London Greer was having himself quite a night against Wyandotte. A senior running back and linebacker for Ruskin, Greer had found paydirt on both sides of the ball when it seemed he was headed for score number three early in the third quarter.
But the bruising back was stripped of the ball as he burst through a hole in the middle of the Bulldogs' defense. A strip and recovery by Wyandotte stifled Ruskin's momentum.
The Golden Eagles had gone in front of the host Bulldogs by 12 points with more than 7 minutes remaining in the third when Greer lost the ball.
Crisis averted.
The Golden Eagles' defense tightened after Greer's miscue and Wyandotte was shut out the rest of the way in Ruskin's 32-20 win Friday at Wyandotte. The Game was the third addition of the DiPasquale-Moore Metro Matchup Game of the Week. The Metro Matchup is sponsored by DM Law and highlights schools from the Kansas City, Kan. and Kansas City, Missouri school districts.
"I was running and got caught up," Greer said of the fumble. "It ain't nothing. It's a mistake everybody makes."
Ruskin head coach William Perkins knows better than most that his squad can't afford to give an opponent an inch. Giving away possessions with a two score lead is not a recipe for success. Nor is turning the ball over seven times.
"We have some work to do, but it's always good to get the W," Perkins said.
Neither team had won a game coming into the contest. Ruskin notched its first victory of the season while Wyandotte dropped to 0-2.
The Golden Eagles, 1-1, were thumped 51-14 against Belton last week after their first game was canceled.
Wyandotte suffered a 21-7 setback at Hogan to open its season after its first game was called off. The Bulldogs hadn't played in two years until last week and had no opportunity for a preseason jamboree. The long layoff will require a bit more work, head coach R.J. Premis said. Players voluntarily removed themselves from the game at times, a visibly upset Premis said afterwards.
"I've got football players tonight that literally took themselves out of the game halfway through the first quarter," Premis said. "I don't know where this stems from. It could be the season off, but I'm not going to make an excuse. I have to find guys that want to play football."
After a back and forth first half that saw the two teams combine for 46 points, the Bulldogs were shut out in the second half. Greer led the Golden Eagles on defense, returning an interception 35 yards for a touchdown as time expired in the second quarter.
Ruskin quarterback William Sanders opened the scoring with a 65-yard first quarter run. Wyandotte running back Jordan Gragg followed with a 3-yard run that tied the game at 6-6.
