Blair football blows out Kennedy in homecoming game

Coming off their first loss of the season against Sherwood, the Blair Blazers (7-1) were eager to get back on track against the Kennedy Cavaliers (0-8). They did so in dominant fashion on Friday night, routing the Cavaliers by a score of 54-0.

The Blazers, especially their seniors, were motivated to beat the Cavaliers because it was Blair's annual homecoming game. "For the seniors, our last homecoming game is a big deal,” senior quarterback Desmond Colby said.

Blair's offense got to work quickly, scoring on the first drive of the game as Colby tossed a 23 yard touchdown to senior wide receiver Ponce DeLeon. The Blazer defense then did its part by forcing a fumble to retake possession. Although the Blazers proceeded to turn the ball over on downs, they rebounded by recovering another Kennedy fumble. This time, Blair took advantage, as senior wide receiver Cliff Carter took a short pass 50 yards into the end zone to give the Blazers a 14-0 lead.

Colby threw an interception deep in Kennedy territory on the Blazers' next drive, but he soon returned to form with a touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Christopher Butler. Butler bobbled the short pass but hauled it in and converted the 48 yard touchdown.

The Blazers continued to stay hot in the second quarter, laying three more touchdowns on the Cavaliers. Colby and Carter, the Montgomery County leaders in passing and receiving yards respectively, connected to extend the Blair lead to 27-0. Senior running back Eric Zokouri cashed in on a ten yard run later in the quarter, although a failed two-point conversion attempt kept the score at 33-0. Even the defense got in on the scoring action, as sophomore cornerback Maada Kposowa picked off a Kennedy pass and returned it for a touchdown to put the Blazers up by 39 heading into halftime.

Head coach Andrew Fields attributed his team's plethora of explosive plays to their athleticism. "We were the superior team athletically tonight. When that happens you're going to make big plays,” he said.

A running clock was put in place in the second half due to Blair's commanding lead. With the game well in hand, the Blazers allowed their younger players to get in-game experience. Junior quarterback Matt Siff, who replaced Colby at halftime, threw an 82 yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, junior fullback Julian Montero earned the last score of the game on an eight yard run. The Blair defense held Kennedy scoreless as the clock wound down on a relatively stress-free 54-0 win.
Although the Blazers were excited to earn a victory on homecoming weekend, they were well aware that tough challenges loom ahead on their schedule, including the Einstein Titans (6-2) and the Damascus Hornets (8-0). Fields said that small tweaks need to be made for the Blazers to have success against these teams. "We have to tie up loose ends. We are not yet firing on all cylinders,” he said.

Next matchup: The Blazers travel to Einstein High School to face the up-and-coming Titans (6-2), on Friday night at 6:30 p.m.