Rebels leap over Banks
BY KATIE MCELVY
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LAFAYETTE — The Chambers Academy Rebels amassed over 450 yards of offense on Friday as they beat area foe, Banks Academy. Peyton Yerta and Eli Whorton marched the ball down the field on the Rebels’ first drive to set up the Coby Whatley touchdown. Kaisen Nix booted the PAT through to put Chambers up 7-0 early in the game. On the Rebels’ next drive, Hunter Andrews connected with Aiden Tilley on several passes, and Whorton punched in the score. Nix made it a 14-0 game.
Not to be outdone, the Rebels defense also put in work in the first quarter. Drew Sheppard had a tackle for a 10 yard loss. Tilley returned the punt to the Banks’ 22-yardline, and Andrews ran in the touchdown to put Chambers up 20-0 going into the second quarter.
Banks fumbled the kickoff, and Chambers’ Tripp O’Donnell recovered it. Jacks Nelms picked up 22 yards and then secured the Rebels touchdown. Whorton ran it in for two to increase the lead 28-0. The Jets returned the kickoff for a touchdown. Chambers then fumbled the kickoff to give the Jets an opportunity to get back in the game.
Banks decided they would try out a passing strategy, but the Rebel defense crushed those hopes. Trey Tigner broke up a pass, and Spencer Newman batted one down. Tigner finally picked off a pass to set up another Rebels touchdown. The PAT was good.
The Banks’ offense then started going backwards. Colton Fuller and Jacob Bradley got a tackle for a loss and a backwards pass gone wrong set Banks up in a fourth- and- 30 situation to force a punt. Andrews found Tilley for a 15 yard gain and Bryce Modling for a touchdown to give Chambers a 42-6 lead going into halftime.
Banks returned a punt for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but too much damage had been done, and the Rebels rolled to another win 42-14.
“Rebels are now 2-0 in the region and 3-1 overall,” said head coach Jason Allen. It was another dominant performance by our offensive and defensive lines. They are who we are, and our team success starts and ends with them. We continue to play hateful with a nasty attitude. That’s what football is all about. In a world of spread offense it’s still really about who blocks and tackles the best that wins games.”
Through the air, Hunter Andrews threw for 88 yards. Yerta was the leading rusher with 125 yards on 10 carries, followed by Tigner with 51 yards on five carries and Jack Nelms with 49 yards on five carries.
Kent Nelson once again led the defense with six tackles, followed by Bryce Modling with five, and Sheppard, Fuller and Whorton with four each.
“Defensively, we are playing really well,” Allen said. “We are making opponents one dimensional and then we are able to pin our ears back and get after the passer in obvious situations. Coach Dillon NesSmith does such a great job with our defense week to week. He is such a valuable piece of our program. We will go back to work this week and try to get just a little bit better and then head down to Eufaula Friday to take on The Lakeside School.”
