Box Score The 12^th Man
Jackson, TN
For the third consecutive week, the Dragons have faced some sort of Tiger (Golden, Maroon) as their opponent in SIAC football. This week the Tigers from Stillman College rolled into Lane Field to capture a 32-22 victory over the Dragons. The 12^th man is often referred to as the home field crowd and the excitement they generate. The 12^th man for this contest was in the form of Dragon turnovers which set up scoring opportunities for the Tigers.

The Tigers intercepted a Chris Rini pass to set up the first score early in the 1^st quarter. Alejandro Huerta connected on a 28-yard field goal completing an 8-play, 16-yard drive and a Tiger 3-0 lead. The Dragons would start their next drive on the 25-yard line after a strong kick-off sailed into the end zone for a touchback. A quarterback sack resulting in a 13-yard loss on 3^rd down forced the Dragons to punt the ball back to the Tigers. The defensive unit for the Dragons stood their ground keeping the Tigers out of the end-zone, forcing them to settle for another Huerta field goal, this time from 24-yards and a 6-0 Tigers lead. Another strong kick-off from Huerta resulted in a touchback that set the Dragons up once again at the 25-yard line with 3:20 left on the clock.

The second quarter would start with the Dragons finishing off a 12-play, 75-yard drive for a touchdown. Chris Rini carried the ball into the end-zone on a 12-yard rush around the right side of the line. David Castillo added the extra point and the Dragons took the lead 7-6. Once again, the Dragons defensive unit would plant their feet in the ground and not allow much movement on the Tigers next series of downs. The Tigers punter (Sean Allen) lifted a high spiral to the Dragons 10-yard line where Evan Yabu signaled for a fair catch. The “12^th man” mentioned earlier would appear once again. Rini completed an 18-yard pass on the first play, but the ball was fumbled during the play and the Tigers were able to pounce on the loose ball gaining possession. Quarterback (Brandon Allen) did not waste any time making the Dragons pay for the mistake; he scrambled 27-yards on the first play for the go-ahead-touchdown. Huerta would add the extra point giving the Tigers the lead 13-7. The next series of downs for the Dragons would result in a second intercepted pass for the Tigers and a very short field. The Dragons defensive unit was called on once again and they responded to the challenge. Three consecutive incomplete passes by the Tigers would bring Huerta to the field for a 39-yard field goal, extending the lead to 16-7 going into halftime. 

The third quarter did not start any better for the Dragons as running back Jerald Hatchett was tackled inside the end zone giving the Tigers' defense a safety and the 18-7 lead. Along with the 2 points, the Tigers would receive the possession of the ball. After an 8-play, 49-yard drive, the Tigers would score a touchdown for a 25-7 lead mid-way of the third quarter. Some teams might have packed their bags and gave up at this point, but not the Dragons. The saying “there are no traffic jams on the extra mile highway,” would allow for the real 12^th man to finally show up for the Dragons. Dragons' fans were brought to their feet on a 63-yard touchdown pass from Rini, which would deflect off the hands of receiver Greg Moore, into the hands of Duke Coleman. David Castillo added the extra point for a 25-14 score heading into the fourth quarter.

The excitement from that play was carried over to the defensive unit once again to start the fourth quarter. The Tigers gained a total of 3 yards on their next series, forcing them to punt the ball back to the Dragons. Allen once again booted a high-spiral that was downed at the Dragons 7 yard line. Rini would use a combination of six completed passes and four rushing plays to drive the Dragons the length of the field for a touchdown. Jerald Hatchett would complete the 15-play, 93-yard drive with a 4-yard run. Rini would also connect with Devon Perry for the two-point conversion and a 25-22 score. One last defensive stand would be needed from the Dragons to keep the Tigers from moving the ball up the field. They would not disappoint the fans as they forced another punt and a change of possession.
Allen connected for a 45-yard punt and the ball came to rest on the Dragons 11 yard line. The offensive unit would now be forced to put together another long drive if they were to get any closer to the Tigers. On the second pass play of the series, Tigers' defender Carlos Wilson stepped in front of a would-be receiver for the interception and a return of 21 yards for a back breaking touchdown. The extra point would be converted for a 32-22 Tiger victory over the Dragons.

The defensive unit that stood strong all day was led by Corey Jones with 10 tackles; Paris Hopper with 9 tackles, a QB sack, and 2 hurries on the quarterback; and Julius Charles collecting 9 tackles, a QB Sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Rini threw for 290-yards, connecting on 18 of 29 passes and a 63-yard touchdown. He would add another 62 yards rushing and a touchdown. Wide-Receiver Devon Perry hauled in 6 passes for 112 yards, while Duke Coleman added 5 receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown.

The Dragons (2-3, 1-3 conference) will travel to Macon, GA for the October 6 meeting with the Golden Rams of Albany State University to compete in the Music City Classic.