Blazers bulldoze Titans

OCT. 26, EINSTEIN—

It was the first play of the Titans' first drive, when Einstein's quarterback connected for an easy completion. Even before the first play was over, it looked like another tough game for Blair JV football. Suddenly, the ball slipped from the receiver's hands and onto the ground. Sophomore Paris Essoumba scooped it up and smashed straight into the end zone for a quick six points. Before the Einstein fans knew what hit them, Blair was on top, and would stay there for the entire game, for a final score of 0-39.

On Blair's first drive, they developed decent yardage, executing well on several short runs. The Blazers picked up good yardage on a wide run to the left by freshman running back Keith Avensu, who later left the game early with an injured ankle. Then Andrew Gondor, a freshman who has emerged as a vital asset to the team, finished the drive with a touchdown run to the left and put up another six points.

The Blazers moved without resistance throughout the entire first half, with much help from freshman running back Jonathon Emmanuel who continued to pick up big yardage up the middle. On Blair's second drive, they ran the entire way down the field, and then capped their performance with a perfect 30-yard touchdown pass caught by Essoumba five feet away from the end zone.

Blair continued to dominate offensively, picking up first down after first down. For the Blazers, the 1st down chains were a-moving as they went on to put up 26 points in the first half. Blair left Einstein fans flabbergasted, as cries of "This is a joke," and "Put in the water boy" carried from the Titans' stands.

Blair's defense was just as strong throughout the entire game. They put consistent pressure on the quarterback, and racked up several big sacks, especially by sophomore nose guard Bryan Smalls. "Our defense was strong. Whenever you can shut them down like we did and get the ball back to the offense, you are going to win a lot of games," said head coach Adrian Kelly, and Blair truly did shut them down. They held Einstein to a total of only four first downs, allowing them to reach the red-zone only once.

In the second half Blair was just as strong, scoring thirteen more points. Emmanuel continued to be a strong presence, working the ball all over the field. At one point Blair strung together 15 plays in a row for a touchdown.

Einstein was still no match for the Blazers' defense who shut them out for the second half in a row. The lopsided game also allowed a lot of time for Blair's younger players to see some action, which they truly made the most of. Blair's secondary team outplayed Einstein's primary, stopping the run and putting pressure on the quarter back. "Our secondary is almost entirely 9th graders," explained an enthusiastic coach Kelly. "When you see them hold it down like they did, it gives you a lot of hope for the future."

The players echoed their coach's assessment of the game. "We hit hard, so you better watch out," said freshman safety Chris Grindly. Avensu added, "When we stick to our game plan like we did tonight, we will win games."