Cubs Fall to Petrolia in Home Opener
The Olney Cubs came roaring out of the locker room for their first home game of the season on Sept. 4, but Petrolia’s relentless running game and a late touchdown allowed the Pirates to escape Cub Stadium with a 30-26 victory.
Olney struck quickly, putting 12 points on the scoreboard in the first quarter behind quarterback Tucker Cortinez and receiver Jamarcus Collins. The pair connected on two long scoring plays as the Cubs used an aggressive passing attack to build a 12-0 lead.
The Pirates had difficulty containing Cortinez’s deep passes, but they answered by keeping the ball on the ground. Petrolia’s runners repeatedly slipped through tackles and steadily collected first downs, allowing the Pirates to control the ball and wear down the Olney defense.
Petrolia got on the scoreboard in the second quarter after recovering an Olney fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. The Pirates then added a two-point conversion, cutting the Cubs’ lead to 12-8 with 8:01 remaining in the half.
Olney’s defense responded later in the quarter by recovering a Petrolia fumble near the Pirates’ 48-yard line. Isaiah Burdick made the recovery, giving the Cubs another opportunity to put their passing game to work.
The two teams continued trading scores after halftime. Petrolia found the end zone again in the third quarter, but Olney’s passing attack kept the Cubs within striking distance. The Pirates carried a 22-18 advantage into the closing seconds of the third quarter.
Cortinez put Olney back in front with 7:58 remaining in the fourth quarter, connecting with receiver Will Caffey for another touchdown. The Cubs followed with a successful two-point conversion to take a 26-22 lead.
That advantage lasted less than a minute.
With 7:02 remaining, a Petrolia returner fielded an Olney punt and raced down the field for a touchdown. The Pirates added a two-point conversion to retake the lead, 30-26.
The Pirates continued grinding out yardage and first downs, denying Olney’s offense one final opportunity to answer.
Head Coach Dustin Altmiller praised the football coaching staff for putting together “a very good game plan in all phases of the game,” and his players for executing that plan “to near perfection in the first half.”
“Obviously, the second half did not go as well as the first half did,” he said. “We had a few injuries that required us to need to put a few players in positions they had not worked during the week. But even with that going on, our players continued to fight for all four quarters of the game. It was a hard-fought battle, and unfortunately, we did not come out on the winning side.”
He said the Cubs viewed the game film on Saturday and were looking forward to getting back on the field this Friday, when they take on the Anson Tigers in Anson at 7 p.m.
The promising home debut showcased a dangerous connection between Cortinez and his receivers. However, missed extra-point attempts, turnovers, tackling problems, and the late punt-return touchdown proved costly in a game decided by four points.