Strong Webster City ground game too much for C.C.

By Ryan Kronberg, Sports Editor
Published: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 8:38 AM CDT

Webster City's single wing offense, on paper, can appear easy to stop.

Paper, however, was not reality during Friday's Class 3A District Two football game.

Webster City's rushing offense churned out 367 yards and five touchdown as the Lynx picked up a 33-12 win over Charles City at Comet Field.


The Lynx picked up 66 of those yards on their second offensive play. Lynx quarterback Brent Nelson found a seam up the middle of the Comet defense and raced into the endzone untouched. The extra point gave the Lynx a 7-0 lead at the 8:06 mark of the first quarter.

"We said we had to be disciplined and do our jobs," said Charles City coach Steve Stallsmith. "They broke a big play right away and it kind of got us on our heels."

Webster City's score came on the heels of a Lynx defensive stand. Charles City took the opening drive all the way down to the Webster City 34-yard line. The Lynx, however, held the Comets on fourth down.

After its score, Webster City's defense forced the Comets to punt after three downs. The Lynx offense then steadily and methodically marched the ball 59 yards down the field over 12 plays. John Hill capped the drive on a 1-yard run on fourth and goal. Webster City led 14-0 at 1:36 of the first quarter following the extra point.

The Lynx's offensive execution would fluster the Comet defense all game long.

"It's a matter of executing," Stallsmith said. "What we had to do was everybody had to be disciplined and do their job and get off the ball, stay low. That's why football is the greatest game — you've got to have 11 people doing what they're suppose to do. On paper, its (Webster City's offense) easy (to defend), but you've still got to go out and execute. "That's the whole game of football is execution and getting things done. I wouldn't say the game plan was wrong. I would say that we didn't get them ready to play and we didn't execute what we're suppose to do"



Charles City found the scoreboard for the first time early in the second quarter. Bastian Metzdorf capped a drive with a 46-yard field, cutting Webster City's lead to 14-3 57 seconds into the second quarter.

The Comets held on the Lynx's ensuing drive. Charles City drove into field goal range, but the attempt was no good. Webster City led 14-3 at halftime.

Webster City took the second half kickoff, then proceeded to have the offense march right down the field. The Lynx moved the ball to the Comet 9. A procedure penalty gave Webster City first and goal at the Charles City 14.



Charles City's defense, in desperate need of some type of a big play, found it courtesy of Justin DeBower. The Comet junior recovered a fumble, the out ran everyone down the field for six points. Charles City cut Webster City's lead to 14-9 after a missed two-point conversion attempt.

Webster City's offense, though, promptly squelched any hope that Charles City might have changed the momentum on the ensuing offensive possession. The Lynx put together another solid drive, capped off when Hill bounded across the goal line from 2-yards out. Charles City blocked the extra point. Webster City's lead, however, increased to 20-9 with 7:05 left in the third quarter.

Charles City would not come any closer.



"That was a big play," Stallsmith said of DeBower's fumble return for a touchdown. "I thought it was going to spark us. Then, we couldn't sustain it on defense to make another big play. Defensively, we made a big play and it got us our boost and we didn't catch fire like we have in past games."

The Comets offense had a good drive going on its ensuing possession. Isaac Poolman broke through a seam in the Webster City defense and was off to the races. Webster City, however, like the rest of the evening, picked up a timely break. The last Lynx defender between Poolman and a touchdown poked the ball out as he was tackling Poolman. Webster City recovered at its own 43.

Kevin Kannuan found the end zone five plays later, scoring up the middle nearly untouched on a 17-yard run. The missed conversion try moved the score to 26-9 with 4:15 left in the third.



Charles City's passing offense worked well on the evening. Quarterback Josh Becker threw for 184 yards. A majority of those yards, however, came between the 30-yard lines. Becker finished with 15 completions on 33 attempts.

Webster City's final score came courtesy of a Hill 1-yard run with 6:47 left in the fourth quarter. The extra point moved the score to 33-9.

Charles City added a 42-yard Metzdorf field goal with 1:02 left.



The Comets tried, but could not recover the onside kick.

Stallsmith noted that the end of last Friday's game was key to setting the tone for this Friday's game.

"I told them 'We've got to finish this game like we want to start the next one'," Stallsmith said. "So, we had to drive down and score. We tried the onside and didn't get it."



Webster City's win gives Lynx the inside track second place in the district. The Lynx are 5-2 overall and 4-1 in the district. Webster City, though, does play Clear Lake in week nine.

Charles City (5-2, 3-2) closes out the home portion of the regular season this Friday hosting longtime Northeast Iowa Conference rival Waverly-Shell Rock. The Go-Hawks (2-5, 2-3) defeated Forest City 35-29 this past Friday in Waverly. Action is set to kickoff with the freshmen at 5 p.m. with the varsity to follow at 7:30 p.m. at Comet Field.

"We're looking at probably saying hte next two games are playoff games if we want to get there," Stallsmith said. "We've got to paly with a sense of urgency if we want to get there. The Go-Hawks are always tough. This year is no different. Every game we've seen, they've been playing hard and physical. We've got to make things happen in practice to make them happen in the game."



you've got to have 11 people doing what they're suppose to do. On paper, its (Webster City's offense) easy (to defend), but you've still got to go out and execute. "That's the whole game of football is execution and getting things done. I wouldn't say the game plan was wrong. I would say that we didn't get them ready to play and we didn't execute what we're suppose to do"

Dolphins single-wing package foiled the Patriots

Click Image To View Video:

Terrell Davis and Steve Mariucci discuss how the Dolphins single-wing package foiled the Patriots.

• How the plays worked off each other.
• How future opponents will have to take time out of their practices to prepare for the Single-Wing.
  
  

NFL GameDay: Coach'em up

Friday, October 10, 2008 1:21 PM

NFL GameDay's Steve Mariucci goes inside the Dolphins Wildcat formation.

Click Image to see video:

////////////////////////////////////////////////

Ronnie Brown Week 5 Highlights

Click image to view video:

Featured in the Wildcat formation Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown rushes for 125 yds and 1 TD.

The Billick breakdown: Dolphin Single Wing

Click the image below to see video:

Brian Billick and Adam Schefter debate the NFL's hot topics stemming from Week 3, Including the Dolphins Single-Wing Package. (see the 2:18 mark)

NFL Network - Anatomy of a Play: Single-Wing Wildcat formation

Click the image to view the video:

Greg Cosell dissects Miami's Single-Wing"Wildcat" formation and why it worked against New England.
Move Video Below
==================================================
Anatomy of a Play: 'Wildcat' beats Patriots
NFL Films

The Miami Dolphins dismantled the three-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots last weekend. Miami's 461 yards was their highest total since Dan Marino put up 469 against the Colts in 1999, and was the most surrendered by the Patriots since the Bengals posted 478 in 2004.

The most creative scheme in Miami's arsenal was perhaps their new "Wildcat" formation, which produced four of the Dolphins' five touchdowns. It was a package that quarterbacks coach David Lee utilized last year when he was the offensive coordinator at Arkansas. It was designed to create space and angles, that is, more space for runners to run and better angles for blockers to block. Lee's formula: Space + angles = Touchdowns.

