First, congratulations to the coaching staff for their efforts last winter and spring on conditioning. It was very noticeable in the fourth quarter. Paraclete ran out of gas. Hart – especially Jake Stephens – ran over the Spirits.

Second, the Indians were a bunch of fumble bunnies last week with five turnovers. Paraclete had that curse tonight with 3 first half fumbles and 2 INTs in the second half.

Third, talk about milking the clock. Paraclete took the second half kickoff and consumed TEN minutes. The only time the clock stopped was to move the chains. After ten minutes, the only thing it got the Spirits was a missed field goal.

The game did not start particularly well for either team. Hart started at the 20 and had a "stock market" series: up 2, up 9, down 6 (sack), down 5 (sack), up 18 and punt.

Paraclete got hit with a block-in-the-back penalty on the return and started at the 13. The Spirits ran the ball for 2 and then fumbled on the next play and Hart took over at the 17.

This series too, did not start well for Hart: +2, incomplete, penalty for -9 – and then the turnaround, a 24-yard pass to MacArthur in the endzone and it was Hart 7-0 at 7:17.

Paraclete came right back. The Spirits started on the 20 and after some runs, passes for losses and a holding penalty had managed to get only to the 21 (one yad net!). Then the QB connected with a thread-the-needle pass between two Hart defenders for a 79-yard TD pass. 7-7 at 4:19 in the first quarter.

Things tightened up again with Hart going 4 and out followed by a Paraclete 3 and out, another Hart 4 and out and then another Spirit 3 and out. Note: the Paraclete rushing defense was incredibly tough in the first half.

Hart, starting on the 25 then went on a 7-play drive capped by an 18-yard pass to Borland followed by a 39-yard TD pass to MacArthur. 14-7 Hart at 5:41 in the second.

The wind was really blowing into Hart's face so Reyes squibbed the kickoff and Paraclete started at the 43. Two plays later – FUMBLE. Hart recovered at the Paraclete 48 and scored on a six-play drive. The TD came on a 12-yard pass to Borland (Borland and Hairston got to the ball at the same time; Borland prevailed in the struggle for the ball). Hart 21-7 at 1:36 left in the half.

Paraclete marched from their own 20 down to the Hart 27. A receiver dropped a TD pass and on the ensuing play there was another fumble. Hart took a knee to end the half.

First half stats:

Hart

• Rushing: Reyes -22 on 6 carries (3 sacks); Stephens -2 on 5 carries (obviously, the Spirits defended against the run very well in the first half).
• Passing: Reyes was 15-17 for 232 yards and 3 TDs (equally obviously, the Spirits did not defend against the pass to well in the first half). At one point, Reyes had 10 straight completions and he had a completion to all five receivers by the end of the second series.
• Receiving: Borland 4 for 48 yards and a TD; MacArthur 4 for 90 yards and 2 TDs; Hairston 2 for 23 yards; Stephens 4 for 61 yards; King 1 for 10 yards

Paraclete (no program; no names)

• Rushing: 13 for 26 yards (3 fumbles).
• Passing: 5 for 11 for 124 yards and a TD (there was also a spike which is a "team" pass).

Second half: Paraclete started at the 20 and went on a 16-play drive (14 runs, 1 pass and a FG attempt) which consumed 9:59 of the third quarter, only to miss a 37-yard FG attempt.

Hart then had it's one big offensive goof with a fumble as Reyes was scrambling. Paraclete recovered at the Hart 22 and managed only to move back 5 yards on an illegal procedure and then have a Hart INTERCEPTION by Borland at the 5-yard line.

Hart only got out to the 25 before punting but you could clearly see that the Spirits were tiring. They managed to get down to the Hart 32 before fumbling a pitch on fourth down.

Hart took over at the 37. On the first play, Stephens ran for 2. On the next play, he ran for 61 and the TD. Hart 28-7 at 5:50 in the fourth quarter.

On the next series, Bobby Phillips intercepted a pass at the 38. (Phillips was subbing in because Matt Ritz, the starting free safety apparently dislocated his shoulder on the previous Paraclete series (Hope it's not too serious!). Note: Ritz broke his humerus and will miss the rest of the season.

Hart then moved the ball down the field on some runs by Stephens and the phantom Finn, Samuel Brusila (a foreign exchange student) to run out the clock.

Second half stats:

Hart

• Rushing: Stephens 7 for 136 yards and a TD; Reyes 3 for 4 yards and Brusila 2 for -1.
• Passing: Reyes 1 for 3 for 4 yards.

Paraclete:

• Rushing: 20 for 62 yards.
• Passing: 5 for 10, 40 yards and 2 interceptions.

Hart's second half stats look a little on the low side but then, Hart had the ball for a total of 1:22 in the entire third quarter, running only 5 plays. Hart had the ball only 5:43 minutes in the fourth quarter. Despite all the time on the field, the defense kept the Paraclete offense in check for all but one big play in the first quarter.

Final stats:

Reyes: 16 for 20 for 236 yards and 3 TDs (and NO interceptions!). Stephens: 12 carries for 135 yards and a TD; 5 receptions for 65 yards. MacArthur:4 for 90 yards and 2 TDs. Borland:4 for 48 yards and a TD. Hairston: 2 for 23 yards. King: 1 catch for 10 yards.

Rest up next week, then league. Gotta figure out who I'm going to watch next Friday.