The Border Battle Has a New Winner

Independence vs Summit Football Score 08-25-17
Photos by: Connor Petersen
WILLIAMSON COUNTY FOOTBALL
[mcmBFScore teamID=39 gameDate=08/25/2017]
INDEPENDENCE
at
SUMMIT
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It had to happen some year for Summit, and with maybe it’s best team ever, why not now? And what better place than at home?

Summit football for the first time ever beat Independence Friday night 31-17 in a fairly dominant performance.

While the Eagles struggled to put drives together at times, the Spartans ran and passed, and ran some more while quarterback Ethan Cash and running back George Odimegwu did both, often.

Drawing first blood, Summit topped its first drive with an 8-yard run with 5:00 in the 1st quarter by Odimegwu.

The Eagles responded with one of their few long drives of the first half, which ended with a 3-yard Troy Henderson touchdown run to tie the game at 7 with 11:50 in the 2nd quarter.

Summit, apparently not wanting to spend a single play not winning, responded in a big way.

Jatevion Hayes caught the ensuing kickoff on the Spartans’ 3-yard line and didn’t stop until he put his team back on top 97-yards later. 14-7, Summit.

Indy’s Weston Landry managed to boot a 35-yard field goal after the teams traded possessions, to pull the Eagles to within 3 at 8:56 in the 2nd quarter.

The Spartans answered swiftly. After relying on the legs of Odimegwu and Tai Carter so far on offense, they tested out Cash’s arm and didn’t find it disappointing. Cash threw deep to the sideline and found Odimegwu who ran the remaining 20 yards to score. The 50-yard touchdown pass put Summit on top 21-10 with 7:52 left in the first half. It was the Spartans biggest lead ever against Indy.

But the Eagles aren’t coming off two appearances and one win in two years in the Class 5A State Championship Game for nothing.

Quarterback Nathan Cisco led a drive, helped by two catches by veteran receiver TJ Sheffield, that started with less than 2 minutes in the half.

Cisco’a 31-yard touchdown pass to Harold Ariana with just 2 seconds on the clock got Indy back in it to start the second half.

The Eagles put together a long drive on their first try of the second half, but a Cisco sack on third and goal led to a 35-yard Landry field goal attempt. No good, Summit still led 21-17 with 7:24 left in the 3rd.

Their next possession got into Spartan territory, also, but a sack by Chance Jarosz led to 3rd-and-long and a failed fourth down attempt.

That was the Eagles last gasp. On the next possession, Cash found Odimegwu down the left sideline for 42-yards setting up 1st-and-goal from the 7.

The quarterback then cashed in, giving Summit its largest lead on a keeper, Spartans up 28-17 with 2:24 in the 3rd.

In the fourth, a failed fourth down in at the Summit 27 turned into a long Spartan drive that all but sealed the win. Summit kicked a field goal with 3:14 left in the game to take a 14-point lead.

Hayes, the hero of the first quarter, shut the door for good and all by intercepting Cisco on the first play of the Eagles next drive.

Independence falls to 0-2, now having lost its last 3 games after two straight undefeated regular seasons. The Eagles host Centennial next week.

Summit, 1-1, plays at White County.

Notes:

Carter, who threw two touchdown passes last week, was injured in the 3rd quarter and did not return. The severity of his injury is unclear.

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