The personnel was something you might see on the goal line, with three backs and two tight ends, but the alignment was far from traditional.

Running back Ronnie Brown was in the shotgun at quarterback, while quarterback Chad Pennington and running backs Patrick Cobbs and Ricky Williams were aligned at wide receiver. The offensive line was unbalanced, with three 300 pounders to the right side. Left tackle Jake Long was one of them, aligned to the unbalanced or "heavy" side, as the third offensive lineman to the right. Tight end Anthony Fasano lined up on the left, next to guard Justin Smiley.

Surprisingly, New England's front seven didn't adjust to the unbalanced line. They remained in their base, 3-4 front with nose tackle Vince Wilfork aligned on center Samson Satele. By not respecting the extra beef on the right side and shifting their front in that direction, the Patriots were more susceptible to angle blocks in the running game.

Then Ricky Williams went in motion. And this wasn't the kind of motion you typically see in the NFL. This was what Urban Meyer does at Florida. This was an aggressive, attacking motion that accelerated toward Brown as the ball was snapped. The speed with which Williams moved immediately threatened the flank of New England's defense, widening their perimeter defenders and creating space.

The third element of the formula was misdirection. When the ball was snapped and Williams sprinted in front of Brown, the Patriots didn't know where the ball was. Brown could have handed it off to Williams, which he did twice for 30 yards. Brown could have kept it himself, which he did three times for 69 yards and three touchdowns. Or Brown could have thrown the ball, which he did once for a 19-yard score.

"Wildcat" summary: Six plays, 118 yards, four touchdowns.

After seeing the Patriots' vaunted defense struggle against the formation on Sunday, there's no telling how many teams will incorporate "Wildcat" into their offense. It's true that not every team has a player as dynamic as Ronnie Brown to run the show or a second back as explosive as Williams, but it's likely that many teams will dabble with the concept.

After all, the same principles that made it work for the Dolphins and make it work week after week for so many college teams, definitely apply in the NFL. Space, angles and misdirection are three fundamentals of football, through which every offense at every level of the game wants to gain an advantage.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Week 3 Anatomy of a Play Extra: Arkansas roots of Wildcat

Click Image Below to view Video:

----------------------------------------------------------
Week 3 Anatomy Extra: Ronnie Brown 62 yard TD

Click Image Below to view Video:

Coach Sparano describes Brown's effort on his 62 yard touchdown.

...

LCA's deceptive rushing attack responsible for 7-0 start

By ROGER GARFIELD • rgarfield@dnj.com • October 9, 2008

Lancaster Christian Academy has successfully built its football foundation by mastering deception.

The Knights, with only 27 players — and none of them terribly imposing — do not scare teams physically. Yet they are outscoring the opposition 241-46.


And in just their second year as a team — and their final season before joining the Division II ranks of the TSSAA — they are 7-0, seeking perfection.

“We’ve had a lot of teams this year,” said senior Justin Potts, “who didn’t warm up hard, sit there and looked at us when we were warming up and kind of just blew us off, because we’re a little team. But when we come out there on the field, they figure it out real quick.”

Using an run-heavy offense that combines single-wing and double-wing philosophies — coach Rayburn Greene calls it “48 minutes in a phone booth” — the Knights are averaging close to 350 yards rushing per game.

Potts has flourished in the system, already surpassing 1,000 yards for the second straight year and racking up 18 touchdowns along the way. And both Elliot Medlen and Stephen Dye have amassed more than 400 yards.

“It’s a lot of misdirection,” Greene said. “I was a wing-T guy before I came here ... and I love any offense that has a wing. I felt like it gave us a chance with low numbers and less athleticism to be successful. I’d rather misdirect someone than block them.”

The offense begins with careful spacing along the line, where Greene encourages his blockers to touch one another’s feet — bunching up as tight as they can. When the ball is snapped to freshman quarterback Dominique Bell, that’s when the confusion starts.

“We have so many people going each way, it’s hard to follow,” Potts said. “And definitely the line has stepped up this year and blocked a lot better. We’ve got a lighter line this year, but they’re a lot quicker.”

‘More of a family’

Potts is one of six seniors the Knights will lose next year when they make the leap to the TSSAA. Another senior is former Blackman player Caleb Ingram, a 6-foot-7, 225-pound tight end/defensive end who’s receiving interest from such Football Bowl Subdivision schools as Iowa, Louisville and Vanderbilt.

While Ingram left a Class 5A school to come to LCA and will miss out on their time in the TSSAA, he is proud to play for the Knights because their hard work has paid off this season.

“We’ve got something special going on here — a second-year team maybe going undefeated,” he said. “And we’re like more of a family than just being 90 players on a football team.”

They’ve come a long way from the team that went 5-5 a year ago.

“This year we’re real serious, real focused, and we’ve got almost an ice-water-in-our-veins mentality — just mean,” Ingram said.

Said Greene: “The identity of this team really is coachability. We don’t have a lot of athletes on this team — almost every week the other team has more athletes than we do — but our kids are very coachable and they’re very tough.”

A bright future

While the trajectory of the program is somewhat unpredictable, Greene is confident that LCA will soon have its own facility. The Knights currently play their games at Veterans Memorial Park in La Vergne and practice on a remote field behind Smyrna Elementary School.

“The support’s there,” Greene said. “I think the school is beginning to understand how important a great sports program is, and particularly a football program is to the growth of a high school.”

It sure means a lot to the underclassmen, who believe the Knights’ success can extend past this season. Four of the Knights, however, are home-schooled, so when the team switches to the TSSAA, those players must be enrolled at LCA if they wish to keep playing.

“I want to try to come here next year, because I love football,” said sophomore Lio Logoleo, who is home-schooled. “That’s all I want to do is play football for Lancaster.”

Greene feels like his team is in a position to not only bring players like Logoleo to the school, but others from around Rutherford County, as well.

“I have to believe the area that we’re in ... that there’s going to be plenty of kids that give us a look with the success that we’ve had this year, and especially now that we’re going to be a TSSAA school,” Greene said.

“The sky’s the limit with the location that we’re in.”

Gallon's big night spurs Apopka past Wekiva

Written by Woody Wommack
APOPKA — Wekiva may be a Central Florida program on the rise, but the Mustangs aren’t quite ready to compete with crosstown rival Apopka just yet. The Blue Darters, who are ranked No. 2 in the Sentinel Super 16, ran by Wekiva 65-28 on Friday night.



The Mustangs hung tough with Apopka until midway through the third quarter.

Apopka (5-1, 2-0 in Class 6A, District 4) jumped out to a 29-7 lead before the Mustangs (2-3, 1-1) came back to cut the lead to 29-21 after an 80-yard touchdown pass from Adam Thomas to Kawayne Hunter.

But every time it looked like Wekiva would come all the way back, Jeremy Gallon had an answer. The senior quarterback finished the game with 311 yards rushing and five touchdowns on 20 carries. He was also 3-of-7 passing for 48 yards and another touchdown.

