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Owens has 'Super' night

By Allen Haynes | Hickory Daily Record

Published: October 24, 2009

NEWTON - Fred T. Foard got a 'Superman' like performance from senior running back Quentin Owens in the second half Friday night to rally past visiting South Caldwell 20-17.

In a tale of two halves, the Tigers bounced back from a 17-0 halftime deficit to score 20 unanswered points in the second half and improve to 2-3 in the Northwestern 3A-4A Conference and 4-6 overall. South Caldwell falls to 3-6 and 0-4.

After more of a 'Clark Kent' type performance in the first half – 85 yards on 13 carries. Owens donned his Superman cape at halftime and took off flying in the second half.

Down 17-0, the Tigers took their first possession of the second half and scored in three plays as Owens got loose for a 53-yard TD run to trim the lead to 17-7 after Jordan Thacker's point after touchdown.

"Coach told the seniors at halftime that the second half would be our last home game in a Tigers uniform," Owens said. "I just came out and tried to make a statement, since it is probably the last time I'll get to play here."

A statement is what Owens made. After the Tigers defense got a fumble recovery from Tanner Fleming to end a South Caldwell drive at the 4-yard line and give the Tigers the ball back, it was Owens again four plays later zig zagging his way downfield for a 63-yard touchdown run and cut the Spartans lead to 17-13 after the extra point attempt was blocked.

After an exchange of possessions, the Tigers took advantage of a punt that went off the side of South Caldwell's Jay Johnson for a four-yard net, giving the Tigers the ball at the South 33.

Once again it was Owens, going 11 yards on the first play and then 19-yards straight up the middle and into the end zone on the second play to give Foard a 20-17 lead after Thacker's kick.

Owens finished the game with 270 yards on 22 carries, including 175 yards and three scores in the second half.

"We told Quentin at halftime to hit the hole as hard as he could go," said Fred T. Foard head coach Ryan Gettys. "We put in a new offensive wrinkle this week with two fullbacks and I think it paid off for us allowing us to do some things that we couldn't do in the first half."

South Caldwell started the game with a flurry, taking its first possession and marching 60 yards to score on a 5-yard run by Cody Reid for a 7-0 lead.

Foard mounted a drive of its own, marching to the South 17 where a field goal attempt by Thacker was blocked and returned 45 yards by Bryson Bowman.

The Spartans scored nine plays later on a 1-yard dive by Reid for a 14-0 lead after Sam Grubbs second PAT.

Another Tigers' drive ended in a missed 36-yard field goal attempt by Thacker giving the Spartans one last possession before the half.

South Caldwell took advantage of it, driving downfield and adding three more points on a 30-yard field goal by Grubbs as the first half came to a close with South Caldwell leading 17-0.

"We came out, I don't know if we were flat, but they came out on fire," Gettys said. "They are a very strong football team and they were able to run it on us in the first half. I told our kids at halftime that this is it if you are a senior. You have two quarters and if you want to play, now is the time to do it and they stepped up and took care of business."