| Austin White carries Livonia Stevenson |
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TOM MARKOWSKI October 3, 2009 Reprinted with permission of The Detroit News Novi -- Playing before a large homecoming crowd at Novi, Austin White of Livonia Stevenson took the first handoff, headed toward a huge hole off of right tackle and fumbled. It wasn't the start White envisioned to the biggest game of the season for both teams. But he regrouped and carried the ball another 33 times for 142 yards and one touchdown as Stevenson held on to defeat Novi 14-7 on Friday in a Kensington Lakes Activities Association Central Division game at Novi. "I was just disappointed in myself," White said of the fumble, his only one of the game. "They had opened such a big hole. I came to the sidelines and my teammates told me to forget about it. It was just one mistake." Stevenson (4-2) took over sole possession of first place at 4-0 and took one more step toward qualifying for the state playoffs with the victory. Novi (3-3) slipped to 3-1 in the division. Stevenson has won four straight and coach Tim Gabel said his team continues to improve game by game. "That's the only goal I have," Gabel said. "We want to get better each game. On Monday, that will be our focus. We made some mental mistakes that caused us to struggle. When it mattered we controlled it up front. With Austin, we needed a north-south type of runner on this muddy field. We play on turf, and though we practice on grass, it's not the same. This was a good struggle. The offensive line played better in the second half. Defensively we've been playing well all year. These kids on defense have fun playing. Sometimes I get caught up just watching them get to the ball." Stevenson held Novi to 157 yards, 53 on the ground, and five first downs. Novi's touchdown came on an 83-yard pass from quarterback Jim Pitcher, fifth on the depth chart, to Brett Kuhn that cut Stevenson's lead to 14-7 with 7:42 remaining. Stevenson gained possession on its 28 and ran out the clock. Stevenson ran 17 plays, all on the ground. White carried 10 times on the drive for 52 yards. Twice he converted on third down on runs of 15 and 5 yards. "As long as we keep winning I don't care how many times I carry it," said White, who also had three receptions for 34 yards. "We didn't change too much in the second half. We've just developed into a power team. Our line played great. They're coming a long way as a unit." White got help in the backfield. Fullback Johnny Pauley had nine carries for 86 yards. Mike Beyer had but 18 yards on five carries but his 1-yard touchdown run gave Stevenson a 14-0 lead with 3:42 left in the third. A defensive stop by Stevenson led to the only points of the first half. Jordan El-Sabeh tackled Kristen Engja for no gain on a fourth-and-1, giving Stevenson possession on its 47. Although Stevenson failed to gain a first down it gained field position. Alex Law punted to the Novi 1 and Stevenson held. Stevenson regained possession on its 48 and pieced together a 10-play drive to score. White carried six times for 25 yards, including the last 6 over right guard. His 22-yard reception from quarterback Brendan O'Hara set up the score that gave Stevenson a 7-0 lead with 50.1 seconds left in the first half. "White's a very fine player," Novi coach Tab Kellepourey said. |