Gallon had a number of highlight-reel plays, including a first-quarter TD run that saw him run from one sideline and back again before crossing the line of scrimmage and taking it 16 yards for the score.

Wekiva was led by running back James Owens, who carried 26 times for 166 yards and one touchdown. Hunter caught three passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns.

After the game, the Blue Darters were awarded the inaugural Mayor’s Cup, which will be handed out every year to the winning team of every Apopka-Wekiva football game.

Apopka 65, Wekiva 28

FIRST — A: Safety; A: Gallon 16 run (Catron kick); W: Owens 6 run (Magee kick); A: Gallon 48 run (Catron kick). SECOND — A: Davis 15 run (Catron kick); A: Gallon 15 run (kick failed); W: Hunter 20 pass from Arnheim (Magee kick). THIRD — W: Hunter 80 pass from Thomas (Magee kick); A: Gallon 63 run (Catron kick); A: Scott 37 pass from Gallon (Gallon run); A: Gallon 47 run (Catron kick). FOURTH — W: Randle 1 run (Magee kick); A: Smith 47 run (Catron kick); A: Felder 2 run (Catron kick).

Donald Brown UConn's iron man

RB Brown UConn's iron man
By NEILL OSTROUT
Staff writer
Article Launched: 10/12/2008 01:08:15 AM EDT


Click photo to enlarge«1»
STORRS -- Donald Brown swears he didn't need a week off.

The UConn coaches and many of the Husky fans who have witnessed Brown work this season are glad the junior running back is getting a break.

The Huskies are off to a hot start for the second straight season, and Brown is undoubtedly the primary reason. He is the nation's leading rusher, having already passed the 1,000-yard mark, and has scored 12 touchdowns.

The number of times Brown has carried the ball -- he's averaging 30 carries per game -- is apparently of little concern to Brown and head coach Randy Edsall.

"I feel fine. I'm used to the workload by now," the Atlantic Highlands, N.J., native says matter-of-factly.

Edsall swears that Brown gets better the more touches he gets. It's been difficult to argue that point thus far.

The Huskies won five of their first six games and after taking a much-needed break this weekend, they'll return to action Saturday against Rutgers.

The win total may be more than some expected, but a number of Huskies are still feeling the sting of a 38-12 loss to North Carolina.

"North Carolina's a good team but we made it easy for them," Brown said. "You can't make mistakes against a good team, especially on the road. Turnovers, penalties, you name it, it happened."

Brown, for one, wanted more than 5-1.

"I had expectations of being 6-0, to be honest," Brown said. "But at 5-1, we're still in a great position, and there's still a lot more games to be played."

In the remainder of those games, Brown may move around the offensive formation quite a bit.

He's been seen as a slot receiver on occasion and even made his debut as single-wing quarterback against North Carolina in the trendy "Wildcat" formation.

"It's given the other team a different look," Brown said. "If you look around football nowadays, if you turn on the NFL, you see the Miami Dolphins doing it. In college football, everybody's doing it.

"It's just a different thing to keep the defense on their toes."

Donald Brown is hopeful that, like the man with the same surname running the formation in Miami (Ronnie Brown), that he'll get to throw a pass soon.

"I've been lobbying to throw the ball here and there," Brown said with a laugh. "But a lot of people aren't buying it."

Brown actually has some experience with the forward pass. In fact, he has a perfect passer rating.

"I did throw one pass in high school," Brown said. "I was 1-for-1 with a touchdown."

When Red Bank Catholic needed a trick play, it turned to its star running back, and Brown connected on a 36-yard touchdown with a halfback option pass.

"It was nice," Brown said. "A lot of people say it wasn't, but it got there. It was good placement."

Red Bank actually lost to Matawan High that day, but it wasn't Brown's fault. In addition to the touchdown pass, he had over 200 yards on the ground.

Brown doesn't mind recalling his glory days back in his home state, especially before his annual showdown against the State University of New Jersey. He admits,

as is usually the case, to being anxious to face Rutgers.

"Yeah, I am," Brown said. "Going back home adds a little incentive to it."

He probably should be excited. In two games against the Scarlet Knights, Brown has rushed for 353 yards.

With his favorite opponent on deck, it's no wonder Brown didn't want to wait an extra week.

Scratched by wildcat

Texans free safety Will Demps admitted he wrongly took something for granted on what became the Dolphins’ first touchdown of the day, a 53-yard Chad Pennington pass to Patrick Cobbs out of the single-wing wildcat formation.

Running back Ronnie Brown took the snap from center, handed off to the in-motion Ricky Williams, who gave the ball back to the quarterback Pennington.

“The guy that blocks (Cobbs), nine times out of 10, just turned it on and headed downfield,” Demps said. “They must have seen something in our coverage. You got to hand it to them. They made a great play.”

Gators room to run

Wider line splits give Gators room to run
By BEN VOLIN

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Sunday, October 12, 2008

GAINESVILLE — The Miami Dolphins aren't the only football team in Florida to use a little gimmickry to jumpstart the running game.

With "wider splits" on the offensive line, as Florida coach Urban Meyer called it, the Gators (5-1, 3-1 SEC) gashed LSU's stout run defense for 265 yards on 6.5 yards per attempt in Saturday night's 51-21 victory at The Swamp.

Offensive coordinator Dan Mullen positioned the five offensive linemen farther away from each other, to create more space for speedy scatbacks Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey.

It's not as fancy as the Dolphins' single-wing Wildcat attack, but proved just as effective.

"Usually it's a couple feet split, but we had a good 3, 4-foot split in there," Meyer said. "Some of those runs that Demps and Rainey were hitting were from that alignment.

"We've been messing with that for about two years ago - we did that against them a year ago in Baton Rouge (and) we're going to continue to mess with it."

Florida's running game had been criticized during the first four weeks of the season. It never once cracked 4 yards per carry in consecutive games against Miami, Tennessee and Ole Miss. It also failed to pick up a crucial fourth-and-1 play in the loss to Ole Miss.

But now the Gators have rushed for 278 and 265 yards in consecutive weeks against Arkansas and LSU. And thanks largely to their dominant run game, the once-reeling Gators jumped from No. 11 to No. 5 in Sunday's Associated Press poll, thanks to losses by former No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 3 Missouri and No. 4 LSU.

"We were really able to gash them," quarterback Tim Tebow said. Demps and Rainey "are so fast that you can spread a defense out with four or five receivers, and when they hit it they can get some big yardage."

Demps had 129 rushing yards on 10 carries - including a 42-yard touchdown out of the wider splits - while Rainey had 66 yards on 11 carries.

The post-game reviews of the formation were all positive.

"It's a lot more space for me, but I like it," center Maurkice Pouncey said. "I mean, it works. Might as well keep it in the game plan now."

Mullen and Meyer each credited offensive line coach Steve Addazio and tight ends coach John Hevesy for preparing the offensive line to run out of the formation the past two weeks.

Mullen said the wider splits were especially effective for Rainey and Demps to run between the tackles against LSU's big defensive line, which entered Saturday's game allowing just 2.6 yards per carry.

