LANDON FOOTBALL 7 WOODBERRY FOREST 35

The Bears arrived in Orange, VA with a 3-0 record against larger foes, but were able to beat their opponents through execution of the O, discipline in their D assignments, few turnovers and a positive account in their penalty yards being < their opponents’; their coaching made a difference. Today, the Tigers (history, WF adopted the name when Princeton gave the team their first set of orange & black uniforms) were impervious to the Landon 2023 three game formula. The home team had numbers of 230, 235,240, 245, 250, 275, 305 and 310 on the weight column of their roster, plus the squad’s residences included 7 countries plus 8 states. 

The first three series were harbingers of the rest of the game:  

• WF held the ball for 4 minutes, 10 downs and 41 yards but stopped themselves by 2 penalties 

• Landon incurred a penalty and turned the ball over  

• Tigers started in Bears’ territory and scored in 5 plays/46 yards 

The home team scored 14 points in Q1 and another 2 touchdowns in Q2. 

The Bears did not want for effort. Out from halftime, their O controlled the ball for 13 plays,56 yards and almost 6 minutes. The Tigers stopped the Bethesda team on a 4th down, but again the visitors rose up to stop their hosts in 3 downs. Another Bear o possession went 13 plays, 61 yards and 10 minutes, but a black-jerseyed DB made a very athletic catch to snatch the ball away.  

A tired Bear team fought but conceded another score –heavily relying on an exceptional RB (big brother same position for the 1969 Tigers). That made the advantage +35 and under HS rules, the clock would run for the remaining ~6 minutes. Undaunted, the Landon O drove 70 yards, in 10 plays for a TD with 1:06 remaining.  

DISAPPOINTING BUT NOT DISCOURAGING. THESE YOUNG SCHOLAR/ATHLETES COULD HAVE EASILY CONCEDED DEFEAT TO THESE SUPERIOR FORCES, but they didn’t!!! 

NEXT FRIDAY v. Riverdale (2-3) H 4pm