The Magic Number for the Ellington-Somers Football Knights

The magic number for the Ellington-Somers Football Knights now stands at eighteen. The Knights have prevailed in eighteen consecutive regular season games dating back to the midway point of the 2010 season.

The Knights latest victims, the Yellow Jackets of Gilbert-Northwestern, were in no mood to go to defeat easily. The Yellow Jackets took the initial kick off and drove the length of the field for a field goal. The running of Anthony Ortiz proving to be an effective weapon on this drive. Ortiz is considered one of the better running backs in the state and he proved both elusive and powerful on several runs.

The Knights closed out the first half scoring with a long pass from quarterback Joe Leslie to wide receiver Brendan Coverdill for a Knights touchdown. Justin Oliver’s extra point made the halftime score 7-3 Ellington.

The second half saw the emergence of Gilbert Jr Quarterback Johnny Lippincott. Lippincott threw two touchdown passes to receiver Thomas Casey giving Gilbert a 17-7 lead. Ellington’s win streak looked to be n trouble until Christian Schneider took the ensuing kickoff and returned it 80 yards for an Ellington touchdown making the score 17-13. The extra point was blocked.

Each team threatened to score but the defenses held firm. A sack of Lippincott by Ellington’s Sean Tynan forced a punt from deep in Gilbert territory. Taking over at mid-field the knights moved the ball to the Gilbert 40. When faced with a long third down quarterback Leslie pitched to running back Neal Janiga. Janiga hesitated long enough to draw a rush from the Gilbert defense, only to unleash a long pass to Brendan Coverdill streaking down the left sideline. Coverdill snared the pass and cruised untouched into the end zone. Ellington lead 20-17 with three minutes left in the game.

The Yellow Jackets refused to go away without a fight. Taking the kickoff to the 50 yard line and subsequently driving to the 10 with one minute left, the yellow jackets faced a fourth down. Deciding to try for the tie, the jackets lined up for a field goal. The snap was fumbled and the ball was advanced to the 4 yard line where the knights took over on downs. Taking a knee on consecutive plays ran out the clock and preserved the victory for the visiting Knights.

The game featured stellar performances from Brendan Coverdill with two touchdown passes and the entire Knights defense. The Jackets received tremendous effort from quarterback Lippincott who threw two touchdown passes and intercepted two as well.

The Knights are in action next Saturday at Granby Memorial while the Jackets entertain SMSA under the lights at the Gilbert School Friday evening.