"Our splits create a little bit of a hole to start with before the play even starts," Mullen said.

Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez is famous for using the wide splits, and Mullen said he saw Wake Forest running it in its Thursday night victory over Clemson.

"I said, 'Looks like Wake Forest's is working decent for them. I hope it works for us on Saturday because we knew we were going to do it,''" Mullen said.

More NFL Single Wing

Johnson helps drag Texans from malaise
Receiver has career day along with clutch catch
By DALE ROBERTSON Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Oct. 13, 2008, 1:06AM

• Game statistics

In their minds, the winless Texans had given away their past two games against Jacksonville and Indianapolis. So it was time, past time really, to steal one back.

Still grumbling to himself and grinding his teeth over an early fumble on a play he knew should have ended with a touchdown, Andre Johnson took it upon his broad shoulders to do just that.

A replay overrule had erased what the officials on the field called a Miami interception, giving the desperate Texans a last-gasp fourth-and-10 at their 36 with 52 seconds left, trailing 28-23. When quarterback Matt Schaub went to Johnson in the left flat, Yeremiah Bell seemed to arrive there first, but over his dead body was Johnson going to be denied that football.

With muscle and grit, Johnson bested Bell in a desperate tug-o’-war that at least made the Texans’ season salvageable.

Not to be denied
“Matt gave me a chance, and I was able to make a play,” Johnson said. “I don’t know how, but I did. I just stuck my hands up, he put his hands up and the ball kind of bounced around. It was both of us competing for the ball, and I wound up with it.”

Asked if he had immediately grasped the significance of that catch, one of 10 on the afternoon for a career-high 178 yards, Johnson smiled weakly.

“To be honest,” he said, “I didn’t even know what down it was. We were in the two-minute drill and that means you’re throwing the ball on almost every play. Most of us (receivers) out there were gassed.”

Their mental exhaustion, after 2½ months of practices and games with nothing positive to show for their efforts, was probably equal to the fatigue their bodies felt.

But, six plays later, Schaub fooled the Dolphins and almost everybody else in Reliant Stadium by scoring on a quarterback keeper up the middle from the shotgun formation. When the two-point conversion failed and the Dolphins couldn’t counter in the few seconds they had left, the Texans were in the win column 29-28.

Never mind how they had followed a script only a masochist would embrace. As owner Bob McNair noted later, you don’t expect to come out on top too often after committing four turnovers.

“Our guys battled their hearts out, and that’s the reason we prevailed,” McNair said. “They just wouldn’t quit. I’m really proud of them.”

Still, he also said: “It’s hard on an old-timer like me.”

It has been hard on everybody.

“We owed ourselves one, the fans one and the whole city of Houston one,” said Kevin Walter, whose markedly less dramatic if no less important grab for a 30-yard gain followed Johnson’s and moved the Texans to the Miami 11.

Overcoming obstacles
Johnson spoke of the palpable frustration on the Texans’ sideline as things kept going wrong, from Schaub’s interceptions of the first two possessions, to the shaky pass protection to repeated glaring defensive breakdowns. Even what should have been a game-clinching play by nickel back Eugene Wilson ended badly with Wilson snaring an interception off a deflection, only to fumble the ball back to the Dolphins, who promptly went 73 yards to reclaim the lead with 1:45 left.

The Texans had been embarrassed early by Patrick Cobbs, who caught touchdown passes of 53 and 80 yards, the first off yet another new wrinkle by Miami’s single-wing wildcat formation. This after they had insisted all week they were prepared for anything.

But, somehow, all that would be overcome this day.

“I think the two-minute drive (at the end of the game) was a big test for us,” Johnson said. “That was the first time we’ve been in that situation, and we answered. It showed what we can do.”

Lynx use ground and pound to trip up Charles City

Webster City captures 3rd straight win, sits all alone in 2nd-place in district

By Troy Banning, DFJ Sports Editor

CHARLES CITY - Football isn't rocket science. More times than not, the team that can run the ball and stop the run is going to end its night with high-fives and trips to the victory bell.

Being on the road, Webster City didn't have a chance to ring the bell Friday night. There were plenty of high-fives though.

The Lynx rushed for 395 yards and limited Charles City to just 98 yards on the ground, resulting in a statement-made 33-12 rout over the Comets in a clash of teams that took the field tied for second-place in Class 3A District 2.

Webster City (5-2, 4-1 District 2) now sits all alone right behind district leader and second-ranked Clear Lake (7-0, 5-0) with two weeks remaining in the regular season. The Lynx improved to 4-0 on the road this season and assured themselves of their first winning regular season since 2001.

And the postseason? One more win and that's in the bag too.

"We knew the stakes were high for this game, so we just had to come out and perform," Webster City tailback John Hill said after rambling for a game-high 163 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries Friday night. "We wanted to come out and make a statement and we did that."

The biggest statement was actually made on Webster City's second play of the game. Spinback Brent Nelson faked the handoff to Hill on his spin and then took off right up the middle. Guard Ryan Vande Zande trap blocked on the play and opened a hole big enough for a truck. Nelson went 66 yards untouched to the end zone and it was all downhill from there.

Nelson ran for a career-high 155 yards on just 11 totes.

"We thought we could trap (block) because (Charles City) hadn't seen us do that too much," Webster City head coach Bob Howard said. "We spent more time on that during the week because we figured they'd load up on Hill, and Nelson's getting better every week."

So good was Webster City's running game that Howard called just three pass plays all game. Nelson completed 1 of 2 throws for 12 yards and Ross Haren connected on a halfback pass for 31 yards.

Charles City (5-2, 3-2 District 2) was forced to go to the air early and often. The Comets abandoned the run midway through the first half after falling behind 14-0 and quarterback Josh Becker ended up tossing 33 passes. He completed 15 of them for 174 yards, but all Charles City had to show for it were a pair of long field goals - the first from 45 yards in the second quarter and the second a 42-yarder late in the fourth quarter - from Bastian Metzdorf.

"It was definitely our goal to take away the running game," Vande Zande said after collecting four tackles from his linebacker position. "We wanted to make their quarterback have to pass and we did that, so it was great. Guys were just making plays all over the place."

Fellow linebackers Tyler Mosbach and Haren were in on 7 1/2 and seven tackles, respectively. They along with Vande Zande were big reasons why Comets' tailback Isaac Poolman was a non-factor most of the night. Poolman carried the ball just nine times for 61 yards.

"We really shut them down defensively, which I thought was huge," Howard said. "That was our best defensive ballgame so far against a physical and fast team."

Up 14-3 at the half, Webster City appeared primed to land the knockout blow on its first drive of the third quarter. Nelson broke free on a 37-yard run on the opening play and the Lynx moved all the way to the Charles City 14.

But a fumble by Nelson popped right into the arms of Comets' defensive back Justin DeBower and DeBower went 86 yards the other way for a touchdown to cut the Lynx lead to 14-9.

Just like that, it was a whole new game.

But rather than wilt, the Lynx thrived. They took their ensuing possession 78 yards on seven plays, highlighted by a 54-yard jaunt by Hill, to the end zone to reestablish control with 7:05 to go in the third quarter. Hill capped it off with his second TD from 2 yards out.

