Newman Smith hands Lions homecoming loss
October 17, 2009

By DAVID CLAYBOURN
Herald-Banner Staff

GREENVILLE -- Newman Smith of Carrollton took advantage of seven Greenville turnovers to spoil the Lions’ homecoming on Friday night at T.A. “Cotton” Ford Stadium with a 56-28 victory.

Greenville lost six fumbles and an interception to fall to 4-3 for the season and 1-3 in District 10-4A play.

Newman Smith converted four of the turnovers into 28 points to up its season record to 5-3 and district mark to 3-1.

“You can’t have that (many turnovers) against a good team,” said Lions coach Jim Phillips. “I’ve got to get them to understand how to play big games. We shoot ourselves so many times in the foot.”

Running back Randall Joyner had a big game for the Trojans with 176 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries, scoring on bursts of 1, 10 and 11 yards.

Al Lasker, the Trojans’ highly-touted wide receiver, caught only two passes but they went for touchdowns of 11 and 63 yards off the arm of quarterback Aldo Quiroga, who was 4-of-11 passing for 93 yards.

Greenville, which rushed for 297 yards, put two runners over the 100-yard mark.

Senior running back Dakieston Williams ran for 120 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries. Williams scored on bursts of 6, 11 and 1 yard. Williams also led the Lion receivers with four catches for 27 yards.

Quarterback Alton Dennis ran for a team-high 124 yards on 21 carries and was 6-of-14 passing for 61 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jarvis Bruner.

Newman Smith got a big break early when Dennis lost the ball as he was tumbling into the end zone on a first-and-10 keeper from the Trojans’ 30 on Greenville’s first possession when the game was still scoreless. Newman Smith’s Terrell Wilson fell on the football in the end zone. After the officials conferred, the ball was awarded to the Trojans on a touchback.

Phillips, who went on the field after the call to question the head referee, said he thought Dennis scored before letting go of the football.

“I saw Alton relax,” he said. “That’s when I knew it was a touchdown. That’s a big call on us. Big momentum changer.”

Boosted by the sudden turn of events, the Trojans went on to score on the next drive and stayed in front the rest of the way.

Newman Smith, which had been stopped in six plays and forced to punt on its first possession, followed the big break with an 80-yard, five-play drive. Joyner, a 5-10, 207-pound senior, rambled for runs of 48 and 23 yards before Quiroga lofted a 9-yard touchdown strike to Braxton Bearden.

The Lions were slow to cover the ensuing kickoff and after a Lion touched the ball, Jarrett Mond of Newman Smith recovered the fumble at the Greenville 14. The Trojans scored in two plays, including Quiroga’s 11-yard scamper for the touchdown. Phillipe Ichter’s kick gave the Trojans a 14-0 lead with 6:11 still left in the opening quarter.

Greenville scored on drives of 81 and 31 yards in the first half, capped off by Williams’ scoring runs of six and 11 yards but trailed 28-14 at halftime.

The Lions got off to a bad start in the third quarter, fumbling at the Greenville 10-yard line following a high snap from center. Jorge Zamarano’s fumble recovery set up a 10-yard touchdown pass from Quiroga to Zach Fleming.

Greenville followed up the Trojans’ only turnover, a fumble recovered by Greenville defender Desjuan Morgan, with a 50-yard, eight-play drive capped by Dennis’ 10-yard touchdown pass to Bruner.

Newman Smith scored on its next three possession to put the lead out of reach.

The Lions’ final touchdown drive went 46 yards in 13 plays, topped off by Williams’ 1-yard run with 10:22 remaining.