‘Cats Swarm Jackets

A healthy Lynn Camp Wildcats football team showed up at the Laurel Bowl in Pineville Saturday a decided underdog to the Middlesboro Yellow Jackets. In the first six minutes it looked as if the Jackets were going to blow the Wildcats out.
Whatever it was, the Wildcats found the spark they needed, caught fire and outscored Middlesboro 34-8 enroute to a 40-30 win.
The spark was in the form of 6-3, 210-pound senior Josh Reynolds who broke through the Middlesboro defense for a 50 yard run with 4:38 in the first period, pulling the ‘Cats within 14-6.
The score also sparked the Wildcats defense who stopped the Jackets on the ensuing drive down to the Lynn Camp nine yard line. Behind the play of junior Trevor Hoskins, the Jackets appeared to be headed down the field for their third straight TD when the Wildcats responded.
A nine-yard run with 1:34 left in the opening quarter by Hoskins gave the Jackets a first down just inside the 10 yard line. That’s when junior Cornelius Ford was hit with a two yard loss. A false start pushed the ball back five yards to the 16 yard line where Hoskins tried to work his magic. Back to back defensive plays by Rodney Smith and Josh Reynolds knocked the ball loose from potential receivers. On fourth and goal from the 16, Hoskins hit Andrew Breeding but the big back came up ten yards short.
Lynn Camp took over deep in their own territory at the 10 yard line. Chaffin worked the ball up the middle for a six yard gain on first down then senior quarterback Nick Scalf teamed up with Chaffin on a 84 yard play that resulted in a TD. Sophomore back Joe Roskopf ran in the extra point and the game was tied at 14-14 with 11:06 in the second.
That’s all Lynn Camp needed as the Wildcats scored three more touchdowns in the period and led 34-22 at the half.
A Chaffin interception with 4:22 set up the second TD of the quarter. Chaffin’s steal gave the Wildcats a first down at their own 35 yard line. He took the hand off 65 yards to pay dirt. Chaffin added the PAT and the ‘Cats took their first lead of the game, 21-14.
However, Hoskins and company came right back when the big quarterback hit Dalin Farr on a 77 yard pass play with 3:04 left in the half, pulling the Jackets within a point, 21-20. Hoskins took it on his shoulders to run in the extra point for the lead, 22-21.
After a Wildcat return to the 37 yard line on the kickoff, Scalf showed he could do the same thing when he hit Reynolds on a screen pass that resulted in a 63 yard run into the end zone less than a minute later. The PAT failed but the ‘Cats led 27-22.
The Lynn Camp defense answered the challenge as Hoskins tried to march his team back down the field for the go-ahead touchdown. On first and ten from the Wildcats 48, Hoskins hit Farr on a pass but senior Anthony Walters laid a lick on the receiver that caused him to fumble the ball. Roskopf picked the ball up and ran 65 yards to the end zone.
The extra point turned into a long kick by Chaffin. Two delay penalties pushed the ball back to the 13 yard line but Chaffin’s kick barely cleared the uprights for a 34-22 lead with :49 remaining. The ‘Cats went into the dressing room with a 12-point lead at the half.
“We made some mistakes early and blew some assignments,’ said Lynn Camp coach David Mitchell. “We gave them two easy touchdowns off big plays but once we settled down, then we were able to execute and make some plays. We knew they were going to try to take us in single coverage and we were able to take advantage of that.”
“Having Anthony Walters back was a big plus,” said Mitchell. You can not single block him and it changes your game plan when you don’t have a guy like him.”
“We played extremely hard and extremely physical,” Mitchell said. “Even after we were down by 14 points we encouraged our guys to keep on playing hard.”
“I knew that we were capable of making big plays on anybody and I knew it was going to be a feast or famine type deal,” said Mitchell. “I knew if we broke the line of scrimmage we were probably going to score or we would probably struggle on a lot of plays.”
Mitchell gave credit to his line play. “I felt like our linemen was a little bit more physical than theirs. I think that was big tale end of the game that we were able to control their front and et our backs into their secondary.”
Middlesboro started the second half much like they did in the first when the Jackets scored on an 80 yard drive to begin the period. Junior Casey Earls scored from 11 yards out to complete the 13-play drive with 6:06 on the clock. Hoskins added the two-point conversion and Middlesboro trailed by 14.
The Jackets held on defense but a Lynn Camp punt and penalty on the return pinned Middlesboro back at their own seven yard line. Three plays later the Jackets were forced to punt the ball and Lynn Camp took over at the Middlesboro 40.
The nine-play drive went into the fourth quarter before Reynolds scored from one yard out with 10:17 in the period. Lynn Camp had to go the distance without Scalf who was on the sidelines with leg cramps.
The Wildcats faced a third and two from the 32 yard line but Roskopf picked up five yards for the first down. A Chaffin pass to J.C. Keith got the ball down to the four yard line and four plays later Reynolds took it in for a 40-30 lead.
Again the Lynn Camp defense came up with the big play when Nick Mills, a 150-pound senior intercepted a Hoskins pass at the Wildcats five yard line.
The Wildcats drove the ball from their own five to the Middlesboro 13 yard line where the drive ended four yards short of a first down with 2:20 left in the game.
Middlesboro tried to put together a scoring drive after a 29 yard pass to Farr gave the Jackets a first down at their own 43. Hoskins missed on four attempts and the Wildcats took over and ran out the clock.
Lynn Camp will host the Commodores of Perry Central Friday night. Perry Central is off to an 0-2 start having lost to Hazard, 38-20 and Letcher Central, 14-7.

Lynn Camp 6 28 6 0- 40
Middlesboro 14 8 8 0- 30
First Quarter
M-Casey Earls, 3 run (Earls pass from Hoskins)
M-Ford, 3 run (run failed)
LC-Josh Reynolds, 50 run (kick blocked)
Second Quarter
LC-Jimmy Chaffin, 84 pass from Nick Scalf (Joe Roskopf run)
LC-Chaffin, 65 run (Chaffin kick)
M-Farr, 77 pass from Hoskins (Hoskins run)
LC-Reynolds, 63 pass from Scalf (run failed)
LC-Roskopf, 65 fumble recovery (Chaffin kick)
Third Quarter
M-Earls, 11 run (Hoskins run)
LC-Reynolds, 1 run (kick failed)