Fumbling it away

STERLING – Every stat category was pretty much even between Sterling and Geneseo by the end of Friday’s NCIC Reagan game at Roscoe Eades Stadium.

All but one. Geneseo had zero fumbles. Sterling had six and lost two.

That was the difference, as Geneseo broke Sterling two-game series win streak with a 17-7 win.

“It gets a little frustrating because we played really well as a defense,” Sterling linebacker Johnny Lopez said. “We just try to be ready to play at all times and whereever the ball is.”

Sterling’s defense plugged up the Maple Leafs to start the game, allowing one yard on three plays.

After a punt, Sterling (1-2, 0-1) took over at its 19-yard line. On third and eight, quarterback Drew Neubauer’s pass was intecepted by Luke Lembke at the 33-yard-line.

Lembke returned the interception to the 8. Geneseo (3-0, 1-0) scored three plays later on a 2-yard sneak by Geneseo quarterback Michael Atwell. Aaron Kotecki added the extra point for a 7-0 lead with 7 minutes, 29 seconds left in the first quarter.

Neubauer fumbled on the second play of Sterling’s next drive, just past midfield.

Neither team moved the ball the rest of the half, but another Sterling fumble with 2:33 left in the second quarter set up Geneseo at the Sterling 29.

The Maple Leafs drove it to the 7 before settling for a 23-yard field goal by Kotecki with 7 seconds left.

Sterling came out revitalized in the second half, taking the ball to start the third quarter and driving it 55 yards to the Geneseo 10.

“We knew we had to step it up on both sides of the ball after half,” Sterling’s Chris Helfrich said. “We didn’t play well the first half, so we had to make up for that.”

An errant long snap cost Sterling 25 yards and forced a punt. Marcos Rivera pinned Geneseo inside the 5 with his punt.

A three-and-out led to a Geneseo punt that Sterling returned to the Maple Leaf 23.

Five plays into the drive, Sterling capitalized with a 7-yard TD run by Chevy Bushaw.

Sterling threatened on its next two drives, getting inside the Geneseo 10, but a missed field goal and a intentional grounding penalty left them with no points.