Patriots take down Herders

It was a beautiful fall evening last Friday as the Upton-Sundance Patriots ended their 2022 football season with a win over the Glenrock Herders.

The first quarter saw both teams march their way down the field and into the endzone. The Herders opened up the charge, putting the first points on the scoreboard with a one-yard push into the endzone, taking the initial 6-0 lead.

The Patriots, however, took their turn as quarterback Keaton Mills found an opening for a 49-yard gain to put the Upton-Sundance offense in scoring position at the 22-yard line. Another big run by Mills brought the Patriots to a first and goal on the two-yard line, where Ryder Downey was able to punch it through the Herders line to get the Patriots on the board and tie the score at six.

The Herders' offense was back on the field to round out the first quarter but found themselves plagued with penalties and pressure from the Patriot defense as Ryder Downey intercepted a pass and gave the Patriots excellent field position to start the second quarter.

With the momentum on their side, and the ball in hand, the Patriots wasted no time getting back into the endzone on a three-yard quarterback keeper, adding six more points to the scoreboard. 

The Glenrock offense struggled throughout the opening minutes of the second quarter, punting the ball away with 8:11 remaining in the quarter. The Patriot offense stepped back onto the field and began to work their magic, as Mills connected with Ryder Downey on a 63-yard pass, sending Downey into the endzone and putting the Patriots up 18-6.

A successful two-point conversion pass from Mills to Downey increased the Patriots score to 20 with 5:46 remaining before the half. The Herders offense pulled themselves together in the remaining minutes of the half as they were able to break some tackles and gain the yardage necessary to put them in scoring position once again.

With 38 seconds remaining on the clock, Glenrock called a timeout, trying to conserve their time and find a way into the endzone. The Herders were able to do just that as Logan Jones made his way around the left side and into the endzone on a 16-yard run, increasing the Herders score to 12.

A two-point conversion pass was no good and the teams went into the break with a score of 20-12, in favor of the Patriots. 

The third quarter was a stalemate between the two teams with neither side gaining ground. It wasn't until the fourth quarter that the Patriot offense made movement once again.

With the help of some timely Herder penalties, the Patriots gained a fresh set of downs and some momentum as Mills scrambled down the field, setting the offense up for a first and goal once again. Shortly thereafter, Eli Gill was able to push his way into the endzone on a three-yard run, adding six more points to the board and helping the Upton-Sundance Patriots secure the 26-12 victory over the Glenrock Herders.

With this victory, the Patriots ended their 2022 season with a 2-5 record. 

Stats

Rushing:

Eli Gill – 12/49 yds 1 TD

Keaton Mills – 14/ 59yds 1 TD

Ryder Downey – 8/31 yds 1 TD

Jaedyn Keller – 1/2 yds

Passing:

Keaton Mills – 3 Comp 11 Att 87 Yds 1 TD

Receiving:

Ryder Downey – 1/63yds 1 TD

Jesse Harmon – 2/24 yds

Defense Top 5:

Eli Gill – 23

Ryder Downey – 16

Chase Mills – 13.5

Keaton Mills – 13

Jackson East – 10