Collins’ Big Second Half Leads Loara, 28-14

When it was third-and-long for Loara High School, along came Coy Collins.

Big gains by Collins on second-half draw plays and sweeps allowed Loara to maintain control of the ball and stop any chance of a Canyon comeback as the Saxons defeated the Comanches, 28-14, in a nonleague game Thursday night at Fred Kelly Field.

“I look for (Collins) on third-and-long, second-and-short, third-and-short . . . ,” Loara Coach Herb Hill said. “Yeah, we look for him.”

Collins, the county’s fifth-leading rusher entering the game, broke loose in the second half, gaining 144 yards and scoring two touchdowns after being held to only 19 yards in the first half. He finished with 163 yards on 21 carries.

Along with Loara quarterback Sean Conner, who gained 97 yards on 16 carries, Collins helped the Saxons control the ball long enough to hold off Canyon. Conner also completed four of 11 passes for 60 yards and a touchdown.

It was the passing of Canyon quarterback Chuck Nickerson that kept the Comanches close. Nickerson completed 13 of 20 passes for 126 yards and one touchdown. However, with Canyon down 28-14 midway through the fourth quarter, Nickerson dropped a snap at the Loara 9. Loara recovered and then Collins and company ran out the clock with a 14-play drive that ended with a missed field goal.