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Bmack's Astronaut High School football dynasty
- Thread starter Bmack
- Start date
9/11/1981
Astronaut at Sanford Seminole
ASTRONAUT CONTROLS SANFORD SEMINOLE
SANFORD—Astronaut was in control most of the game Friday night, jumping to a 16-0 lead before two late touchdowns by Sanford Seminole in the 4[sup]th[/sup] quarter. Astronaut won the season opener 16-13.
The War Eagles used ball control in the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead on the opening drive of the game. A 12 play, 66 yard drive consumed 6 and a half minutes. Senior fullback Oscar Montgomery scored on a 1 yard dive. Ethan Waldron added the extra point.
The score would stay 7-0 until the 4[sup]th[/sup] quarter. Sophomore safety Dwayne Glover recovered a Sanford fumble and returned it 13 yards to the Seminole 26 yard line. The turnover lead to a 22 yard Ethan Waldron field goal to push the lead to 10-0 with 7:49 left to play. On the next possession, the War Eagles stopped Sanford on a 4[sup]th[/sup] down and took over possession on the Seminole 37. Scott McConico finished off the War Eagle scoring with 21 yard touchdown run with 4:55 left. The extra point was missed. The Seminoles were able to get two touchdown passes in the final minutes. The first was followed by a failed two point attempt to leave the score at 16-6. After recovering an onside kick, the Seminoles scored on a 40 yard touchdown pass as time expired.
“We got a little sloppy at the end. This should have been a shutout and for 45 minutes it was,” said Astronaut Coach B. Mack. “It gives us something to work on.”
Astronaut at Sanford Seminole
ASTRONAUT CONTROLS SANFORD SEMINOLE
SANFORD—Astronaut was in control most of the game Friday night, jumping to a 16-0 lead before two late touchdowns by Sanford Seminole in the 4[sup]th[/sup] quarter. Astronaut won the season opener 16-13.
The War Eagles used ball control in the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead on the opening drive of the game. A 12 play, 66 yard drive consumed 6 and a half minutes. Senior fullback Oscar Montgomery scored on a 1 yard dive. Ethan Waldron added the extra point.
The score would stay 7-0 until the 4[sup]th[/sup] quarter. Sophomore safety Dwayne Glover recovered a Sanford fumble and returned it 13 yards to the Seminole 26 yard line. The turnover lead to a 22 yard Ethan Waldron field goal to push the lead to 10-0 with 7:49 left to play. On the next possession, the War Eagles stopped Sanford on a 4[sup]th[/sup] down and took over possession on the Seminole 37. Scott McConico finished off the War Eagle scoring with 21 yard touchdown run with 4:55 left. The extra point was missed. The Seminoles were able to get two touchdown passes in the final minutes. The first was followed by a failed two point attempt to leave the score at 16-6. After recovering an onside kick, the Seminoles scored on a 40 yard touchdown pass as time expired.
“We got a little sloppy at the end. This should have been a shutout and for 45 minutes it was,” said Astronaut Coach B. Mack. “It gives us something to work on.”
WAR EAGLES SHUT OUT MELBOURNE
9/17/1981
Astronaut at Melbourne (district game)
Astronaut outgained Melbourne 418 to 50 en route to a 38-0 shutoff Thursday night. The dominating win put the War Eagles at 2-0 on the season and 1-0 in district play. Melbourne fall to 0-2. Astronaut Coach B. Mack was pleased with his team’s performance.
“Both sides of the ball played very well. We were really able to do everything we wanted,” said Mack. “We had a couple of turnovers but the defense was giving any ground, so it didn’t hurt us.”
The scoring started when senior quarterback Donnie Whiting hit is big target, 6’5” senior tight end Ken Parker for the first of two touchdown passes. The scoring play went for 26 yards and gave the War Eagles a 7-0 advantage with 1:51 left.
The second quarter saw Ethan Waldron connect on a 29 yard field goal to push the lead to 10-0. After a Melbourne punt Astronaut took over at the Bulldog 49. It took just two plays to score as Whiting hit Parker for a 29 yard pass to set up a 20 yard touchdown sprint by Scott McConnico. Whiting’s second touchdown pass to Parker came with 21 seconds left in the half. The 4 yard toss and ensuing point after gave the War Eagles a 24-0 halftime lead.
With 3:41 left in the 3[sup]rd[/sup], fullback Robert Whitney scored on a 14 yard run to make it 31-0. The scoring was capped by fullback Oscar Montgomery’s 1 yard touchdown run with 31 seconds left in the period. The second unit played the 4[sup]th[/sup] quarter for the War Eagles.
Whiting was 9 of 14 passing for 160 yards. McConnico and Whitney lead the ground attack with 88 and 81 yards, respectively.
9/17/1981
Astronaut at Melbourne (district game)
Astronaut outgained Melbourne 418 to 50 en route to a 38-0 shutoff Thursday night. The dominating win put the War Eagles at 2-0 on the season and 1-0 in district play. Melbourne fall to 0-2. Astronaut Coach B. Mack was pleased with his team’s performance.
