Road Warriors – Football Wins Big at John Paul the Great

The St. Albans football team made it three for three on the road this season with a 47-3 win at Saint John Paul the Great Friday night in Dumfries, VA.  The Bulldog offense came out hot with a 7-play, 70-yard touchdown drive on the opening possession of the game.  After Miles Harmon returned the opening kickoff to the St. Albans 30, he took a screen pass in the left flat 10 yards.  On the next play, Luke Harmon took a screen pass 20 yards from the right slot, then Miles caught a Chase Williams pass down the middle for a 34-yard gain to the JPG six-yard line.  After the Wolves defense forced an incomplete pass and stopped two inside runs, Williams burst through the middle on 4^th down and goal from the four-yard line for the first of his three rushing touchdowns on the evening.  Scott Holland converted the extra point for the early 7-0 lead. 

 

The teams exchanged punts then St. Albans drove deep again before fumbling at the Wolves’ 1-yard line.  After JPG punted from deep in its own territory the Bulldogs used a mix of runs and short passes to work the ball to inside the host’s 10-yard line.  Williams sprinted around the right side for his second touchdown of the night and a 13-0 lead with 8:46 to play in the first half.  The Wolves responded with a sustained drive moving the ball inside the STA 30-yard line.  On 4^th and 4 from the 24-yard line the Bulldogs pass rush swarmed the Wolves’ quarterback to end the threat.  Two plays later Williams completed a 10-yard pass to Corbet Darden, who bowled over a tackler and rumbled down the right sideline for another 40 yards to the JPG 25-yard line.  Williams faked a give to Miles Harmon on the next play, bootlegged to his left, and dropped a 25-yard pass over the outstretched hands of the Wolves’ safety to a streaking Bob Gross for STA’s third touchdown of the half and a 20-0 lead.  The Bulldog defense held on fourth down again in the waning seconds of the half to preserve the 20-0 lead at the break. 

 

Fueled by the swarming front of Nick Pittman, Eli Quarles, Carter Steinberg, James Baker, Darden and Gross the STA defense shut down the Wolves’ offense in the third quarter with several punishing hits and suffocating coverage in the secondary.  Lance Gartrell flew up from his safety position to stop a 3^rd down Wolves run and force a punt early in the quarter.  After driving to the Wolves’ ten, Williams ran for his third touchdown of the evening to extend the STA lead to 26-0.  Zach Lubar opened the floodgates on the Bulldogs’ next possession with a perfectly placed 40-yard pass down the left sideline to Darden.  Lubar rolled to his right on the next play and hit Luke Harmon for a 20-yard touchdown pass.  Two plays later safety Earle Horton intercepted a pass and sprinted untouched down the right sideline for a 30-yard pick-six to put the game out of reach.  The Bulldogs added another score in the 4^th quarter and JPG converted a late field goal to make the final score 47-3. 

 

The Bulldogs improved to 3-1 on the season overall and 3-0 on the road.  They complete their non-league schedule next Saturday, October 2^nd hosting St. Paul VI for Homecoming.  Kickoff is set for 2:00pm on Steuart Field.