By Doyle Barlow / Baytown Sun ———

 

BAYTOWN – A furious rally by Little Cypress-Mauriceville came up just short, as the Bears dropped a hard-fought 30-23 decision to Goose Creek Memorial at Stallworth Stadium here Friday night. LC-M (0-3) had a final chance to mount a game-tying drive, as the Bears took over on their own 41-yard line with 2:36 remaining in the contest. But the drive and game ended, when the Bears’Ronald Guillory was tackled inside GCMs 35-yard line as time expired.
After falling behind 23-7 with 10:04 remaining in the third quarter, LC-M’s methodical, ball-control attack took over. The Bears mounted an 8-play, 67-yard march capped by quarterback Beau Bickham’s 1-yard sneak. Bickham ran in the 2-point conversion himself to pull LC-M within 23-15 with 6:41 remaining in the contest.
Things got even better for the Bears moments later, when they pounced on the ensuing onside kick. J’Lon Douglas took the ball into the end zone from 13 yards away to cap a short 34-yard march and bring the Bears with 23-21. Moments later, Samuel King plowed in for the 2-point conversion and the game was knotted at 23-23 with 5:44 left.
At that point, the Bears tried another onside kick, but the Patriots’ Cameron Francette recovered at the 45-yard line, creating a short field for the GCM offense.
The Patriots wasted little time in driving 55 yards for what proved to be the game-winning score. Quarterback Deandre Herman, who already had a 98-yard touchdown run to his credit in the third quarter, capped the march with another keeper, this one from 8 yards out. Hector Trevino tacked on the PAT for the final 30-23 margin.
GCM (2-1) got on the board on its opening drive. Senior wide receiver Myles Duke took a reverse pitch and found paydirt from 38 yards out for a 7-0 Patriot lead just over two minutes into the game.
The Bears answered in the second quarter to tie the game at 7-7. Mitchell Lee hauled in a 6-yard pass from Bickham on a fake field goal for the score.
GCM took a 10-7 lead into intermission after Trevino connected on a 24-yard field goal with 53 seconds left.

The Bears will return home next week as they will host the Hardin-Jefferson Hawks as they will look to snare their first win of the campaign.