“Both sides of the ball played very well. We were really able to do everything we wanted,” said Mack. “We had a couple of turnovers but the defense was giving any ground, so it didn’t hurt us.”
The scoring started when senior quarterback Donnie Whiting hit is big target, 6’5” senior tight end Ken Parker for the first of two touchdown passes. The scoring play went for 26 yards and gave the War Eagles a 7-0 advantage with 1:51 left.
The second quarter saw Ethan Waldron connect on a 29 yard field goal to push the lead to 10-0. After a Melbourne punt Astronaut took over at the Bulldog 49. It took just two plays to score as Whiting hit Parker for a 29 yard pass to set up a 20 yard touchdown sprint by Scott McConnico. Whiting’s second touchdown pass to Parker came with 21 seconds left in the half. The 4 yard toss and ensuing point after gave the War Eagles a 24-0 halftime lead.
With 3:41 left in the 3[sup]rd[/sup], fullback Robert Whitney scored on a 14 yard run to make it 31-0. The scoring was capped by fullback Oscar Montgomery’s 1 yard touchdown run with 31 seconds left in the period. The second unit played the 4[sup]th[/sup] quarter for the War Eagles.
Whiting was 9 of 14 passing for 160 yards. McConnico and Whitney lead the ground attack with 88 and 81 yards, respectively.
9/24/1981
Winter Park Lake Howell Silverhawks at Astronaut
WAR EAGLES USE BALL CONTROL IN WIN
The Astronaut War Eagles have had one of the better passing attacks on the Space Coast recently. However, it was the ground game and stingy defense which resulted in a 24-0 shutout of visiting Winter Park Lake Howell. The Silverhawks ran only 26 plays managing just 87 yards and 3 first downs.
The real surprise of the night came with the War Eagle rushing attack. It was not by initial design of Coach B. Mack. Midway through the first period Astronaut’s prolific signal caller Donnie Whiting was hit hard. He was knocked out of the game with a mild concussion. “Doc said he’ll be ok but he couldn’t return, he was banged up pretty good,” said Mack.
With Whiting’s injury, Mack turned to sophomore backup Ethan Waldron to run the offense. Waldron is usually the starting wide receiver and saw mop up action a week ago. He was only 2 for 2 for 15 yards on the night, as the War Eagle ground attack had its best game in years. “We didn’t want to put too much pressure on him,” said Mack. “So we just ran it until they made us throw it, and they never really did.” Astronaut ran for 292 yards on 53 carries. Junior halfback Scott McConnico did the most damage, picking up 169 yards on 21 attempts.
Astronaut’s first scoring opportunity was thwarted as they drove to the Lake Howell 8 before being stopped on a 4[sup]th[/sup] and 1 attempt with 1:30 left in the first quarter. Oscar Montgomery finally put the War Eagles on the board with a 1 yard plunge with 5 minutes left in the half. With just 23 seconds left before intermission, the young Waldron showed his mobility by scoring on a 12 yard bootleg to leave the score at 14-0. McConnico had 121 of his yards in the first half.
A scoreless 3[sup]rd[/sup] quarter was followed by Waldron nailing a 32 yard FG with 8:17 left in the game. The War Eagles consumed 9 minutes in 16 plays on the drive. Montgomery finished the scoring with his second 1 yard touchdown run with 2:06 remaining.
Winter Park Lake Howell Silverhawks at Astronaut
WAR EAGLES USE BALL CONTROL IN WIN
The Astronaut War Eagles have had one of the better passing attacks on the Space Coast recently. However, it was the ground game and stingy defense which resulted in a 24-0 shutout of visiting Winter Park Lake Howell. The Silverhawks ran only 26 plays managing just 87 yards and 3 first downs.
The real surprise of the night came with the War Eagle rushing attack. It was not by initial design of Coach B. Mack. Midway through the first period Astronaut’s prolific signal caller Donnie Whiting was hit hard. He was knocked out of the game with a mild concussion. “Doc said he’ll be ok but he couldn’t return, he was banged up pretty good,” said Mack.
With Whiting’s injury, Mack turned to sophomore backup Ethan Waldron to run the offense. Waldron is usually the starting wide receiver and saw mop up action a week ago. He was only 2 for 2 for 15 yards on the night, as the War Eagle ground attack had its best game in years. “We didn’t want to put too much pressure on him,” said Mack. “So we just ran it until they made us throw it, and they never really did.” Astronaut ran for 292 yards on 53 carries. Junior halfback Scott McConnico did the most damage, picking up 169 yards on 21 attempts.
Astronaut’s first scoring opportunity was thwarted as they drove to the Lake Howell 8 before being stopped on a 4[sup]th[/sup] and 1 attempt with 1:30 left in the first quarter. Oscar Montgomery finally put the War Eagles on the board with a 1 yard plunge with 5 minutes left in the half. With just 23 seconds left before intermission, the young Waldron showed his mobility by scoring on a 12 yard bootleg to leave the score at 14-0. McConnico had 121 of his yards in the first half.