"The drive after the fumble was huge," Hill, who also plunged across the goal line from 1 yard away in the first half, said. "They caught a huge break and that happens in games, but we were confident that we could drive the ball on them and that's what we did."

Webster City caught its own break just minutes later when Nate Treibel stripped Poolman of the ball, resulting in a turnover. Treibel also caught the halfback pass from Haren moments later and that set up Kevin Kannuan's 17-yard touchdown scamper through the middle of the line for a 26-9 advantage.

Treibel made his presence known on special teams as well. He nearly broke off his third punt return for a touchdown this season, but settled for a 40-yard return to the Comets' 7-yard line early in the fourth quarter. Hill ensured that it wouldn't be for nothing, as three plays later he sprinted around the right end for a 1-yard TD run - his third of the night.

"Offense, defense and special teams, we won all three phases of the game," Hill said.

Webster City held the ball for 29 minutes 34 seconds, an advantage of more than 11 minutes. Howard says that credit goes to the offensive line for controlling the line of scrimmage throughout the contest.

"The offensive line is getting to the point where they ought to be," he said. "(Charles City) was bigger and more physical, but we controlled the line of scrimmage.

"(Friday night) was more single wing. That's how I'm used to it running and that's because of the line."

Hill got a first-hand look at the play of his line and he was impressed.

"Our offensive line played stellar," he said. "We know we can move the ball on anybody because our line just opens up huge holes and that gives us a lot of confidence."

Single wing helps surprising Dolphins stun Bolts

Oct 5, 5:11 PM EDT


Single wing helps surprising Dolphins stun Bolts

By STEVEN WINE
AP Sports Writer


AP Photo/J. Pat Carter




Advertisement




Special Section
Complete NFL Coverage

Multimedia

What's Old (Single Wing) is New Again

NFL Players Talk About the Election

How ACLs Are Repaired

Top NFL Draft Picks

Brett Favre's Remarkable Career

Super Bowl Recap

Super Bowl Gallery

Super Bowl: Game Drives the Dollars

Super Bowl: Probable Starters

Super Bowl: Tour Arizona

Super Bowl History

NFL Playoff Bracket

Pats Perfect Record?

AP NFL Awards

Perfect Ending: Patriots Go 16-0
T.O. playfully calls out Jessica Simpson


Sean Taylor Remembered

Bill Walsh: 1931-2007

NFL Coaches

Documents
Vince Young police report (PDF)
Matt Jones Arrest Report (PDF)
Pacman Jones Extortion Document (PDF)
Sean Taylor Autopsy Report (PDF)
Letters from Michael Vick and his supporters to judge (PDF)
State charges against Vick (PDF)
Michael Vick plea agreement (PDF)
Summary of facts in Michael Vick case (PDF)
Court document outlining alleged dogfighting operation at Vick's property


NFL News
Bolts take 27-3 third-quarter lead over Patriots
Hasselbeck knee injury to get another look

Blocked punt gives Cards 30-24 OT win over Cowboys

McNabb sets QB marks, Eagles' D dominates Niners

Elam makes up for miss, gives Falcons unlikely win




Buy AP Photo Reprints








Your Questions Answered

Ask AP: Somali pirates, disabled presidents-elect



MIAMI (AP) -- The Miami Dolphins are winning the old-fashioned way. The single wing helped build a lead, and a goal-line stand preserved it.

Ronnie Brown scored the decisive touchdown from the formation the Dolphins revived two weeks ago, their smothering defense rose to the occasion at the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter, and Miami pulled off its second successive upset by beating San Diego 17-10 Sunday.

The single wing was less explosive than in the Dolphins' win at New England, but running back Brown took a direct snap 11 times on running plays that netted 49 yards and Miami's second touchdown.

Other formations were also effective - Chad Pennington threw for 228 yards and Brown ran for 125, while Miami held LaDainian Tomlinson to 35 yards on 12 carries. The Dolphins were nursing a seven-point lead when they stopped Tomlinson for no gain on fourth-and-goal at the 1 in the first minute of the final period.

With back-to-back wins for the first time since November 2006, the Dolphins are 2-2 in the Bill Parcells era, doubling their victory total for all of last season. Defending AFC West champion San Diego fell to 2-3 and remained winless in six visits to Miami since a memorable overtime playoff victory in January 1982.

The Chargers came into the game leading the NFL with a scoring average of 34.5 points, but they had a hard time getting the ball away from the Dolphins, who kept it for nearly 37 minutes.

After building a 14-point lead, the Dolphins didn't score in the second half, but they consumed the clock with two long drives, including a 60-yard march that ran out the final 5:55.

Much of the Dolphins' success in the single wing was because of Brown's elusiveness, which was especially evident on their final play of the first half. When they reached the San Diego 5 in the final minute, he took the snap and started up the middle, then hit the brakes and broke out wide. A block by Ricky Williams sprung Brown into the clear, and he scored untouched, grinning as he reached the end zone.

That put Miami up 17-3.

Brown ran from the single wing seven times for 34 yards. Williams went in motion from the wing and took a handoff four times for 15 yards, and once he appeared ready to pass to Pennington before tucking the ball in and keeping it for no gain.

The Dolphins ran out of the single wing four times on their opening possession and drove 44 yards for a field goal. They converted a fourth-and-1 situation to set up their first touchdown, which came on a 17-yard pass from Pennington to Greg Camarillo for a 10-3 lead.

After Dan Carpenter missed a 42-yard field goal attempt that would have put Miami ahead 20-3, the Chargers mounted a 68-yard drive capped by Philip Rivers' 17-yard touchdown pass to Chris Chambers. That made the score 17-10.

Davone Bess lost a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, and San Diego moved to the 1. But on fourth down, when the Chargers went for a tying touchdown, Tomlinson was stopped for no gain by a swarm of Dolphins, with Channing Crowder leading the way.

© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.

Football: Stone Bridge 38, Langley 0

By Dave and Suzy Barta
Special to LoudounPrepSports.com

Ashburn (Oct. 11, 2008) - The toughest obstacle undefeated Stone Bridge High School faced Friday night may have been themselves. Whistled for 15 penalties, the Bulldogs nevertheless methodically dispatched AAA Liberty District foe Langley behind another big night from Daniel Allen. The fleet running back rushed for 185 yards and four touchdowns, leading Stone Bridge (7-0, 4-0) to a 38-0 Homecoming victory.

Langley (3-4, 2-2) opened the game with the ball on its own 14, and a 19-yard completion gave the Saxons some breathing room to the 36, but the drive progressed no farther. An excellent punt drove Stone Bridge back into its own end, and the Bulldogs began on their own 16.

Coming out in their signature single wing, the Bulldogs gave the Saxons a heavy dose of Allen, who rushed for 43 yards on six carries and moved the ball to the Langley 30. Keying on the run, the Saxons were burned on 3rd-and-1 when Nick Sheehan released from his tight end position and pulled in a Patrick Thompson pass for the first score of the night. A penalty for celebrating moved the PAT back to the 18, but Abdul Shaban was solid and put the Bulldogs in front 7-0.

