Fellowship Falls to Holy Innocents’, 34-7

Last Friday’s game against Holy Innocents’ will be chalked up as a learning experience for the Fellowship Christian School varsity football team.

The Paladins did not turn the ball over against the Golden Bears but lost 34-7 at Paladin Field.

“There is a positive,” head coach Hunter Chadwick said of the turnover-free game. “We did hang on to the football, but overall the game was not good for us. Our slow start really hurt us. I don’t know what it was, but we came out flat. Our kids were not mentally prepared tonight, but that’s not their fault. It’s our job as coaches to have them ready.”

Holy Innocents’ showed why it was ranked 10th among Single A schools in Georgia prior to Friday’s game. The Golden Bears improved to 4-0 in the Region and 6-1 overall with the victory.

“They are a great football team,” Chadwick said. “They keep it simple. After they established their strong running game, they did what every team does in that situation when they tried different things and brought in many players. They do a great job there. Their coaching staff does a terrific job too.”

Senior running back Stephen Lantz scored his team-best ninth touchdown from a yard out at 9:17 of the fourth quarter for FCS. Bryce Wells booted the extra point to cut the Holy Innocents’ lead to 27-7. Lantz’ score ended a six-play, 42-yard drive that came after the FCS defense forced Holy Innocents’ to punt to begin the fourth quarter. It was the lone punt of the game for the Golden Bears.

Another bright spot on Friday for the Paladins came as their defense stopped Holy Innocents’ on a 4th-and-3 play at 8:25 of the second quarter. That stop came after the Golden Bears had opened up a 13-0 lead in the first quarter. Holy Innocents’ scored again with 2:22 left in the second quarter to take a 20-0 lead.

The Paladins, who managed just 43 total yards on Friday, did not earn a first down and punted four times in the first half.

FCS began the second half with the ball, but lost four yards on a 4th-and-3 play from its own 37-yard-line eight plays into their possession. Holy Innocents’ took over and scored three plays later on a passing play that totaled 33 yards.

On their next possession, the Paladins moved the ball 35 yards on six consecutive running plays, but were called for a personal foul during junior Tyler Hart’s 11-yard gain with 3:59 left in the third quarter. Three plays later, Wells punted for the Paladins on a 4th-and-20 play from the 49-yard-line. That drive’s key play was senior quarterback Blais Furse’s scramble that picked up 13 yards on the fifth play of the drive. Furse topped the Paladins with 66 rushing yards on 16 attempts against Holy Innocents’, and Hart added 58 yards on 13 rushes. Furse was 0-for-3 in passing attempts.

Following their touchdown, the Paladins tried the onsides kick, but Wells’ kick went out of bounds at the 46-yard-line. The Golden Bears punched the ball in nine plays later on a 4th-and-goal play from the 4 with 4:52 left.    

Following that score, FCS was stopped on fourth down with 1:39 to go as Hart was brought down following a 3-yard gain on a 4th-and-16 play from the Paladin 32-yard-line.

The Golden Bears posted four running touchdowns and one passing touchdown in the game. They kicked four extra-points, but the Paladins stopped them on one two-point conversion attempt.

Junior defensive back Conor Linneen led the defense with six solo tackles and nine total stops, while senior linebacker Robert Germaine registered eight tackles. Senior lineman Jacob Miller and Lantz, a defensive back, both made seven tackles.

Friday’s game was the final of five consecutive Region games for the Paladins, 1-4 in the Region and 3-4 overall. FCS hosts Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy on Senior Night on Oct. 21 at Paladin Field at 4 p.m., and visit Pace Academy in another Region contest on Oct. 28.

FCS Hosts SWAC on Senior Night

The Paladins need to rebound against Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy next Friday night (Oct. 21). FCS has posted a 3-0 all-time record against the Warriors. Two of the contests came when the schools were in the same sub-region.

“They are a lot like us,” Chadwick said. “They have small numbers, and are a young team. They are scratching and clawing for wins like us.”

The keys to the game for the Paladins will be keeping the Warriors from making big plays and eliminating turnover, Chadwick said. “They have some skilled players who have speed and an ability to make big plays,” he added. “We have to stop that.”

SWAC dropped a 46-6 decision to First Presbyterian on Friday night, its third straight loss since beating Strong Rock 44-27 on Sept. 23. The Warriors (1-6 overall) have been outscored 144-12 during their current three-game losing streak.

Mt. Pisgah is the only school both the Paladins and Warriors have both played this season. SWAC fell 27-24 to the Patriots on Sept. 9. That game was the second of three consecutive losses to begin the season for SWCA.

FCS will have to establish a strong running game against the Warriors, according to Chadwick. “We’ll have to grind out the yardage and make the plays,” he added.

The Paladins ground attack has collected 1,355 yards this season. Hart leads the Paladins with both 574 yards and 94 carries, and has scored one touchdown. Lantz, who scored both touchdowns in last Friday’s 35-14 loss at Mt. Pisgah, tops the squad with nine rushing touchdowns. Lantz, who ranks third on the team with 428 yards on 59 rushes, has scored at least one touchdown in three consecutive games and in five out of seven overall.

Furse ranks third on the club with 203 yards, including a team-high 54 yards on 13 carries at Mt. Pisgah. Furse has completed 22-of-51 passes for 318 yards, three TDs and three interceptions in five games.

Linneen leads the Paladins with 154 receiving yards on eight catches, while fellow junior Landon Kadi has made a team-high nine catches that total 99 yards. Kadi missed the Holy Innocents’ game due to his recovery from Mono. Kadi could return to the lineup on Friday.

Sophomore Hunter Bryant has made three receptions for 71 yards with a team-high two receiving touchdowns. Linneen has one receiving TD this year, and Lantz has grabbed three passes for 30 yards.

Linneen leads the team with 34 solo tackles and 59 total tackles. Lantz is second on FCS with 22 solo tackles. Germaine ranks second on the team with 38 total stops, and Lantz has 37. Senior lineman Trace Sells and Hart have recorded 29 tackles apiece to share fourth on the squad. Hart leads the team with two fumble recoveries and Germaine has registered a team-leading two sacks.

Senior kicker Bryce Wells is perfect in extra-point attempts (13-for-13) this season, and has made 3-out-of-5 field-goal attempts. FCS is 1-2 at home this season, and 2-2 on the road.