A scoreless 3[sup]rd[/sup] quarter was followed by Waldron nailing a 32 yard FG with 8:17 left in the game. The War Eagles consumed 9 minutes in 16 plays on the drive. Montgomery finished the scoring with his second 1 yard touchdown run with 2:06 remaining.
REEL AND DYNASTY TALK:
This was a 21-7 win for the War Eagles. They yielded their first points in the final period after 11 consecutive scoreless quarters to start the season. The running game did get going with 224 yards. Fullback Robert Whitney was the leading ground gainer with 96 yards on 17 carries. He also caught one of Donnie Whiting’s 3 touchdown passes (No td vulture this time).
Whiting obviously wasn’t injured in the reel game but this is one area where I’m liking the dynasty randomness a bit to give me some variance. McConnico actually missed the 2[sup]nd[/sup] and 3[sup]rd[/sup] game of the season with injury. How I handled this in dynasty mode was to take the number of games he actually played over the games in the season and came up with a percentage. I then multiplied the % by 95 to come up with his injury rating before the season started. I’ve employed this technique whenever I see an injury in any of the articles. It’s part of the upfront information gathering process, to note injuries as I go through the articles.
I also have adjustments to the reel scores when a player who was injured in reel life, actually gets to play in a game. And I also make a negative adjustment for injuries that happen in dynasty that didn’t happen in reel life. For instance at the start of the game I made a 27% increase in the expected offensive Astronaut production to account for McConnico being healthy in the dynasty. Then when Whiting was lost for the game I made a negative 55% adjustment to the expected offensive score. The %’s I used are based on position, class, and level of accolade achieved by each player. This is similar to how I adjust scores for players that reely never played but are included in the dynasty (or I get to play earlier in career—Collinsworth freshman, Marshall Freshman).
This was a 21-7 win for the War Eagles. They yielded their first points in the final period after 11 consecutive scoreless quarters to start the season. The running game did get going with 224 yards. Fullback Robert Whitney was the leading ground gainer with 96 yards on 17 carries. He also caught one of Donnie Whiting’s 3 touchdown passes (No td vulture this time).
Whiting obviously wasn’t injured in the reel game but this is one area where I’m liking the dynasty randomness a bit to give me some variance. McConnico actually missed the 2[sup]nd[/sup] and 3[sup]rd[/sup] game of the season with injury. How I handled this in dynasty mode was to take the number of games he actually played over the games in the season and came up with a percentage. I then multiplied the % by 95 to come up with his injury rating before the season started. I’ve employed this technique whenever I see an injury in any of the articles. It’s part of the upfront information gathering process, to note injuries as I go through the articles.
I also have adjustments to the reel scores when a player who was injured in reel life, actually gets to play in a game. And I also make a negative adjustment for injuries that happen in dynasty that didn’t happen in reel life. For instance at the start of the game I made a 27% increase in the expected offensive Astronaut production to account for McConnico being healthy in the dynasty. Then when Whiting was lost for the game I made a negative 55% adjustment to the expected offensive score. The %’s I used are based on position, class, and level of accolade achieved by each player. This is similar to how I adjust scores for players that reely never played but are included in the dynasty (or I get to play earlier in career—Collinsworth freshman, Marshall Freshman).
10/1/1981
Rockledge at Astronaut
WAR EAGLES CRUSH RAIDERS, 31-7
Upperhand in class 3A, District 10 was at stake Friday night at Draa Field as both Rockledge and Astronaut entered the game 1-0 in district play. When it was over the War Eagles had a resounding victory and a tie with Titusville for the district lead. Titusville bested Palm Bay at the south end of the county.
The War Eagles got moving early and often. A 10 play 75 yard drive consumed 5 minutes of game clock and was finished off when Oscar Montgomery scored from 1 yard out. Ethan Waldron’s extra point made it 7-0 with 4:47 left. On the very next play from scrimmage, defensive back Scott Kuzma picked off a pass and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. Then with 8:36 left in the half, Donnie Whiting connected with Scott McConico for a 43 yard touchdown pass.
McConico struggled in the run game, amassing just 34 yards in 13 carries. He did catch 3 passes for 78 yards, though. A 25 yard strike from Whiting set up the War Eagles at the Rockledge 3. On the next play, the junior halfback ran it in for a 28-0 War Eagle lead with 1:35 left in the 3[sup]rd[/sup] quarter.
The 4[sup]th[/sup] quarter scoring was capped when Rockledge scored on a 64 yard pass play and Astronaut got a 26 yard field goal from Waldron.
War Eagle Coach B. Mack was pleased, “I’m glad we got this district win and weren’t looking ahead to next week.” Astronaut hosts Class 4A number 1 ranked Merritt Island next Friday.