Langley started on its own 11, and quarterback Patrick Kelly brought them to the 30 with two completions, but again the drive stalled. Stone Bridge took possession on the Bulldog 35, and a big 39-yard pass from Thompson to Michael Prince took them all the way to the 9. On 1st-and-goal, Allen followed the line surge and bowled in for his second TD. The snap for the extra point was muffed, but Stone Bridge was in control 13-0.

In the next series, the Saxons got their only big run of the night when tailback David Helmer broke free for 16 yards, but the rest of the drive netted nothing. Another fine punt left Stone Bridge on its 38, and Bulldogs proceeded to alternate big plays with various assorted penalties. The end result was the same, however, when Allen powered in from the 8 for the touchdown. The conversion attempt failed and the score remained 19-0.

Langley was having no success on the ground and went to the passing game, but the results were no better. The Saxons ultimately punted from the 27 and gave Stone Bridge the ball at midfield. Allen ripped off two big runs of 15 and 23 yards before Prince came left on a counter play and found a cozy lane down the sideline provided by excellent blocking by the Bulldogs. Shaban suffered a rare blocked PAT, and Stone Bridge led 25-0.

Langley QB Kelly again found some success throwing the ball, and the Saxons had their first threatening drive when they pushed to the Stone Bridge 26. But on Third down Allen showed his defensive skills when he intercepted Kelly at the goal line, killing the effort.

Thompson’s favorite target was Andrew Ansell in the next series, and the two hooked up for 20 and 23 yard completions, bringing the ball to the Langley 42. On second down Allen broke free and raced in for his third score of the night. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful, and the Bulldogs led 31-0 at the half.

After intermission, Stone Bridge went on a clock-eating drive of 15 plays and 84 yards, once again battling penalties along the way. The Bulldogs got a scare when Zach Thompson was helped off the field after apparently taking a helmet to the knee after a reception at the Saxon 3. Allen finished off the drive by punching in from there, and Shaban’s kick put Stone Bridge out of reach 38-0.

Langley started from the 25 on the next series, and on third down John Bladel stepped in front of Kelly’s pass to nab the interception. But traveling down the sideline he was stripped of the ball and Kelly gained a measure of revenge when he covered the ball at the Saxon 18. The visitors went in reverse from there, eventually punting from the 1.

Stone Bridge running back Marcus Harris got the call this series, carrying the ball six of the next seven plays. The lone exception was a 23-yard run by Prince, who appeared to score from 36 yards out but a holding penalty nullified the score. On 2nd-and-goal from the 1, Harris appeared to have scored but fumbled the ball into the end zone and the Saxons took over on the twenty.

Langley then put together its best drive of the night, their only success being through the air. Kelly completed six of ten and drove the Saxons to the Bulldog 5, but was intercepted in the end zone by Zach Miller to snuff out the drive with 0:42 left in the game.

For the second time in three weeks, Allen scored four touchdowns and now has 15 on the season. The offense was balanced and overpowering, totaling 550 yards (289 rushing, 261 passing). The Bulldog rush defense was rock solid for the second straight week, limiting the Saxons to a ridiculous eleven yards on 21 carries.

Stone Bridge goes on the road next to rival Madison for a match up of perennial Liberty District powers.



Friday, October 10, 2008 – Stone Bridge vs. Langley

Dolphins put quirky offensive plan to good use

Wildcat threat against Texans
Dolphins put quirky offensive plan to good use
By DALE ROBERTSON Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Oct. 10, 2008, 12:12AM

A year ago, the Miami Dolphins were Fish out of water in the NFL, and their prospects for improving on a 1-15 record seemed minuscule after an 0-2 start this season.

But a formation imported straight from the leather-helmet era — Pop Warner invented the single wing and Jim Thorpe made him look like a genius for it — has turned the Dolphins (2-2) into sharks, although, oddly, they chose to call their old-fangled offense the “wildcat.”

It seems quarterbacks coach David Lee used the set when he was the offensive coordinator at Arkansas, prompting new Dolphins coach Tony Sparano to jokingly refer to it as the “Wild Hog.”

In Miami strategy sessions, that morphed into wildcat, but, by any name, the formation is the talk of pro football.

Quarterback Chad Pennington moves into the slot, running back Ricky Williams becomes a flanker in motion, the offensive line goes unbalanced — left tackle Jake Long lines up outside right tackle Vernon Casey — and tailback Ronnie Brown takes a snap from the shotgun before running.

Those X’s add up to a lot of “oh-ohs” for the skittish Texans. Should they fail Sunday to rein in the wildcat any better than last season’s AFC Championship Game participants, New England and San Diego, did in the Dolphins’ last two games, they could be staring at 0-5 — and spiraling down Miami’s 2007 path.

“They’re causing a lot of problems because basically you’re preparing for two offensive football teams,” Texans coach Gary Kubiak said of the Dolphins. “It’s not only that they’re doing something different. They’re running their other offense pretty darn well, too. So, all of a sudden, your preparation is doubled.”

Patriots get first taste
Miami first sucker-punched Bill Belichick’s unsuspecting Patriots with the wildcat, generating four touchdowns in six plays and enough highlight film to last a season in a 38-13 romp. Brown scored four times and threw for a touchdown, the first time a back had posted that stat combination on an NFL field since Hall of Famer Paddy Driscoll in 1923.

Against San Diego, the element of surprise was lacking and Miami’s stats were more ordinary. Still, in 11 tries, the formation produced five first downs and a touchdown in a more methodical 17-10 victory, after which Sparano said, “It isn’t about 60-yard plays there. A 4-yard play in our league is an efficient play.”

“I’m lovin’ it,” said Brown, whose six touchdowns include a 62-yarder from the wildcat against New England.

Pennington does, too, although he admits, “It’s a little weird for me to be out in the slot. Mostly I just try to get out of the way. But it’s a great change of pace.”

The Dolphins expect the law of diminishing returns to kick in as defensive game plans conjured up to counter the wildcat evolve.

“It’s hard in this league,” Sparano said. “Defenses are too good to do (what the Dolphins are doing) week in and week out.”

Still, Kubiak said the complications could increase as Miami seeks ways to push the envelope. Texans free safety Will Demps said he’s wary of some kind of flea-flicker pass from Pennington.

“I’m sure we’re going to see something we haven’t seen the last couple weeks,” Kubiak said. “It looks like they’re growing with it, so we’re going to have to do a real good job of adjusting.”

When Sparano was a Dallas Cowboys assistant, he and Lee used to speak on the phone, joking about using the single wing in the NFL. Listening to Sparano, you sense he might have been skeptical about how it would fly in the pros, but he’s been won over.

“It helped us at a time when we thought we needed some help,” Sparano said, “and it worked out OK.”

The key isn’t the treachery or the wackiness. It’s the execution, Sparano said.

Execution remains key
Pennington agrees.

“Any time you put in an awkward formation or set you never know how it’s going to work,” he said. “Sometimes it just blows up in your face (and) you never run it again.

“But our guys have done an excellent job of communicating and making adjustments on the run.”

