder from Ulechong with 50 seconds left for Edgren, which fell to 0-4.
“In the second half, we turned it around,” Thomas said. The Eagles have scored all 27 of their points in road games this season, 13 coming in a 28-13 loss at Zama on Sept. 9 – the first time Edgren’s defense pitched a shutout in the second half.
The two teams have next week off, then play each other again, this time at Edgren on Oct. 7; kickoff is at 7 p.m.
“We’ll have a bye week, we’ll get healed and get well and prepare for them again,” Henry said.
Yokota quarterback Dylan Tomas skirts around right end as American School In Japan's Jay Dossor gives chase and Panthers teammate DeShawn Bryant tries to block during Saturday's rain-drenched Kanto Plain football game at Mustang Valley. The Mustangs led 14-6 with 9:42 left when the game was called due to lightning and rescheduled for Oct. 28 at Yokota. (Greg Holladay/Special to Stripes)
Yokota running back Noah Cruz weaves his way toward the end zone for a third-quarter touchdown during Saturday's rain-drenched Kanto Plain football game at American School In Japan. The Mustangs led 14-6 with 9:42 left when the game was called due to lightning and rescheduled for Oct. 28 at Yokota. (Greg Holladay/Special to Stripes)
American School In Japan's Stefan Merino is brought down by Yokota's Michael Kasten during Saturday's rain-drenched Kanto Plain football game at Mustang Valley. The Mustangs led 14-6 with 9:42 left when the game was called due to lightning and rescheduled for Oct. 28 at Yokota. (Greg Holladay/Special to Stripes)
American School In Japan quarterback Joey Schulz prepares to hand off to Noa Grasse during Saturday's rain-drenched Kanto Plain football game at Mustang Valley. The Mustangs led 14-6 with 9:42 left when the game was called due to lightning and rescheduled for Oct. 28 at Yokota. (Greg Holladay/Special to Stripes)
Weather delays end of Yokota-ASIJ game
TOKYO – The last 9:42 of Saturday’s football game pitting Yokota at American School In Japan has been postponed until Oct. 28 due to lightning which interrupted Saturday’s contest at Mustang Valley, with ASIJ in the lead 14-6.
“We have a game scheduled at Yokota (on Oct. 28). We’ll finish it up then,” ASIJ coach and athletics director Timmy Jacobsson said.
The Mustangs (0-2) scored all 14 of their points on special teams in the first half, Basil Rieger on a blocked punt and Stefan Merino on a punt return. The Panthers got their six points on an 18-yard run by fullback Noah Cruz with 24.2 seconds left in the third quarter.
