Aug 29, 2020

Hot Start

No tune-up games? No problem

Or least, not much of a problem.

Following an opening play razzle-dazzle attempt that was picked-off by South, Shanley quickly got their offense in gear. Their second possession finished with a 19-yard touchdown run by Aidan DeVine.

In response, the Bruins rebounded from their first possession turnover-on-downs with a touchdown toss to Kameron Arechigo to make it a one-point game, 7-6.

That's how the scoreboard would stay until John Gores picked-off a pass & didn't stop running until the end of the field.

South responded again with one of the best touchdown runs that there will be this year, anywhere. Bakarr Fullah made defenders miss like few can, but don't just take my word for it!

The momentum swung again on the next timed play as Gores took the kickoff for a touchdown to go up 21-12. The 80-yard KRT ended without so much as a finger being laid upon the junior back. Whatsmore, the Deacon defense bowed up to force a punt and then Emmet Kenney put his lone field goal attempt of the evening through from 33 yards away to end the scoring for the first half.

The train really got rolling in the third quarter. Following a Bruin 3 & out, Cooper Mattern scored on a keeper to make it a 31-12 game at the 9:20 mark. One play later, Braden DeKeyser snatched a Peyton Kessel pass out of the air & also made it into the endzone untouched. But the explosive plays weren't done yet!

On the ensuing kickoff, Fullah went 95 yards where Kenney was the closest player to making contact on that play. If you ever have wondered why tackling is stressed by the most successful programs, the biggest plays of the game displayed it.

So with 9:01 left on the close in the third quarter, it was still either teams game.

Shanley had no interest in keeping that fact in play any longer than they had to though. Due to some more tackling trouble, Gores found his way through & past a crowd of Bruins on the way to the end zone for the third time.

The trouble compounded as Kessel was picked off again after stringing together a few good plays, this time Carter Kochmann was the thief on a tipped pass.

The South defense did what they could to respond with consecutive sacks that eventually lead to a punt just before the quarter ended. And in turn, the offense scored another quick TD, this time into the hands of Connor Wolf just before he rolled out of the back of the end zone.

But then, again the home team managed to answer. It was DeKeyser with a second appointment for points who hauled in a 39-yard touchdown to go up 50-26 with under 8 minutes remaining.

Lars Hager ended the scorekeeper's duties for the evening with one last touchdown for South. But by then the fat lady had already sung.

More important than any of the stats or the outcome was the loss of a top talent in the first half as Sibomana Enock was knocked out of the game with an apparent elbow injury. He continued to work with the medical staff to try & get back in the game but alas, never did. Football may be the ultimate team game but a player of his caliber could have made up for a lot, so hopefully it doesn't prevent him from getting back on the field this year!