Miami Dolphins Running Some Single Wing

Xavier beats Cardinal Hayes, 86-42

By FiveBoroSports.com
October 12, 2008

Wild, high-scoring games have become the norm for Xavier, but this one may have reached a new level of absurdity.
Senior running back Seamus Kelly scored a career-high seven touchdowns, six of which came in the first half, to help Xavier beat visiting Cardinal Hayes, 86-42, in CHFSL ‘AA-A’ football Saturday. Kelly was a touchdown away from tying the state record of eight, according to coach Chris Stevens.

“Eighty-six points is pretty unheard of,” the Rockaway native said. “I don’t know if it is a good thing or a bad thing. I’d rather shut teams out then have to score 86 to win comfortably.”

Kelly rushed for 291 yards and five touchdowns and had 478 all-purpose yards. The senior added a 72-yard touchdown catch and an 85-yard kick-off return for a score, the first of his career, in the second quarter for a Xavier attack, which ran just 18 plays. He opened the game with a 57-yard touchdown run and added TD runs of 71, 57, 35 and 50 yards.

“The offensive line was opening up such big holes that all I had to do was run through them and beat the corner backs,” he said.

Xavier (4-1, 4-1) took a 57-30 lead into the half against Hayes, which was struggled to defend the single-wing attack. The lead grew to 65-30 when Jack Wilson, who rushed for three scores, ran for a 54-yard touchdown. On the next possession, Wesley Lawyer took a toss 51 yards for a score for Hayes, which then recovered the ensuing onside kick. This set up a 40-yard strike from Kwamayne Davis (4 TDs) to Chris Chapman, who had two scores, to cut the lead to 65-42. Chris Tellone then returned the ensuing onside kick 50 yards for the first touchdown of his career to give Xavier a 73-42 lead.

Bryant McAdoo had two touchdowns catches of 60 yards for Hayes (3-3, 3-2).

“We didn’t expect to come in and score 86 and didn’t expect them to score 42,” Stevens said. “We have become very conditioned [to wild games]. I don’t like that kind of football, but we can score.”

Kelly had a chance for the record-tying eighth touchdown late in fourth quarter, but neither he nor Stevens felt it was appropriate to insert him back into the game and didn’t know how close he was to the record.

But his team’s record and its scoring outputs have Kelly feeling more confident in its offense, which is averaging 54 points a game this season.

"It feels like the only thing that can stop us from winning is getting outscored,” Kelly said, “and it is tough to do.”

Xavier's 86-42 Win A Record Breaker

Football Team Breaks Records With 86-42 Win Over Cardinal Hayes
Date: 10/12/2008
Xavier's 86-42 Win A Record Breaker

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NYCSN NYC Sports Network -

SUNY- Maritime, Bronx, NY
Cardinal Hayes vs Xavier
by Ryan Donovan

Talkin' NYC Football

This week's Game of the Week brought us to Maritime College in the Bronx where Cardinal Hayes (3-2) took on the Xavier Knights (4-1). The game turned out to be a wild shoot-out with limited defense. Xavier won this high offense affair, 86-42 . The game was highlighted by a record-setting performance by Seamus Kelly who ran for 291 yards unofficially and scored 7 touchdowns. Kelly also had an unbelievable 478 all-purpose yards.

In warm-ups, Cardinal Hayes QB, Kwamane Davis and his center looked a bit shaky, bobbling a few snaps. Sure enough, the first snap was muffed and Davis ended up diving on the floor to recover the ball. The Cardinals were forced to punt after looking lost on their first three plays from scrimmage.

The Xavier offense looked much different. Their first possession ended with a seemingly effortless 60 yard run by Seamus Kelly quickly, putting Xavier ahead 8-0.

Cardinal Hayes needed to regroup. Their next possession was the turning point of the afternoon. On first down from their own 33, Davis handed off to Wesley Lawyer, only to see the ball get knocked loose and land directly into the hands of Seamus Kelly. Xavier took over on the Cardinal Hayes 30 and 2 plays later John Wilson was in the end zone. Before you could blink an eye Xavier was ahead 14-0.

The Cardinals could have packed it up right there but they didn't. On the ensuing kickoff Jeremiah Kobena returned the ball 80 yards for the first Cardinals touchdown igniting the crowd and instantly breathing life into his team.
Just as the Cardinals caught their breath, Kelly struck again. He once again steamrolled 70 yards for a touchdown putting the Knights ahead 22-6, just seven minutes into the game.

After a big sack by Sam McCormick the Cardinals were forced to punt again. When Xavier took over on their own 45 they quickly went back to the well. Kelly took the ball the distance for another touchdown, on the first play of the drive. Kelly, looking to make his own SportsCenter highlight reel, had touched the ball 4 times on offense and accumulated 194 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns, putting his team ahead, 29-6.

On Cardinal Hayes’ next possession Kwamane Davis found Bryan McAdoo racing down the sideline. McAdoo then took the ball 70 yards for a touchdown making the score 29-12.

With Hayes desperately looking to stop Kelly, it was John Wilson who came up with a bruising run to setup what would be another Kelly TD run. This one went for 35 yards giving him 225 for the day with 4 TD's and a Xavier 37-12 lead.
The shootout continued with Wesley Lawyer carrying the ball for 70 yards and a score for Hayes.

After closing the gap to 37-19, Cardinal Hayes decided to kick the ball directly to Kelly, which he took 80 yards up the field for another touchdown giving him 5 for the half.

Cardinal Hayes would of course strike right back with a tremendous catch and run by Chris Chapman, pulling his team to within 45-24.

When the half finally came to an end, Kelly had 6 touchdowns and over 200 yards rushing not to mention a few tackles and a fumble recovery.

The second half was more of the same insanity, with Kelly adding 1 more touchdown to his total, giving him 7 on the day.

After the game Kelly was extremely gracious and humble even praising his opponents, "they have a great program" he said of Cardinal Hayes. When asked how far he thought his team could go he replied by saying "we want to win the AA Championship."

Seamus Kelly - 448 all-purpose yards

'Famous Seamus scores seven TDs: Xavier running back Seamus Kelly scored seven touchdowns and rolled up 448 all-purpose yards in an 86-42 CHSFL win over Cardinal Hayes. The 5-11 senior ran for 291 yards and five touchdowns on just eight carries, returned a kickoff 85 yards for a score and caught a 72-yard touchdown pass on the Knights' only throw of the game.

Xavier's single-wing offense scored touchdowns on four of its first five snaps from scrimmage and built a 57-30 lead at the half as Kelly piled up six TDs.

"They run the single-wing extremely well," Hayes coach C.J. O'Neil told The Daily News. "Seamus is an exceptional player in an exceptional system. We couldn't keep pace with 86 points."

Xavier's Single-Wing Scores Big

BY Ian Begley
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Saturday, October 11th 2008, 9:50 PM

Pace for News
Seamus Kelly runs for 291 yards and five touchdowns on eight carries.

Just call him Famous Seamus.

Xavier running back Seamus Kelly scored seven touchdowns and gained 448 all-purpose yards in the Knights' 86-42 win over Cardinal Hayes Saturday at Maritime Stadium in the Bronx.

