Turnovers haunt Potter-Dix in opener

POTTER - Turnovers haunted Potter-Dix in a 52-34 loss Friday to Morrill.

The Coyotes turned the ball over eight times, including six times in the second half, that led to their defeat in the 2015 season opener. They had five interceptions and three fumbles in the game.

The Coyotes (0-1) are back in action Friday with a 7 p.m. home contest against Caliche (Colo.) The Buffaloes (1-1) opened the season with a 30-18 win against Soroco (Colo.), and fell 12-6 last week at Kiowa (Colo.).

Friday night against Morrill, it was all Potter-Dix early. The Coyotes used the big play early and often in the first half, and did so on their first drive as Noah Nelson connected with Coby Hicks on a 46-yard pass play down the sideline to set the ball at the Morrill 2-yard line. Kelsey Rozelle punched it in from a yard out three plays later to put the Coyotes on the scoreboard. Nelson's two-point conversion pass was incomplete as Potter-Dix held a 6-0 advantage with 7:28 left in the opening quarter.

The Coyotes stuffed the Lions on their second straight drive, which ended on a Hicks sack of Ryan McMackin, to force the visiting team to punt. The two teams traded punts on the next two drives, when the Coyotes took over at their own 28-yard line with 2:38 left in the first quarter.

Nelson opened the drive with a 7-yard scamper, and on third down hit J.T. Herboldsheimer for a 7-yard pass to keep the drive alive. Nelson ran for 11 yards into Morrill territory, before Justice Palmer lost four yards on the next play. Rozelle took the next handoff 32 yards for a touchdown as Potter-Dix extended its lead to two scores. Nelson added the two-point conversion with a successful run to extend the lead to 14-0 with nine seconds left in the first quarter.

The first of the Coyotes' eight turnovers on the night helped the Lions get their initial score. Nelson rolled to his left and looked to pass early in the second quarter, and his arm went forward on the pass play as the ball came loose. However, the play was ruled a fumble and Morrill took over at the Potter-Dix 19-yard line with 10:17 left in the half. The Lions needed six plays to find the end zone as Elvariste Gomez scored on a 3-yard run with 7:48 left until halftime. McMackin's pass to Ryan Aratani was complete on the two-point conversion to make it a 14-8 game.

It did not take long for the Coyotes to extend their lead. On the second play of the ensuing drive, Nelson found Rozelle on a short screen pass on the left side, and Rozelle avoided tacklers and made his way across the field and raced up the right sideline for a 50-yard score. The two-point conversion pass was incomplete and the Coyotes held a 20-8 lead with 6:47 until halftime.

Morrill (2-0) answered with a slow, methodical drive up the field for its second score of the game. The Lions ate up over six minutes of the clock on the 13-play drive, which ended with a 7-yard touchdown run by Gomez with 53 seconds on the clock. McMackin's 2-point pass was incomplete and Potter-Dix held a 20-14 lead.

The Lions capitalized on the Coyotes' second turnover of the game to take their first lead. Nelson tossed an interception on the first play of the next Potter-Dix drive, and Morrill took over at the Coyote 34-yard line with 47 seconds left until halftime. Morrill used just four plays as Gomez scored on a 5-yard run to knot the game at 20-all. Gomez also added the 2-point conversion with a successful run to put Morrill up 22-20 with 26.1 seconds left until halftime.

The Lions first lead of the game did not last long. Potter-Dix took over at its own 15-yard line and quickly went to work. Nelson found Hicks on a middle screen that went for 17 yards to move to the 32-yard line. After a false start penalty pushed the Coyotes back five yards, Nelson tossed the ball deep up the sideline and Rozelle caught it for a 53-yard scoring pass to put the Coyotes back on top. Nelson found Hicks on the 2-point conversion play and Potter-Dix led 28-22 with 1.4 seconds left until halftime. The Coyotes led by the same score at the break.

Potter-Dix opened the second half with the ball and lost 17 yards on bad snaps and a penalty, and punted the ball away. Morrill took over at midfield and drove to tie the game. The Lions used a five-play scoring drive, ending on a 14-yard Gomez run, to knot the game with 8:29 left in the third quarter. The Coyotes' defense stuffed Gomez on the 2-point attempt and the game was knotted at 28-all.

The Coyotes once again used the big play as they retook the lead. On a third down play needing 14 yards from their own 11 yard line, Nelson threw a long pass down the right sideline as Rozelle outran a pair of Lion defenders to catch the pass for a 69-yard score. The 2-point conversion play failed as Potter-Dix went up 34-28 with 7:58 left in the third quarter.

Morrill was forced to punt on the ensuing possession, and the Coyotes were moving the ball. Nelson tossed the ball near the end zone and the Lions' Aratani picked it off at the 4-yard line to end the drive. The Lions' drive lasted just three plays as Palmer recovered a fumble and Potter-Dix took over at the Morrill 6-yard line. The Coyotes' drive was short-lived as the Lions recovered the fumbled snap on the drive's first play.

The Lions were forced to punt on their next drive, but retook the lead on a defensive play. Josh Harvey picked off a Nelson pass and returned it about 35 yards for a touchdown to knot the game at 34-all. Will Howell scored on the 2-point conversion to give Morrill a 36-34 advantage with 17.4 seconds left in the third quarter.

It was all Morrill for the final 12-plus minutes of the game. Rozelle ran for what would have been a 53-yard touchdown run on the final play of the third quarter, but it was called back due to a holding penalty. The Coyotes were forced to punt four plays later.

Gomez ran up the middle and scored on a 43-yard touchdown for the only play of the Lions' next drive to extend the lead. McMackin ran in the 2-point conversion to give the visiting team a 44-34 advantage with 10:48 left in the game.

The Coyotes' next drive stalled at the 35-yard line, and the Lions drove to the P-D 29-yard line before their following drive stalled. The two teams traded turnovers again as Aratani intercepted Nelson's pass two plays into the ensuing drive, and then Palmer recovered a Gomez fumble and the Coyotes took over at the Lions' 31-yard line. The Potter-Dix drive ended on a fumbled handoff after just three plays, and Morrill took over at its own 23 yard-line. Morrill punted after just three plays, but the Potter-Dix drive ended once again on an interception. Morrill took over at its own 29-yard line and McMackin found Harvey for a 27-yard touchdown pass with 2:39 left. Howell's 2-point run was successful as Morrill took a 52-34 advantage with 2:39 left in the game.

Score by quarter

Morrill 0 22 14 16 - 52

Potter-Dix 14 14 6 0 - 34