September 7, 2012

Marty Pallman
FlaVarsity.com

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GAINESVILLE - It was a struggle, but the Gainesville Purple Hurricanes (ranked 16th in the FlaVarsity.com Top 25) found just enough offense in the fourth quarter to get by Lake City Columbia (5th in 6A) 17-14 at Citizens Field.

In a showdown of two teams with state title dreams, a 27-yard field goal by senior kicker Alex Holloway with less than five minutes to play gave the Hurricanes (2-0) the lead for good.

Columbia (1-1) tried to mount one last drive but fumbled the ball on it's own 35 yard line with a little over three minutes to go.

Early on it looked like it was going to be all Hurricanes. Gainesville scored on it's first drive of the game as running back Raphael Webb scored from five yards out to give the Hurricanes a 7-0 lead.

After Holloway missed a 27 yard field goal on Gainesville's second possession, the Hurricanes got the ball right back after a Columbia punt and made it 14-0 as quarterback Marquis Robins-Catofound Case Harrison a four-yard TD strike with nine minutes left in the second quarter.

Gainesville forced Columbia to punt again on the next Tigers drive. But on the punt return, the Hurricanes were called for too many men on the field, and Columbia got the first down.

This turned out to be a turning point in the first half, as Columbia drove down the field, and punched it in when running back Lonnie Underwood scored from 11 yards out to bring Columbia within 14-7 halfway through the second quarter.

The two teams traded punts on the next two drives, but Columbia got another big break as Gainesville's Kenric Young fumbled a punt with the Tigers recovering on the GHS 12 yard line.

Three plays later Columbia quarterback Jayce Barber snuck it in from one yard out to tie the game 14-all at the half.

The second half settled into a defensive and field position battle. Gainesville's Tony James fumbled on the GHS 22 yard line on the first drive of the second half.

Columbia moved the ball inside the Hurricanes 15 but missed a 31 yard field goal wide left. The Tigers also drove naer midfield later in the third quarter but Barber was picked off by Gainesville linebacker Matt Solt

The punts and field possession continued until early in the fourth quarter, when Gainesville put together a 15 play drive to the winning field goal. James and Harrison both converted third downs and James also ran for nine yards on a fourth-and-5 play to keep the drive going.

Holloway knocked the field goal through to make up for his earler miss and give the Hurricanes the lead for good.

Gainesville dominated statistically, finishing with 303 yards and 19 first downs to only 136 total yards for Columbia.

The Tigers struggled on the ground and through the air all evening, but stayed in the game due to Gainesville turnovers and bad penalties.

Cato was only 10 of 24 for 144 yards but did throw one TD with no interceptions. Webb led the Hurricanes on the ground with 92 yards on 18 carries.

Barber, a Jacksonville State. commitment, was only 7 of 25 for 67 yards for Columbia.

Florida coach Will Muschamp was on hand at Citizens Field to watch Columbia offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, who is one of the top ten recruits in the country and has the Gators among his final three schools.

Muschamp was also there to watch Gainesville WR/DB Chris Thompson, a Florida commitment.

Unfortunately Thompson left the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent ankle injury and didn't return. His status for Gainesville's game at Trinity Catholic next Friday night is unknown.