Rockledge at Astronaut
WAR EAGLES CRUSH RAIDERS, 31-7
Upperhand in class 3A, District 10 was at stake Friday night at Draa Field as both Rockledge and Astronaut entered the game 1-0 in district play. When it was over the War Eagles had a resounding victory and a tie with Titusville for the district lead. Titusville bested Palm Bay at the south end of the county.
The War Eagles got moving early and often. A 10 play 75 yard drive consumed 5 minutes of game clock and was finished off when Oscar Montgomery scored from 1 yard out. Ethan Waldron’s extra point made it 7-0 with 4:47 left. On the very next play from scrimmage, defensive back Scott Kuzma picked off a pass and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. Then with 8:36 left in the half, Donnie Whiting connected with Scott McConico for a 43 yard touchdown pass.
McConico struggled in the run game, amassing just 34 yards in 13 carries. He did catch 3 passes for 78 yards, though. A 25 yard strike from Whiting set up the War Eagles at the Rockledge 3. On the next play, the junior halfback ran it in for a 28-0 War Eagle lead with 1:35 left in the 3[sup]rd[/sup] quarter.
The 4[sup]th[/sup] quarter scoring was capped when Rockledge scored on a 64 yard pass play and Astronaut got a 26 yard field goal from Waldron.
War Eagle Coach B. Mack was pleased, “I’m glad we got this district win and weren’t looking ahead to next week.” Astronaut hosts Class 4A number 1 ranked Merritt Island next Friday.
10/9/1981
Merritt Island at Astronaut
MUSTANGS TOO MUCH FOR WAR EAGLES
Maybe the Merritt Island Mustangs were sore over last week’s upset loss to Eau Gallie which knocked them out of the top spot of the Class 4A polls. Whatever the motivation was, the Mustangs were just to powerful for the Class 3A, No. 4 ranked Astronaut War Eagles. Both teams are now 4-1 on the season.
Merritt Island took a 3-0 lead early after a 31 yard field goal. They could only move the ball 6 yards after recovering Scott McConico’s fumble on the Astronaut 20. The Mustangs kept McConico in check all night limiting him to just 12 yards on 9 rushes. Merritt Island added a touchdown and two more field goals before halftime for a 16-0 lead.
Any hopes Astronaut had of mounting a comeback were snuffed out early in the third quarter. A Merritt Island punt pinned the War Eagles on their own 6. With 8:05 left to play Donnie Whiting’s pass was intercepted and returned 17 yards for a touchdown and a 23-0 Mustang lead. “That was a mistake we couldn’t afford at that point,” said Astronaut’s Coach B. Mack. One more field goal in the third quarter made the score 26-0 heading into the final period.
Whiting rushed for a 4 yard touchdown and hit tight end Ken Parker for a 15 yard score in the 4[sup]th[/sup]. Sandwiched in between those scores was a 24 yard scoring option play by Merritt Island’s Jeff Wickersham.
Merritt Island at Astronaut
MUSTANGS TOO MUCH FOR WAR EAGLES
Maybe the Merritt Island Mustangs were sore over last week’s upset loss to Eau Gallie which knocked them out of the top spot of the Class 4A polls. Whatever the motivation was, the Mustangs were just to powerful for the Class 3A, No. 4 ranked Astronaut War Eagles. Both teams are now 4-1 on the season.
Merritt Island took a 3-0 lead early after a 31 yard field goal. They could only move the ball 6 yards after recovering Scott McConico’s fumble on the Astronaut 20. The Mustangs kept McConico in check all night limiting him to just 12 yards on 9 rushes. Merritt Island added a touchdown and two more field goals before halftime for a 16-0 lead.
Any hopes Astronaut had of mounting a comeback were snuffed out early in the third quarter. A Merritt Island punt pinned the War Eagles on their own 6. With 8:05 left to play Donnie Whiting’s pass was intercepted and returned 17 yards for a touchdown and a 23-0 Mustang lead. “That was a mistake we couldn’t afford at that point,” said Astronaut’s Coach B. Mack. One more field goal in the third quarter made the score 26-0 heading into the final period.
Whiting rushed for a 4 yard touchdown and hit tight end Ken Parker for a 15 yard score in the 4[sup]th[/sup]. Sandwiched in between those scores was a 24 yard scoring option play by Merritt Island’s Jeff Wickersham.
REEL TALK:
Merritt Island won this game 24-14. They got out to 21-0 lead before Astronaut scored in the third quarter on a 40 yard fumble return by Ken Parker. Whiting hit Parker for an 11 yard td pass early in the 4[sup]th[/sup] quarter but couldn’t get any closer. Merritt Island’s quarterback was Jeff Wickersham. He finished the season 96 for 195 passing for 1,290 yards, 9 td’s and 6 int’s. Wickersham went onto play at LSU from 1982 to 1985 having a successful career. He was drafted by the Dolphins but never played in the NFL:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Wickersham
Merritt Island won this game 24-14. They got out to 21-0 lead before Astronaut scored in the third quarter on a 40 yard fumble return by Ken Parker. Whiting hit Parker for an 11 yard td pass early in the 4[sup]th[/sup] quarter but couldn’t get any closer. Merritt Island’s quarterback was Jeff Wickersham. He finished the season 96 for 195 passing for 1,290 yards, 9 td’s and 6 int’s. Wickersham went onto play at LSU from 1982 to 1985 having a successful career. He was drafted by the Dolphins but never played in the NFL:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Wickersham
10/16/1981
Satellite at Astronaut
WAR EAGLES OVER SCORPS
A balanced attack helped Astronaut to a 26-11 homecoming win over Satellite Friday night at Draa Field. The War Eagles are now 5-1 on the season.
