Looking more like a first practice than a first game, the Dragons turned the ball over 10 – yes, 10 – times in a 14-0 season opening loss to the Portsmouth West Senators.

Saturday, August 28, 1999

Looking more like a first practice than a first game, the Dragons turned the ball over 10 – yes, 10 – times in a 14-0 season opening loss to the Portsmouth West Senators.

It was a turnover that set up the first West score when the Senators recovered a fumbled punt at the Fairland 19-yard line midway through the first quarter.

Seven plays later freshman quarterback Bryson Williams kept the ball on a 3-yard touchdown run and it was 6-0. The conversion pass failed.

Portsmouth West came back to get an insurance touchdown with a 60-yard, eight-play drive in the second quarter.

Justin Cantrell capped the march with a 22-yard scamper and Cantrell also ran for the conversion to make it 14-0 with 10:11 left in the half.

Stymied by turnovers, the Dragons never could mount a scoring threat until late in the game. But it was the turnover bug again that did the Dragons in as they fumbled the ball away at the 6-yard line after a pass completion.

Fairland’s Jeremy Louden led all rushers with 55 yards on nine carries and freshman Junior Jamie added 39 yards on eight tries. C. C. Smith and Eric Bailey each ran for 45 yards and Cantrell added 41 yards on 10 attempts for West.

The Dragons play at River Valley next Friday.