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Mustangs spoil Champs' Senior Night

By WILL CARTER ~ Sports Writer
Posted 10/17/22

BELL BUCKLE — A night of honor and celebration ended with disappointment as the Cascade Champions’ three-game shutout streak came to a halt in their 23-13 loss to the Loretto Mustangs on …

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Mustangs spoil Champs' Senior Night

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BELL BUCKLE — A night of honor and celebration ended with disappointment as the Cascade Champions’ three-game shutout streak came to a halt in their 23-13 loss to the Loretto Mustangs on Senior Night. 
Ball security has been key for Cascade (5-4, 1-3) the last few weeks having only turned the ball over twice in their shutouts, but they couldn’t seem to keep control of the ball against Loretto (4-5, 3-1), turning the ball over five times in the loss. 
“In every loss we’ve had this year, we’ve had more turnovers than the other team,” Cascade head coach Jake Tyre said. 
“You can’t turn the ball over a lot and expect to win. The last three weeks, we haven’t done that a lot and forced turnovers. If you turn the ball over four or five times, you’re going to lose 10 out of 10 times.”
After both teams punted on each of their first two drives, the Champions found their footing offensively to break the stalemate. 
With a minute and 21 seconds remaining in the first quarter, quarterback Xamarion Dixon pushed into the end zone from a yard away to give the Champions a 6-0 lead after a failed two-point conversion. 
On the ensuing drive, the Mustangs drove deep into Champion territory but were forced to settle for a 25-yard field goal with 11 minutes and six seconds left in the second quarter. 
The field goal ended a streak of 13 scoreless quarters for the Cascade defense. 
Shortly after, tight end Sawyer Lovvorn was stripped of the ball and Loretto recovered it for their first of the game. 
But Cascade’s defense stood tall once more by forcing Loretto to kick a 39-yard field goal that tied the game at 6-6 with seven minutes and 19 seconds remaining in the first half. 
Less than three minutes later, the Champions found the end zone again when Dixon scanned the field and lofted a 37-yard pass to Chance Brown to take a 13-6 lead with the point after. 
The score was Brown’s lone reception with most of his production being on the ground, totaling 57 yards on six carries. 
Cascade threatened to score again before halftime but came up a yard short on a fourth down. 
The score held at 13-6 heading into the half.
Loretto opened the second half with the ball, but Cascade’s defense continued to allow minimal yards and forced a punt.
After driving down the field and chewing minutes off the clock, the Champions gifted a possession to the Mustangs with a fumble in the red zone. 
Less than a minute later, quarterback Carter Daniel connected with receiver Clint Seymore on a 92-yard bomb down the sideline to tie the game at 13-13 with the point after. 
“There were too many times we were on the other side of the 50-yard line and turned it over,” Tyre said. 
“We just have to hold onto the football.”
The Daniel-Seymore connection struck again early in the fourth quarter on a 63-yard touchdown pass that gave the Mustangs their first lead of the game at 20-13. 
Two plays later, Loretto forced their second turnover of the half by intercepting a pass by Dixon with 11 minutes and 13 seconds remaining in the game. 
Cascade put a stop to the Mustangs’ scoring on the next drive after a vital pass deflection by Hayden Dowell prevented a potential touchdown.
On the following Champions drive, a bobbled handoff bounced into the Mustangs’ grasp, and they turned it into three points after Patton Simbeck drilled a 26-yard field goal with three minutes remaining to finish three-for-three on the night. 
Neither team scored for the rest of the game for a 23-13 finish. 
With the loss, the Champions find themselves fourth in region standings with only a road trip to Summertown in two weeks remaining on the schedule. 
Tyre is thankful for the upcoming bye week as it gives his team time to recover before a final push. 
“We have a week off to recover, so we have to come out ready to play the last game of the season and get in the playoffs,” Tyre said. 
“If we play to our ability, then I like us on any night against anybody. Our chances diminish when we play like we did tonight. This team will get over this loss and be ready to go.”


Cascade 6 7 0 0 – 13
Loretto 0 6 7 10 – 23

First Quarter
C – Xamarion Dixon 1 rush, (2 pt. failed), 1:21.

Second Quarter
L – Patton Simbeck 25 field goal, 11:06.
L – Simbeck 39 field goal, 7:19.
C – Chance Brown 37 pass from Dixon, (Isaac Chapa kick), 4:33.

Third Quarter
L – Clint Seymore 92 pass from Carter Daniel, (Simbeck kick), 3:44.

Fourth Quarter
L – Seymore 63 pass from Daniel, (Simbeck kick), 11:37.
L – Simbeck 26 field goal, 3:03.