Team effort.
Yes, the final score was satisfying, as the Highlanders dominated
the Troy Athens Redhawks, outscoring them 40-6. But the real story
was the team effort. No single player carried the ball more than
five times. Eleven different runners carried the ball for
Adams
. Quarterback J.D. Osborn completed six passes to six different
receivers. All platoons of offensive linemen blocked well, enabling
those eleven runners to generate 289 yards rushing on 40 carries.
Neither Osborn nor backup QB Greg Ornazian were sacked. A total of
seventeen defensive players were credited with tackles and the defensive
units held
Athens
to a mere 92 yards of total offense. The Redhawks ran the football
23 times for a total of 15 yards. Three different players (Rob
Reynolds, Mike Monahan and Aaron McNamara) grabbed interceptions to
destroy the
Athens
passing attack.
Team effort.
The Highlanders took the opening kickoff and used five running
plays, including 27 and 29-yard runs by Adam Smith (5 carries, 91 yards),
to reach the end zone. Steve Emery scored the opening touchdown on a
1-yard run. The Redhawks opening series included a 15-yard run.
Since they finished with 15 yards for the entire game, you get some idea
of how the Highlanders defensive line and linebackers played for the rest
of the game. The Redhawks were forced to punt but Adams fumbled the
punt return, giving
Athens
its best field position of the day. They capitalized and tied the
game at 6-6 on a 12-yard TD run.
Penalties and turnovers plagued the Highlanders in their first game.
Determined to erase mistakes, the Highlanders would make no more.
Cory Colucci made four tackles in the first quarter, denying the
Athens
spread offense of any hope for open field. The Highlanders started
the first drive of the 2nd quarter on their own 29-yard line,
capping the drive with a 26-yard scoring strike from Osborn (6-of-10
passing, 122 yards, 1 TD) to Alex Anderson. Thomas Casey booted the
extra point and
Adams
led 13-6.
Monahan
intercepted a pass to stop the next
Athens
series and Emery recovered a fumble to stop the next drive.
Adams
forced a punt with the first half winding down and proceeded to launch an
aerial assault as Osborn went 4-for-4 with completions to Adam Smith,
Taylor Carriere, Emery and Corlucci for a total of 72 yards. Mike
Monahan made the score 20-7 at halftime with a 19-yard touchdown run.
Rob
Reynolds intercepted a pass on the first play of the second half and
returned it to the 3-yard line. Osborn scored on a quarterback
keeper to make the score 27-6. The Highlander defense stopped a
Redhawk runner for a loss and defensive end Greg Ornazian sacked the
Athens
quarterback for a 12-yard loss on the next play. Ornazian had two
impressive sacks and a forced fumble during the game. Following a
24-yard pass to Dan Muncey, Osborn (4 carries, 14 yards, 2 TD) ran for
another touchdown, this time from 8 yards out. The PAT was blocked
and
Adams
led 33-6.
On
the next play from scrimmage, the Highlanders harassed the Redhawk
quarterback into their third interception of the game, this time by Aaron
McNamara.
Athens
managed to hold and Josh Patten pinned
Athens
deep on their own 14-yard line. After forcing another punt,
Adams
gained 68 yards on ten rushing plays, using seven different ball carriers.
Back on defense, Mitch Barr exploded to break up a play in the Redhawk
backfield, leading to a 24-yard loss and a fumble recovery for a touchdown
by Barr. Casey’s kick made it 40-6. Mitch was credited with
four tackles, two for a loss and a fumble recovery and some crunching
special teams play during the game.
The
Athens
spread offense (10-of-20 passing, 77 yards, 3 interceptions) is intended
to test the tackling ability, particularly open field tackles, of its
opponent. The Highlanders, as a team, passed the test. Leading
tacklers on defense were McNamara (7 tackles, 3 for a loss), Reynolds,
Emery, Corlucci, Jake Heinrich, Ornazian, Bahr and Alex Ko. On
offense, 17 players ran or caught the ball, generating 411 yards and 15
first downs.
Team
effort indeed.
Mark
Robertson
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