W. Kenneth Owen
The Elizabeth High School football team traveled to Trailblazer
Stadium on Sept. 24 in Lakewood for a showdown with league opponent
Conifer.
The Cardinals lost Conifer 25-20.
In the first quarter, quarterback Dalton Taylor put together a
48-yard run to put the Cardinals up 6-0.
Conifer was relentless in running the ball. Their tailback
scored on a 46-yard run. With the point-after kick, Conifer led 7-6
at the end of the first.
The Lobos scored in the second on a 10-yard run and converted
the PAT for a 14-6 lead. Conifer’s defense came up with a safety,
extending the lead by two.
Taylor passed to Matt Biery for a 20-yard touchdown for the
Cardinals, but Conifer kicked a 35-yard field goal to make it 19-12
Lobos at halftime.
Neither team scored in the third quarter.
In the fourth, Biery score from 59-yards out for six points.
Taylor ran in the 2-point conversion to regain the lead 20-19.
Conifer kept pounding the Elizabeth defense with its running game
and scored from 39-yards out, leading to the final score 25-20.
Biery had eight attempts for 96 yards and one touchdown, two
pass receptions for 42 yards and one receiving touchdown. Cole
Gibson rushed four times for 41 yards and caught a pass for six.
Brad Goldsberry rushed once for two yards. Zach Butler rushed three
times for two yards. Taylor rushed 14 times for negative-7 yards
with one touchdown and the 2-point conversion. He also passed 13
times for six completions for 67 yards with one touchdown and one
interception. Sean Dorrance caught a 13-yard pass. Ryan Calhoun
caught one pass for three yards. John Weber also caught a 3-yard
pass.
On kickoff, Calhoun had a 49-yard return. Goldsberry had two
returns for 48 yards and two punt returns for 36 yards.
On defense, Biery had three tackles and nine assisted tackles.
Traco Ross had two tackles and eight assists. Eli McKinny had two
tackles and six assisted tackles. Cody Sweigert had one tackle and
six assisted. Weber had four tackles and three assisted tackles.
Goldsberry had four tackles and two assists.
