LANDON FOOTBALL 27 EPISCOPAL 17 (10.26.2019_

LANDON FOOTBALL 27 EPISCOPAL 17

The High School arrived in Bethesda with a 3-3 record and with expectations of a possible win against the Bears. The Maroon has a roster with a 6’6” QB, several talented receivers, 20+ players weighing 200#+ and players from 13 states plus Canada & China.   They also had in mind that they should have won against Bullis squandering a 19-15 lead in the 4^th Q.

EHS got off of their charter bus ready to go. They received the kickoff and drove 32 yards in 8 plays, but the Bear D stopped them on a 4^th down and 2. The home team started deep in its own territory and attained enough territory to see the Maroon side of the field. Runs by Zayd DeLane, Tyler Smith (+15), Gerney Johnson (+26) and Kino Lilly (+9) were offset by a bad loss back over to Bear land. 4^th down’s Hunter Taylor’s punt moved the opponents to their own 29.

The EHS QB completed 2 long passes and scored on one at 1:33. PAT good

MAROON 7 BEARS 0

Gerney had a superb kick off return offset by a Landon penalty placing the ball on their 36. Four nice runs were blunted by a fumble, which moved the scoreboard into Q2 .

Maroon 1^st and 10 only 640” to the goal line. The Bear D moved the visitors back another 12 measures, but the big QB from Woodside, CA (almost 3,000 miles away) connected with one of his tall WRs for TD #2 at 9:48 of Q2. PAT good.

MAROON 14 BEARS 0

Another Landon turnover returned possession to EHS. The home defense forced their 1^st 3 and out. The Bear O ground it out with 11 consecutive runs averaging over 7 yards. Zayd, Chantz Harley, Tejon Ford and Tyler had the ball 10 times collectively. Dameon Ming covered the last 3 yards for a TD @ 0:52.7. PAT (Hunter) good

MAROON 17 BEARS 7

Incredibly the visitors were able to pass and scramble to set up a successful 40 yard field goal at 0:06.6 [This was the second impressive FG scored by a kicker from Alexandria against the Bears in 2019. Foreshadowing: history repeats itself; see kicker later in this game].

HALFTIME MAROON 17 BEARS 7

This score establishes a prelude for one of the reasons why sports are played by educational institutions. Aside from the boys ability to retain complex D and O sets while executing during action, the contests are opportunity to test and develop CHARACTER. And the Bears did this day!!!

Series #1 of quarter 3 was inauspicious. Good kickoff return, surprise penalty. Bear O good drive disengaged by a fumble.

Those, who compared the headline score against the halftime score, must have noted that the BEAR D shut out EHS in the 2^nd half. Two regular contributors to those committed to stopping the Maroon were unable to play. The defense coordinator moves players in and out; for situational skills plus to keep the boys fresh. [That’s a good excuse for possibly missed someone.] Seen and recorded: Zayd, Tejon, Tyler, DeAngelo Dickerson, Gerney, Chantz, Eric Ford, Dameon, Matt Amitay, Erick Speight, Graham Hertzberg, Zak Oehlerking, Henry Foster, Tommy Kenary and others (?) frustrated the opponents. CHARACTER!!!

Another three-and-out brought the ball back to the Bears @7:41 of Q3. The Bear O “matriculated” the ball 90 yards in 16 plays consuming seven and one half minutes. Numbers 1,2,4,6 and 22 lugged the spheroid made of the skin of pigs for over 5 yards a carry. The TD @ 0:16.6 was the work of Dameon from 7 yards out. PAT missed.

MAROON 17 BEARS 13

Bear D forced the EHS punter out after 3 plays. Landon receiving the ball after a bad visitors’ punt at their 44 yard line. Tyler, Chantz and DeAngelo ran. Two consecutive Bear penalties set up a horrendous 3^rd and 10 from the 40.

“No bother” as the ultimate Ursine sage, Pooh Bear, would say.

KINO TO TYLER for a 40 yard TD pass @8:11. PAT GOOD

BEARS 20 MAROON 17

Now for the Yogi Bera “Déjà vu all over again.” Like in the SSSA game in which a kicker made a spectacular FG kick early in the game, but missed a shorter one in overtime, the EHS PK had a 33 chip shot which he missed. [see foreshadowing above.] Had he scored the game would have been tied and who knows how momentum would go?

The ball moves over to Landon with 5:41 remaining. A long possession or score would seal the win. Or….

The O line demonstrated the stuff of the “playing fields of Eton”. Again apologies for names missed: John Wyatt, Graham Hertzberg, Greg Johnson, Tommy and Zak showed CHARACTER—dealing with many Maroon of larger girth and with more substitutes available.

Eighty-four yards between the home team and as they say, “the house.”  Repeat Pooh’s dictum. Tyler run, Dameon run and another by #4. Third and eight with about 180 seconds left. KINO to ERIC FORD for a 25 yard completion. Zayd and Kino run, refs put ball om 13 1^st and 19 120+ seconds left. HANDOFF TO DAMEON for a 13 yard TD @ 1:59 Hunter PAT good.

BEARS 27 MAROON 17

Down by 10 with less than 2 minutes left, the High School did not fold—6 plays with positive gains. Erik Speight had a big TFL and then Chantz with a game-ending interception.

FINAL SCORE BEARS 27 MAROON 17

BEAT BULLIS!!!

11/2 HOME @2PM

Not the cartoon character Yogi Bear, but a famous Yankee catcher and later manager who was infamous for his malapropisms

“The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton.” Duke of Wellington