College Sports

By JOE BUIE
Staff Writer

LINDALE — The Tyler Apaches improved to 3-0 in the Texas vs. Kansas Junior College Football Challenge with a 28-14 victory over Independence on Saturday night at Eagle Stadium.

The Apaches (1-0) won their eighth straight season opener. This one, a TJC home game, was played in Lindale for two reasons: the Trinity Mother Frances Classic was being held at TMF Rose Stadium, and TJC has a new branch in Lindale.

TJC controlled both lines of scrimmage against the Pirates (0-1) and never trailed in the 3½-hour contest.

The Apaches relied on two playmakers on offense, and another on special teams to gain an edge against their Kansas foe.

Sophomore tailback Ira Duckworth rushed for 134 yards on 21 carries to spark the ground game.

Former Dallas Roosevelt star Vincent McNeil made his college debut and accounted for TJC’s only two pass completions of the night for 45 yards. The dual-threat quarterback scored on a 5-yard keeper in the third quarter and had a nifty 16-yard run off a bootleg.

The TJC offense needed only 16 yards to produce two touchdowns in the first half. The defense added another score on Jonathan Hatton’s 5-yard interception return as the Apaches led 21-7 at the break.

Teric Williams, a transfer from the University of Houston, was the star of the first half with 171 return yards. He returned the game’s opening kickoff 67 yards to set up O’Bryan Bell’s 4-yard touchdown run. Bell is a true freshman from Whitehouse.

Independence countered with a 36-yard kickoff return and a score four plays later.

Wideout Andre Simmons beat one-on-one coverage on a streak route for a 32-yard touchdown from quarterback Jeff Schibi, who was under siege most of the night from defensive linemen Darrence Richardson, Ronny Green and crew.

Hatton, a John Tyler graduate playing defensive tackle, gave the Apaches a 14-7 lead with 8:48 left in the opening quarter on an interception return of a tipped ball.

The Apaches missed several opportunities the rest of the half, coming up empty on three drives that started in Pirate territory.

A highlight of that inefficiency came when TJC failed to get in the end zone on four tries inside the 10 late in the second quarter. However, the defense held and Williams returned the ensuing punt 31 yards to set up Don Brown’s 4-yard touchdown rumble to make it 21-7.

Independence began the second half with a three-and-out, and McNeil engineered a seven-play, 73-yard scoring drive for the Apaches.

McNeil completed a 35-yard pass to new tight end Aaron Muhammad on third down, and then ran for 16 before scoring three plays later from the 5. Chapel Hill graduate Landon Rodgers kicked his fourth extra point of the game to put TJC up 28-7 with 9:33 to play in the third quarter.



TJC 28, Independence 14

At Eagle Stadium, Lindale

Independence 7 0 0 7 — 14

Tyler 14 7 7 0 — 28

First Quarter

TJC—O’Bryan Bell 4 run (Landon Rodgers kick), 13:42.

ICC—Andre Simmons 32 pass from Jeff Schibi (Andrew Gaylor kick), 12:20.

TJC—Jonathan Hatton 5 interception return (Rodgers kick), 8:48.

Second Quarter

TJC—Don Brown 4 run (Rodgers kick), :47.

Third Quarter

TJC—Vincent McNeil 5 run (Rodgers kick), 9:33.

Fourth Quarter

ICC—Lance Clark 14 pass from Schibi (Gaylor kick), :46.

EST. ATT – 3,500.



ICC TJC

First Downs 15 11

Rushes-Yards 27-41 46-223

Passing Yards 142 45

Comp-Att-Int 17-38-1 2-11-0

Punts-Avg. 10-32.1 6-37.3

Fumbles-Lost 2-1 5-2

Penalties-Yards 8-56 9-106

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING—Independence, Marco Dailey 6-15, Akeem Shavers 4-12, Corey Delaney 4-5, Andre Simmons 1-6, Jeff Schibi 11-5, Brett Norris 1-(minus 2). Tyler, Ira Duckworth 21-134, Vincent McNeil 5-33, Stephen Schwark 2-28, O’Bryan Bell 10-27, Don Brown 4-11, Brian Eurysthee 3-1, Teric Williams 1-(minus 11).

PASSING—Independence, Schibi 15-38-1—142. Tyler, McNeil 2-5-0—45, Schwark 0-6-0.

RECEIVING—Independence, Simmons 6-71, Jarius Williams 5-36, Lance Clark 3-22, Luke Mueller 1-8, Shavers 1-8, Dailey 1-(minus 3). Tyler, Aaron Muhammad 1-35, Jamaal Johnson 1-10.

TJC's Teric Williams, sophomore from Naples, Texas, can't get to the corner on a punt return against Independence's Lance Clark, freshaman from Celina, Texas, in the second quarter of their game at Lindale Saturday night.
(Staff Photo by Herb Nygren Jr.)