Chauncey Martin-RB/FS
Chauncey Martin-RB/FS
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The Pleasant Grove Hawks literally ran over Liberty-Eylau, spoiling the Leopard's Homecoming Friday night at Harris Field.

The Hawks rushed for over 400 yards and dominated the line of scrimmage. PG Head Coach Josh Gibson was thrilled with ground game saying, "Our offensive line took a BIG step! We wanted to play more physical. We had over 25 pancake blocks as a unit. He attributes the biggest change to their attitude and believes it will continue to get better and dominate in the trenches over the coming weeks.

T.J. Cole/RB
T.J. Cole/RB
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One thing the Hawks did well was distribute the ball well, with Senior Chauncey Martin, Senior T. J. Cole and Sophomore Bruce Garrett all having big nights. The distribution is part of the overall plan of the Hawks, which the coach says makes them harder to stop and prepare for, when more people get touches.

Martin had a huge night on both sides of the ball, scoring two touchdowns and averaging over 10 yards per carry on offense, and playing lights out on defense. Austin Toller had another scoop and score, fumble return for a touchdown and was said to have dominated the trenches on both sides of the ball.

Coach Gibson could not have been prouder of his defense, which held the speedy and explosive Leopard offense to 14 points, "We had a great night defensively. We played extremely physical, created a lot of turnovers and shut down one of the best offenses in the state. I was extremely proud of our defensive players and coaches."

The turnover battle was won again by the Hawks, Gibson says the six turnovers caused by the Hawks defense was a huge factor in the big victory.

The Hawks improved to 4-0 on the season and this week travel to Royce City to take on the Krum Bobcats. Gibson describes them as a great athletic program, last year #5 in the state. "They lost a lot of seniors and are struggling as of right now."

Besides wanting to see another W on the scoreboard, Gibson wants to see continued growth and getting better as a team this week, saying, "One thing we will work on this week is our passing attack. I think we are throwing the ball well, but we will make a concerted effort to stretch the field this week."

Hawks do not have a lot of injuries to report. Tyler Allen is a week away from returning and Josh Roberts will be out 1-3 weeks. Both are great players and will be missed. However Gibson expects other guys to step up, as they did last Friday night.

The crowd was a big factor against L-E, big numbers and very vocal in support of the Hawks. Gibson says, "The crowd was awesome! This was the third time this year that there wasn't enough seats of Hawk fans. We are selling out venues and packing stadiums. I'm thankful for the community support...it's awesome!"

Gibson continues to overall extremely proud of both the coaches and his kids. He believes the unselfishness and drive of the team will keep them playing for a LONG time this season.

Hawk fans if you have not been to a game this season, you need to do so. This team has a special air about them, and the excitement is growing with each win. Make your plans to travel to Royce City this week and cheer the Hawks on against the Krum Bobcats.

 

 

 

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