Varsity football shows heart in big win at Blake

BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL, Sept. 5 -

Disclaimer: This report was gathered from reflections of Blair players and coaches after the game. It is posted to provide readers with a forum for discussion.

Amidst rainy conditions Friday night, Blair's varsity football team ended an 11-game winless streak, satiating the drought in a dominant 47-14 victory at Blake.

The Blazers jumped out to a quick lead, scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter for a 14-0 edge. When Blake evened the score at 14-all, Blair surpassed the challenge and scored twice more to take a 28-14 lead into the second half.

"The seniors showed a lot of leadership in guiding our team around Blake's early comeback," senior co-captain and linebacker Andy Holmes said. "Then we came back harder than ever to shut them down in the second half."

Blair continued to dominate on both offense and defense to score three more touchdowns in the second half to seal a 47-14 lead.

Senior Dayne Bolt helped the Blazers in every way he could, taking turns at quarterback, fullback and linebacker and scoring four of Blair's seven touchdowns. During one play in the third quarter, Bolt ran the ball straight into a pile of Bengals near half-field. After appearing to be stopped, Bolt broke the defense and ran 50 yards for a spectacular touchdown.

Junior Alex Egber and senior Victor Wang also took turns at quarterback in what appears to be an effective new offensive strategy for the Blazers. Senior running backs Keith Ayensu and Jonathan Haughton shared the ground game with Bolt.

Before Friday, Blair's last win was also against Blake, a 29-13 victory on Nov. 3 in 2006.

The Blazers' home opener is Friday, Sept. 12 against Northwood at 6:30 p.m.