Landon Football 28 StA 0

Landon Football 28 StA 0

Bear Trends about this game and this season:

for the fifth time this year, the Bears did not score in the first quarter of its game.

for the ninth year in a row, the Bears beat their traditional rivalry, a competition that dates back 90 years ago.

The slow starts? Halftime adjustments? The boys waking up slowly? Competitive juices need time to gestate? Uninspired warm-up routine? Whatever the reason, the boys put their game in gear in the second half.

Saint Albans’ beginning roster and their early schedule (4-1) were not seen on the field on 11/8. The Bulldogs took the opening kick-off and held the ball for 14 plays, 68 yards. That initiative was squelched by a fumble.

The visitors, sporting white jerseys and brown pants, mirrored the home team’s 1^st drive, except this Bears’ possession ended in a TD. Thirteen consecutive plays, only one through the air led to a TD @ 10:22 of Q2 on aTejon Ford run. The 84 yards were gained through runs by Gerney Johnson, Kino Lilly and Zayd DeLane. The PAT was blocked.

The remainder of the half was punctuated by fumbles, interceptions, incompletions and punts. Little of the game film will be included in any of either teams’ season highlights.

HALFTIME BEARS 6 BULLDOGS 0

The next period started inauspiciously for the Brown and White; the first time they had the ball, they had to punt after an eight play series. The punt was blocked!!! The Bear D stopped StA in 3 plays and their punt was short.

On the ground, Chantz Harley (3 carries), Zayd (3), DeAngelo Dickerson (3), Damien Ming (1) and Kino (2 including the TD) @ 1:03. Kino had six points for that yard and then earned 2 more points on the running conversion.

The last 12 minutes was filled with highlights.

First, senior Captain Tommy Kenary forced the StA QB to fumble and the ball squirted to Graham Hertzberg (a fellow D lineman and future Michigan attackman) who sprinted the ~33 yards for aTD @ 0:03 Hunter Taylor PAT good.

That play brought an end to Q3 with the Bears 21 Bulldogs 0

StA received the kick-off and was unable to move the ball. Chantz frustrated the Bulldogs with an exceptional defense of a long pass.

Landon put together another efficient offensive possession- 7 plays for 87 yards highlighted by a 52 yard run by DeAngelo @ 7:30. PAT good.  28-0

That sensational run was facilitated by a crushing downfield block by senior Jack Poston. The block and the run caused may of the Bears on the sideline to sprint onto the field for a celebration (which drew a penalty).

The next Hunter kickoff from the 25 due to the CELLY foul. It gave the Bulldogs their best field position since Q1. Gerney crushed a StA receiver for a loss on a bubble screen, defeating a block and hogtying the larger opponent. On the next down, StA tried another long pass.  Evidently, they forgot that the last time that the home team tried that pattern #11 almost intercepted it. This time Chantz INTERCEPTED IT.

With the game in hand, for the second year, a Bear Lineman got to fulfill his dream. In 2018, T Bridgers got to run the ball. The 2019 lineman/running back was Tommy Kenary who ran the ball for 11 yards. Matt Amitay also proved that his running skills, inherited from his Mom, had been underutilized when he lugged the pigskin for substantial real estate. The Bears did not score on this drive, they punted and once again they stopped the Bulldogs after 3 plays. Landon took a knee for two plays to expire the clock.

FINAL SCORE BEARS 28 BULLDOGS 0

The Landon Class of 2019 took 5 Bears off to Division I football. The Class or 2020 only has ten members of this team. A 6-3 record was an accomplishment by the seniors, the other players, the coaches and parents.

CONGRATULATIONS to all !!!