Fullback Oscar Montgomery scored from 4 yards out with 6:14 left in the first quarter. Ethan Waldon’s extra point attempt went awry and the War Eagles held a 6-0 lead. Astronaut moved the ball to the Satellite 30 on its next possession but turned the ball over when a 4[sup]th[/sup] down pass couldn’t connect.
In the 2[sup]nd[/sup] quarter fullback Robert Whitney hauled in a 40 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Donnie Whiting. Astronaut tried for two but Montgomery’s run was stopped short of the goal line. Astronaut finished the half out with an 11 play 90 yard drive that took 6 minutes. Scott McConico finished things off on the drive with 17 yard touchdown run. He paced the War Eagle ground game with 76 yards. The lead was 19-0 at half.
Satellite finally got on the board with a 27 yard field goal with 1:48 left in the 3[sup]rd[/sup]. On the next possession, Astronaut went on another clock chewing drive finished off by Montgomery’s 2[sup]nd[/sup] touchdown of the night from 3 yards out. They went 64 yards in 12 plays taking 5:12 off the. Satellite added a touchdown and two point conversion to round out the final score of 26-11.
“We played well. Good bounce back from last week’s loss. We don’t hang our heads long,” said Astro Coach B. Mack.
Whiting completed 9 of 17 passes for 179 yards. The ground game contributed 194 yards while Satellite was held to 188 yards of total offense.
Satellite at Astronaut
WAR EAGLES OVER SCORPS
A balanced attack helped Astronaut to a 26-11 homecoming win over Satellite Friday night at Draa Field. The War Eagles are now 5-1 on the season.
Fullback Oscar Montgomery scored from 4 yards out with 6:14 left in the first quarter. Ethan Waldon’s extra point attempt went awry and the War Eagles held a 6-0 lead. Astronaut moved the ball to the Satellite 30 on its next possession but turned the ball over when a 4[sup]th[/sup] down pass couldn’t connect.
In the 2[sup]nd[/sup] quarter fullback Robert Whitney hauled in a 40 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Donnie Whiting. Astronaut tried for two but Montgomery’s run was stopped short of the goal line. Astronaut finished the half out with an 11 play 90 yard drive that took 6 minutes. Scott McConico finished things off on the drive with 17 yard touchdown run. He paced the War Eagle ground game with 76 yards. The lead was 19-0 at half.
Satellite finally got on the board with a 27 yard field goal with 1:48 left in the 3[sup]rd[/sup]. On the next possession, Astronaut went on another clock chewing drive finished off by Montgomery’s 2[sup]nd[/sup] touchdown of the night from 3 yards out. They went 64 yards in 12 plays taking 5:12 off the. Satellite added a touchdown and two point conversion to round out the final score of 26-11.
“We played well. Good bounce back from last week’s loss. We don’t hang our heads long,” said Astro Coach B. Mack.
Whiting completed 9 of 17 passes for 179 yards. The ground game contributed 194 yards while Satellite was held to 188 yards of total offense.
REEL TALK:
This was a closer win in reel life. Astronaut won 28-21. Montgomery ran for 3 touchdowns once again. They were on runs of 5, 9, and 3. The Satellite quarterback had his team moving in the final minutes. He moved the ball to the Astronaut 37 yard line. He then fired the ball out of bounds intentionally in order to stop the clock. The only problem with that is it was 4[sup]th[/sup] down. Game over. I think @Rutgers Mike knows something about that.
This was a closer win in reel life. Astronaut won 28-21. Montgomery ran for 3 touchdowns once again. They were on runs of 5, 9, and 3. The Satellite quarterback had his team moving in the final minutes. He moved the ball to the Astronaut 37 yard line. He then fired the ball out of bounds intentionally in order to stop the clock. The only problem with that is it was 4[sup]th[/sup] down. Game over. I think @Rutgers Mike knows something about that.
10/23/1981
Astronaut at Eau Gallie
ASTRONAUT ESCAPES EAU GALLIE WITH WIN
Astronaut moved to 6-1 with a 28-21 win at Eau Gallie Friday night. The War Eagles picked up the win in the up and down contest with 144 yards rushing from Scott McConico.
