Here are some statistics from the first half of the Kiwanis Bowl simulation game between former Tomcat greats who also played at Coles and Putnam.
The score is tied 21-21 and the second half will be broadcast on Wednesday night at 8 on “The Coach Jason Mays and Dicky Show” on Facebook and on Fox Sports 1420 AM on iHeart.
Putnam outgained the Broncos 220-177 but two costly turnovers gave up a pair of touchdowns, one on the first play of the game when Steve Curnutte took a pass in the flat back 30 yards for a score.
Putnam fumbled on its second possession and Coles scored in two plays with Gary Thomas racing 13 yards for a touchdown. Terry Fish’s second extra point made it 14-0.But the Bucs rallied by driving 89 yards in 11 plays with Herb Conley barreling in on a 2-yard touchdown run. Dick Fillmore had a pair of long runs to set up the score.
Coles had a high snap out of punt formation on its next possession and Fillmore scored on the ensuing play with a 14-yard touchdown run after using the “limp leg” move to break a tackle initially. Randy Elkins split the uprights on extra points after both touchdowns to tie it at 14-14.
The Bucs’ defense stopped Coles after a drive into Putnam territory and Rick Sang pinned them at the 6 with a 34-yard punt. But Putnam drove it right down the Broncos’ throat on a 94-yard march led by quarterback Greg Conley, who had his father Herb behind him at fullback. The drive was mostly run but the score came off a play fake with Conley finding Monte Campbell – his father’s old teammate – for a 16-yard touchdown over the middle. Elkins extra point made it 21-14.
Coles put together a nice drive of its own, going 66 yards on 11 plays with 10 of them rushing. Pierre Harshaw scored on a 22-yard sprint around right end and Phil Walters kicked the extra point that tied the game 21-21. Curnutte had a big 3-yard quarterback sneak on fourth-and-one to keep the drive alive.
FIRST HALF RUSHING
PUTNAM: Herb Conley 9-59, Dick Fillmore 4-54, Randy Rice 2-12, Robby Mahan 2-21, Rick Smoot 2-10, Jay Shippey 2-9, Greg Conley 1-8, Tom Ferguson 2-3.
COLES: Gary Thomas 5-66, Pierre Harshaw 4-37, Mike Gothard 3-19, Joey Layman 1-29, Kendall Bocard 1-4, Richard Gardner 2-10, Scott Crank 3-2, Steve Curnutte 2-9.
FIRST HALF PASSING
PUTNAM: Greg Conley 2-2-0, 36, Tom Ferguson 2-5-1, 15, John Radjunas 1-3-0, 15.
COLES: Scott Crank 0-1-1; Steve Curnutte 1-2-0, 11.
FIRST HALF RECEIVING
PUTNAM: Monte Campbell 2-21, Randy Webb 1-15, John Thomas 1-15, George Branham 1-10.
COLES: Gary Thomas 1-11.
Donna Childers was named the Kiwanis Bowl Queen at halftime. Attendants were Patty Sweeney, Carolyn Castle, Sandy Hatcher, Jennifer Arthur, Zoe Ann Davis, Lisa Swift and Tammy Wolfe.
LISTEN to the first half at www.anchor.fm/mark-maynard
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