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Friday, Sep. 12, 2008

Nation Ford 35, Lewisville 27

RICHBURG — The collison made everybody in the stadium — and that’s not an exaggeration — gasp, but Nation Ford’s Dee Truesdale still knew three things after a nasty helmet-to-helmet hit.

One, he still had the ball. Two, he was still on his feet. And three, he was still in bounds.

“I didn’t know much, but I knew I had to keep running,” the senior said.

Truesdale re-tucked the football and began churning yardage, not slowing down until he was safely in the end zone after a 65-yard punt return. That score put the Falcons on top for good as Nation Ford rallied past Lewisville 35-27 on Friday.

“Tell you what, he ignited our whole ball club,” coach Rusty Jester said.

The only time Truesdale carried the ball, he was dropped for a 5-yard loss. But when he found room behind the Lions’ secondary early in the second quarter, Mitchell Starnes hit him for a 94-yard touchdown.

One catch, one rush, two touchdowns, and still not enough for the game ball.

“Nah, it’s the team’s,” Truesdale grinned.

Truesdale’s heroics capped a back-and-forth game, marred by a combined 125 penalty yards, but highlighted by star performers. Truesdale provided the spark in a steady Nation Ford offense while Lewisville turned to its brother tandem, Isaiah and Elijah Johnson, for a combined 262 of its 296 offensive yards and four touchdowns.

The Falcons (2-2) just had a little too much for the Lions (2-2) to counter.

NATION FORD 35, LEWISVILLE 27

Nation Ford.....7.....7.....7.....14.....—.....35

Lewisville.....7.....6.....14.....0.....—.....27

SCORING SUMMARY

L — Elijah Johnson 9 run (Logan Pemberton kick)

NF — Mitchell Starnes 2 run (Trevor Witcher kick)

NF — Dee Truesdale 94 pass from Starnes (Witcher kick)

L — Carlos Gilmore 31 pass from Isaiah Johnson (Pemberton kick missed)

L — I. Johnson 4 run (I. Johnson pass failed)

NF — Thomas Condron 41 run (Witcher kick)

L — I. Johnson 3 run (E. Johnson pass from I. Johnson)

NF — Truesdale 65 punt return (Witcher kick)

NF — Justen Lane 5 run (Witcher kick)

TEAM STATISTICS

.....NFHS.....LHS

First downs.....12.....9

Rushes-yards.....33-196.....48-203

Comp-Att-Int .....4-10-0.....4-7-0

Passing yards..... 132.....93

Fumbles-lost.....1-1.....1-0

Penalties-yards.....6-50.....9-75

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Nation Ford: Mitchell Starnes 6-20, Justen Lane 10-61, Tony Hall 8-35, Lance Jacobs 2-9, Jackson Gibson 2-24, Dee Truesdale 1-(-5), Thomas Condron 4-52. Lewisville: Carlos Gilmore 1-(-2), Isaiah Johnson 19-88, Elijah Johnson 13-81, Brian Colvin 3-7, Timmy McCullough 3-8, Corey Thomas 3-13, Tierrel Simpson 5-6, Chris Brett 1-2

PASSING — Nation Ford: Starnes 3-5-120-0; Condron 1-5-12-0. Lewisville: I. Johnson 4-7-93-0

RECEIVING — Nation Ford: Brandon Sturgis 1-24, Truesdale 1-94, Will Ford 2-14. Lewisville: E. Johnson 2-53, Gilmore 1-31, Laterious McCrorey 1-9

RECORDS — Nation Ford 2-2; Lewisville 2-2