After a scoreless 1[sup]st[/sup] quarter, Astronaut put up two 2[sup]nd[/sup] quarter touchdowns to take a 14-0 halftime lead. Both touchdowns were courtesy of Donnie Whiting throws. The first a 3 yarder to tight end Ken Parker with 5:23 left. The second was a 14 yard strike to Ethan Waldron with 27 seconds remaining.
Eau Gallie got on the board with 4:31 left in the third quarter on a 22 yard run by its quarterback, who broke 3 tackles on the scoring play. They tied the game with 8:10 left in the 4[sup]th[/sup] when he threw for a 4 yard touchdown pass on 4[sup]th[/sup] and goal, capping an 11 play 60 yard drive.
Astronaut quickly answered with a 3 play 74 yard drive. The drive was highlighted by Scott Mcconico picking up 24 yards on the first play and then finishing things off with a 33 yard touchdown run. After Eau Gallie turned the ball over on downs at their own 46, McConico was at it again. An 11 yard run was followed by a 20 yard burst. Fullback Robert Whitney finished off another 3 play drive with a 15 yard touchdown run. Astronaut’s lead was 28-14 with 3:51 left. Eau Gallie moved in the final moments and scored a touchdown with 13 seconds left to make the final score 28-21.
Astronaut at Eau Gallie
ASTRONAUT ESCAPES EAU GALLIE WITH WIN
Astronaut moved to 6-1 with a 28-21 win at Eau Gallie Friday night. The War Eagles picked up the win in the up and down contest with 144 yards rushing from Scott McConico.
After a scoreless 1[sup]st[/sup] quarter, Astronaut put up two 2[sup]nd[/sup] quarter touchdowns to take a 14-0 halftime lead. Both touchdowns were courtesy of Donnie Whiting throws. The first a 3 yarder to tight end Ken Parker with 5:23 left. The second was a 14 yard strike to Ethan Waldron with 27 seconds remaining.
Eau Gallie got on the board with 4:31 left in the third quarter on a 22 yard run by its quarterback, who broke 3 tackles on the scoring play. They tied the game with 8:10 left in the 4[sup]th[/sup] when he threw for a 4 yard touchdown pass on 4[sup]th[/sup] and goal, capping an 11 play 60 yard drive.
Astronaut quickly answered with a 3 play 74 yard drive. The drive was highlighted by Scott Mcconico picking up 24 yards on the first play and then finishing things off with a 33 yard touchdown run. After Eau Gallie turned the ball over on downs at their own 46, McConico was at it again. An 11 yard run was followed by a 20 yard burst. Fullback Robert Whitney finished off another 3 play drive with a 15 yard touchdown run. Astronaut’s lead was 28-14 with 3:51 left. Eau Gallie moved in the final moments and scored a touchdown with 13 seconds left to make the final score 28-21.
10/30/1981
Cocoa at Astronaut
War Eagles crush Tigers, 41-7
Donnie Whiting threw for 228 yards and 3 touchdowns as Astronaut moved one step closer in their bid for a district championship. The War Eagles are now 7-1 and 3-0 in district play after the crushing 41-7 victory over the Cocoa Tigers. Coca is now 1-3 in district play and officially eliminated from the title race. The win, along with Titusville’s victory over Melbourne makes the next game against Palm Bay meaningless for district title purposes for the War Eagles. The War Eagles and Terriers will meet at Draa Field on November 20[sup]th[/sup] in the regular season finale which will determine the district champion for the third year in a row.
Astronaut’s first score came on a 3 yard touchdown run by fullback Oscar Montgomery with 8:18 remaining in the first quarter. The score was setup by a Whiting 57 yard pass play to wideout Mark Ledford. Cocoa scored on the final play of the quarter with a 30 yard touchdown pass to make it 7-7. The score was setup after Astronaut return man Emory Rothell fumbled a Cocoa punt which the Tigers pounced on.
However, this was the only bright spot of the night for the Tigers. With 5:55 left in the half Whiting connected for 21 yards to Ledford for a scoring pass. After the kickoff, cocoa fumbled and Scott McConico returned it 40 yards for a touchdown, making it 21-7. With 14 seconds left in the half Whiting connected with tight end Ken Parker for a 12 yard td pass to make it 28-7.
Whiting’s final touchdown came in the third quarter on a 19 yard pass to tight end Greg Pelham. The score capped a 13 play 54 yard drive consuming over 7 minutes of game clock. The extra point was missed and it was 34-7. Montgomery added another 3 yard touchdown rush in the 4[sup]th[/sup] quarter to finish off the scoring.
“We kind of clicked on all cylinders tonight. Good all around effort,” said Astronaut Coach B. Mack.
Cocoa at Astronaut
War Eagles crush Tigers, 41-7
Donnie Whiting threw for 228 yards and 3 touchdowns as Astronaut moved one step closer in their bid for a district championship. The War Eagles are now 7-1 and 3-0 in district play after the crushing 41-7 victory over the Cocoa Tigers. Coca is now 1-3 in district play and officially eliminated from the title race. The win, along with Titusville’s victory over Melbourne makes the next game against Palm Bay meaningless for district title purposes for the War Eagles. The War Eagles and Terriers will meet at Draa Field on November 20[sup]th[/sup] in the regular season finale which will determine the district champion for the third year in a row.