The 5-11, 190-pound senior back ran for 291 yards and five touchdowns on eight carries. He returned a kick 85 yards for a touchdown and had a 72-yard touchdown reception on the Knights' only pass attempt of the game. "I knew if we kept scoring we would be OK," Kelly said. "And we just kept scoring."

Xavier's single-wing attack seemed to confuse Cardinal Hayes (3-3) all afternoon. The Knights scored touchdowns on four of their first five plays and led 57-30 at the half as Kelly racked up six touchdowns.

"They run the single-wing extremely well," Cardinal Hayes coach C.J. O'Neil said. "Seamus is an exceptional player in an exceptional system. We couldn't keep pace with 86 points."

Kelly scored six touchdowns in Xavier's win over Bishop Ford Sept. 27. Xavier (4-1) is in first place in the CHSFL's AA division.

======================
NY Daily News
+++++++++++++++++++++

Single-Wing St Charles Wins Big

St. Charles scores 21 points in fourth quarter to beat Merrill in Tri-Valley Conference West Division rivalry
Hugh Bernreuter, October 10, 2008 11:10 p.m.

After the celebration, Dugan Roosa was almost scared to return to the sidelines.

"I was worried that my coach would be mad at me," the St. Charles junior said. "He always says that when a punt is blocked, don't touch it. But it was hanging up there and there was open field ahead of me, so I caught it and ran."

Roosa's punt block return broke a 27-27 tie with 2:04 remaining, propelling the Bulldogs to a 41-27 Tri-Valley Conference West Division win Friday over Merrill in the Vandals' homecoming game.

"It happened so quick, I didn't have time to get angry," St. Charles coach Brady Lake said. "We were so desperate. We had to make a play."

St. Charles tacked on an insurance touchdown on an 8-yard run by Marshall Davenport, giving the Bulldogs a 7-0 record heading into next Friday's TVC West showdown with 7-0 Carrollton.

It left Merrill with a 4-3 record and Vandals coach John Streeter shaking his head.

"We had a 27-20 lead with five minutes to go in the game," Streeter said. "We get that punt off and they have the ball inside their 20 with two minutes to go. It all changed on one play."

On fourth and 7 on the Merrill 49, the Vandals decided to punt. But St. Charles' Travis Crane broke through the line and got a hand on the punt, which went about 10 yards into Roosa's arms.

"He's a very intelligent player," Lake said. "He's kind of like Joe Montana in that the game slows down for him, whether it's football, basketball or baseball."

Roosa also had a 25-yard interception return in the second quarter for the Bulldogs.

Merrill held leads in both the first and fourth quarters, taking a 13-0 lead on a 3-yard run by Ricky Chapin and a 1-yard pass from Chapin to Travis Williams.

The Bulldogs regained the lead 17-13 on Kyle Morel's 8-yard run, Roosa's interception return and Crane's 35-yard field goal.

"We kept coming back ... this team has done it all season," Lake said. "Merrill had us on the ropes a couple times."

After Crane kicked a 22-yard field goal to start the third quarter, Merrill answered with a 3-yard TD run from quarterback Jason Pratt, who followed with a 37-yard TD pass to Chapin for a 27-20 lead in the fourth quarter.

That lasted until St. Charles' Zac Henninger intercepted a pass on the Merrill 49-yard line. Davenport took the next play 49 yards to tie the game.

Three minutes later, Roosa returned the blocked punt for the gamewinner.

Davenport led all runners with 222 yards on 24 carries. Crane, who ran for 51 yards, was 5-for-5 in extra-point attempts and 2-for-2 in field-goal attempts.

Pratt, who led the Vandals with 91 yards rushing on 16 carries, completed 11 of 23 passes for 109 yards. Chapin, who ran for 46 yards, caught six passes for 139 yards. Matt Good led the defense with 19 tackles.

"If we come out with the same emotion the next two weeks we had here, we'll be in the playoffs," Streeter said. "We're a good football team that's finally getting healthy.

"It seems we can't buy a break. We had our opportunities to win, but St. Charles made the big plays when they needed to."

=========================

M-Live.com 339 E. Liberty Street, Suite 210 Ann Arbor, MI 48104.

==========================

Allen's four touchdowns lead Bulldogs past Langley

Sports
By Carl Lukat
Source: Loudoun Times-Mirror
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11 2008

The Stone Bridge Bulldogs broke from their post-game huddle Friday night feeling sour about their performance in a 38-0 victory against Langley on homecoming weekend at Stone Bridge.

Daniel Allen rushed for 185 yards and four touchdowns as the Bulldogs (4-0 in the Liberty District, 7-0 overall) improved their record to 25-0 against Liberty opponents since joining the district in 2005.

Stone Bridge did commit 15 penalties and surrender 168 passing yards in the process.

"I don't think this is a game that anybody feels too good about," Bulldog coach Mickey Thompson said. "I don't think we played very well. Mentally, we were out of it. I don't think there is hardly a positive I can take out of this game."

"At least, we got a full game for most of our starters," Thompson continued. "We subbed in a little bit. And now we have something to get on [the players] about. Hopefully, this is a wake up call for us."

Patrick Thompson passed for 261 yards in the win, including a 30-yard touchdown strike to Nick Sheehan. Andrew Ansell led all Bulldog receivers with 112 yards, and Michael Prince combined for 124 rushing and receiving yards and a touchdown.

Stone Bridge senior Zach Thompson injured his knee in the victory. Read more here.
==================================
Loudoun Times Mirror - 9 E. Market Street - Leesburg, VA 20176.
==================================

Single Wing Bulldogs Averaging 53.3 Points

Short Yardage
Friday, October 10, 2008; E02

With No. 3 Stone Bridge averaging 53.3 points per game and No. 6 River Hill just behind at 52.8 points, could a Washington area team average at least 50 points for the first time in the last three seasons? Since the 2001 season, only Maryland School for the Deaf has averaged at least 50 points in a season among local teams, most recently accomplishing the feat in 2005, when it averaged 50.7 points. . . .

Westfield's Jordan Anderson could become the region's first 1,000-yard rusher this season. He enters tonight's game at Fairfax with 956 yards and has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of the Bulldogs' six games. . . .

After years of not wearing the school's primary color, Wakefield broke out new green uniforms last week for a 37-10 home win over Jefferson. Next week for homecoming, some of the Warriors will sport their names on the backs of those jerseys because they attended 30 consecutive weight room sessions at some point between January and July. "No excuses," Warriors Coach Keith Powell said. "If the dog died, then hey, the dog died. You gotta start over." . . .

Chantilly's game at Robinson tonight is part of the Great American Rivalry Series and will be broadcast live at GreatAmericanRivalry.com. Each program will receive $1,000 for participating. . . .

One week after a 29-0 loss to Broad Run, Briar Woods's defense returned to its shutdown form in a 7-0 win over Dominion, allowing just 36 total yards of offense. The Falcons have held opponents to less than 40 yards of offense in three of their five games.

=================================
The Washington Post
================================