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| Photo courtesy of Nathan Wallin. |
The Blue Dukes freshman squad never stopped running Aug. 30
at Lubar Stadium, stomping the freshman Germantown Warhawks 48-24 in a contest
that was not as close as the score might indicate.
After Bay forced a 3-and-out on Germantown’s opening
possession, the Blue Dukes took over at the Germantown 42. The Blue Dukes showed the versatility of
their running attack immediately. Matt Bernstein (#10) ran for 9 yards, Nick
Higgins (#43) ran for 13 yards and Van Bassindale (#40) carried a flock of
Warhawks defenders on his back for 8 more yards. Higgins carried to a 1st
and goal at the 2; Bassindale plunged through the middle of the line for the
opening touchdown. Bailey Wieland (#25) kicked the extra point. Bay, 7-0.
Germantown mishandled Wieland’s strong kickoff, but regained
the ball for a 1st down at their own 18 yard line. Bay forced
another punt, with Macklin Kortebein (#23) returning the ball to the Germantown
46. Bassindale ran to the 35 yard line. After an exchange of 5-yard penalties,
Kortebein carried to the 24. Two plays later, Bassindale plowed to the 17. Two
plays later, Kortebein carried to a 1st and goal at the 5. Higgins
ran for the touchdown. Wieland kicked the PAT. Bay, 14-0.
Germantown downed the ensuing kickoff at their own 28, and
dug themselves a hole with a false-start penalty. On third down, Will Alt (#83)
and Teddy Weber (#75) dropped the QB for no gain, forcing another punt, which
Kortebein returned to the Bay 44. An explosive run by Kortebein to the Gtown 15
was unfortunately nullified by a Bay penalty.
Bay opened the 2nd quarter with a 2nd
and long at their own 38. Kortebein ran to the 47. Bernstein glided to the
Warhawk 46. Bassindale bulldozed his way to a 1st down at the
Warhawks 39. Twisting and cutting back, Kortebein scampered to a 1st
and goal at the Warhawks 5. Bassindale forced his way through the Warhawks line
for the touchdown. The extra point attempt was blocked. Bay, 20-0.
On the kickoff, Patrick Collins (#65) and Paul Wilson (#70)
downed the Germantown ball carrier at Gtown’s 21. The Warhawks turned to their
short passing game, completing one to their big tight end. But Jonathan Downs (#67)
dropped a running back for a loss on the next play. The Warhawks earned a first
down and completed another dinky pass, but lost yardage on a false-start
penalty. On third and short, bull-rushing linebacker Jesse Sanford (#59)
dropped the Warhawks QB for a sack. On 4th and 6, the pressured
Warhawks QB threw a middle screen pass, but d-lineman Dreyel Taylor (#93)
dropped the receiver immediately, to turn possession over to Bay at the Warhawks
34.
Unfortunately, on the next play, a Warhawks defender
intercepted Bay’s pass and headed for a pick-6. Bassindale, flashing his
sprinter speed, caught him behind at the Bay 7, saving a touchdown for the
moment. Germantown completed a pass for the TD. On the extra point attempt, the
presumed holder passed to the Warhawk receiver in the end zone for the
two-point conversion. Bay, 20-8.
Germantown tried an onside kick, but Andrew James (#72)
outfought a Warhaw to recover the ball. (A ref had to get prone on the ground
where the two boys were hanging on to the ball to parse the possession.)
Bay 1st down at its own 46. On 3rd and
9, Higgins gained about 8.5 yards on a bruising run up the middle; a minor
facemask penalty against Germantown gave Bay a first down. Three Bassindale
carries produced another first down. Higgins carried multiple defenders on his
back for another decent gain. Kortebein and Bassindale carried to within hailing
distance of the goal line. On second and goal at 1, QB Jake Fisher (#3) plunged
over the line for the TD. Wieland kicked the PAT. Bay, 27-8.
Germantown returned the ensuing kick to its 30. Germantown
gained a 1st down on a reverse, but the first half came to an end.
The second half opened with Alt recovering the Germantown
kickoff on the Bay 33. Several runs, including a Bernstein scamper, gave Bay a
1st down at Germantown’s 45. Higgins broke a tackle in the backfield
and glided to the 32, with a horse-collar tackling penalty assessed against the
Warhawks, taking the ball to the 17. Fisher completed a swing pass to Wieland
for 4 yards. Then Higgins ran right 13 yards for a touchdown. Wieland kicked
the PAT. Bay, 34-8.
On the kickoff, Kortebein tackled the returner at the
Germantown 35. Playing against a Bay defense with many reserves in, Germantown
marched down the field for a score on a QB keeper, and completed a pass for a
2-point conversion. Bay, 34-16.
Cole Miller (#9) took the Germantown kickoff at the Bay 41.
With second effort, Bassindale gained a 1st down on a 4th
down run to the Germantown 48. On the second play, Bassindale ran up the
middle, saw daylight, and zoomed left for a TD. Wieland converted the extra
point. Bay, 41-16.
On the next possession, Cole Miller (#9) intercepted a
Warhawk pass, but the turnover was nullified by a Bay penalty. Germantown
passed for a score, and passed for the two-point conversion. Bay, 41-24.
Wieland recovered the onside kickoff attempt at Bay’s 48.
Bay drove to a 1st and goal at the 7. Bernstein took a handoff and
swept left into the end zone. Wieland kicked the PAT to conclude the game’s
scoring. Bay, 48-24.