Astronaut’s first score came on a 3 yard touchdown run by fullback Oscar Montgomery with 8:18 remaining in the first quarter. The score was setup by a Whiting 57 yard pass play to wideout Mark Ledford. Cocoa scored on the final play of the quarter with a 30 yard touchdown pass to make it 7-7. The score was setup after Astronaut return man Emory Rothell fumbled a Cocoa punt which the Tigers pounced on.
However, this was the only bright spot of the night for the Tigers. With 5:55 left in the half Whiting connected for 21 yards to Ledford for a scoring pass. After the kickoff, cocoa fumbled and Scott McConico returned it 40 yards for a touchdown, making it 21-7. With 14 seconds left in the half Whiting connected with tight end Ken Parker for a 12 yard td pass to make it 28-7.
Whiting’s final touchdown came in the third quarter on a 19 yard pass to tight end Greg Pelham. The score capped a 13 play 54 yard drive consuming over 7 minutes of game clock. The extra point was missed and it was 34-7. Montgomery added another 3 yard touchdown rush in the 4[sup]th[/sup] quarter to finish off the scoring.
“We kind of clicked on all cylinders tonight. Good all around effort,” said Astronaut Coach B. Mack.
11/13/1981
Astronaut at Palm Bay
LATE TD LIFTS ASTRONAUT
Astronaut moved to 8-1 on the season with a thrilling last second touchdown to win a back and forth game with the Palm Bay Pirates. Astronaut is now 4-0 in district play and faces Titusville next week for the district championship and playoff berth.
Astronaut took the leads with 5:06 remaning in the first quarter on Robert Whitney’s 7 yard touchdown run. The score came at the end of a 9 play 71 yard drive taking almost 5 minutes. Palm Bay got on the board with a field goal early in the second quarter. Oscar Montgomery’s 3 yard touchdown run capped a 8 play 89 yard drive for the War Eagles giving them a 14-3 halftime lead.
Palm Bay’s first possession of the second half ended in a 3 yard touchdown run drawing the score to 14-10. After forcing a bad War Eagle punt, the Pirates drove 42 yards in 9 plays scoring on a 2 yard dive to take a 17-14 lead.
Astronaut regained the lead with 8:24 left in the game with on Montgomery’s 2[sup]nd [/sup]touchdown, a 1 yard run. Palm Bay answered with a 3 yard touchdown run with 2:24 left, taking a 24-20 lead.
It was at this point that Astronaut’s highly touted senior quarterback Donnie Whiting kicked into high gear. He began the final drive by hitting tight end Greg Pelham for a 12 yard gain. Whiting then scrambled and picked up 9 yards on his own. After an incompletion, he then hit Whitney for a 24 yard pickup. Then a 16 yard pass moved the ball to the Palm Bay 19 with just that many seconds left to play. Whiting rolled to his right and found Mark Ledford for a 19 yard touchdown pass. The extra point gave the War Eagles a 27-24 win.
“What a great drive by that young man. He’s been our leader for two years and he showed you why tonight” said Astro Coach B. Mack. Whiting completed 19 of 26 passes for 277 yards.
Astronaut at Palm Bay
LATE TD LIFTS ASTRONAUT
Astronaut moved to 8-1 on the season with a thrilling last second touchdown to win a back and forth game with the Palm Bay Pirates. Astronaut is now 4-0 in district play and faces Titusville next week for the district championship and playoff berth.
Astronaut took the leads with 5:06 remaning in the first quarter on Robert Whitney’s 7 yard touchdown run. The score came at the end of a 9 play 71 yard drive taking almost 5 minutes. Palm Bay got on the board with a field goal early in the second quarter. Oscar Montgomery’s 3 yard touchdown run capped a 8 play 89 yard drive for the War Eagles giving them a 14-3 halftime lead.
Palm Bay’s first possession of the second half ended in a 3 yard touchdown run drawing the score to 14-10. After forcing a bad War Eagle punt, the Pirates drove 42 yards in 9 plays scoring on a 2 yard dive to take a 17-14 lead.
Astronaut regained the lead with 8:24 left in the game with on Montgomery’s 2[sup]nd [/sup]touchdown, a 1 yard run. Palm Bay answered with a 3 yard touchdown run with 2:24 left, taking a 24-20 lead.
It was at this point that Astronaut’s highly touted senior quarterback Donnie Whiting kicked into high gear. He began the final drive by hitting tight end Greg Pelham for a 12 yard gain. Whiting then scrambled and picked up 9 yards on his own. After an incompletion, he then hit Whitney for a 24 yard pickup. Then a 16 yard pass moved the ball to the Palm Bay 19 with just that many seconds left to play. Whiting rolled to his right and found Mark Ledford for a 19 yard touchdown pass. The extra point gave the War Eagles a 27-24 win.
“What a great drive by that young man. He’s been our leader for two years and he showed you why tonight” said Astro Coach B. Mack. Whiting completed 19 of 26 passes for 277 yards.
11/20/1981
Astronaut at Titusville
TITUSVILLE COMEBACK CLINCHES DISTRICT
Titusville overcame a 11 point 4[sup]th[/sup] quarter deficit to win the Class 3A District 10 championship over rival Astronaut Friday night at Draa Field. Titusville (9-1, 5-0 District) scored two 4[sup]th[/sup] quarter touchdowns to win 25-21. Astronaut (8-2, 4-1 District) fails to make the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Titusville will travel to play the Lake Wales Highlanders next week, a team that handed the Terriers its only loss of the season 27-11 in week 3.
Astronaut played well, but couldn’t hold on in the end. After a scoreless first quarter the War Eagles took a 7-0 lead on Oscar Montgomery’s 6 yard touchdown run. The touchdown drive went 72 yards in 12 plays consuming 5 and half minutes. Titusville answered with a 35 yard field goal with 13 seconds left in the half, making it 7-3.
Montgomery scored his second of three touchdowns with 6:22 left in the third quarter. The 7 yard run made the Astronaut lead 14-3. The Terriers answered when fullback Gerald White barreled in from 7 yards away with 47 seconds left in the third.
Astronaut answered, with 9:53 left in the 4[sup]th[/sup] quarter Montgomery’s final touchdown came from 2 yards out. The score was setup when Senior quarterback Donnie Whiting hit wide receiver Mike McCartney on a 52 yard pass play. “I thought we were looking good at that point,” lamented Astronaut Coach B. Mack.
But Titusville still had fight in them. A 9 yard touchdown with 6:16 left was followed by a successful two point conversion pass. Leaving the War Eagle lead at 21 to 18. After Astronaut was forced to punt. Titusville drove to the War Eagle 16 with 38 seconds left. At this point they converted a 16 yard touchdown strike to take the lead. The extra point kick was good and it was 25-21. Whiting tried a desperation pass in the final seconds which was intercepted.
Astronaut at Titusville
TITUSVILLE COMEBACK CLINCHES DISTRICT
Titusville overcame a 11 point 4[sup]th[/sup] quarter deficit to win the Class 3A District 10 championship over rival Astronaut Friday night at Draa Field. Titusville (9-1, 5-0 District) scored two 4[sup]th[/sup] quarter touchdowns to win 25-21. Astronaut (8-2, 4-1 District) fails to make the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Titusville will travel to play the Lake Wales Highlanders next week, a team that handed the Terriers its only loss of the season 27-11 in week 3.
Astronaut played well, but couldn’t hold on in the end. After a scoreless first quarter the War Eagles took a 7-0 lead on Oscar Montgomery’s 6 yard touchdown run. The touchdown drive went 72 yards in 12 plays consuming 5 and half minutes. Titusville answered with a 35 yard field goal with 13 seconds left in the half, making it 7-3.
Montgomery scored his second of three touchdowns with 6:22 left in the third quarter. The 7 yard run made the Astronaut lead 14-3. The Terriers answered when fullback Gerald White barreled in from 7 yards away with 47 seconds left in the third.
Astronaut answered, with 9:53 left in the 4[sup]th[/sup] quarter Montgomery’s final touchdown came from 2 yards out. The score was setup when Senior quarterback Donnie Whiting hit wide receiver Mike McCartney on a 52 yard pass play. “I thought we were looking good at that point,” lamented Astronaut Coach B. Mack.
But Titusville still had fight in them. A 9 yard touchdown with 6:16 left was followed by a successful two point conversion pass. Leaving the War Eagle lead at 21 to 18. After Astronaut was forced to punt. Titusville drove to the War Eagle 16 with 38 seconds left. At this point they converted a 16 yard touchdown strike to take the lead. The extra point kick was good and it was 25-21. Whiting tried a desperation pass in the final seconds which was intercepted.
REEL TALK:
I thought I had this one! Titusville won this game in reel life 28-21. The Terriers junior fullback Gerald White rushed 26 times for 187 yards. White scored two touchdowns. His second of which gave the Terriers a 28-7 fourth quarter lead. Donnie Whiting tried to lead a comeback. He scored on a 1 yard sneak and then threw a 12 yard touchdown pass to Ethan Waldron with 1:38 left. However it was too little too late. This marked the first time in 10 years of play that Titusville beat Astronaut in back to back years.
I thought I had this one! Titusville won this game in reel life 28-21. The Terriers junior fullback Gerald White rushed 26 times for 187 yards. White scored two touchdowns. His second of which gave the Terriers a 28-7 fourth quarter lead. Donnie Whiting tried to lead a comeback. He scored on a 1 yard sneak and then threw a 12 yard touchdown pass to Ethan Waldron with 1:38 left. However it was too little too late. This marked the first time in 10 years of play that Titusville beat Astronaut in back to back years.
