Butler, Bowen pace Carroll in opener
RADNOR >> Archbishop Carroll’s Koran Butler and Joshue Bowman have this ritual they go through after one of them scores. They meet on the sideline for a chest bump.
It’s an interesting sight to see, considering Butler is every bit of the 6-foot-0 it says he is on the Carroll roster, while Bowman is generously listed at 5-2. Yet they make it work, as the duo showed Friday in a 42-8 season-opening nonleague victory over visiting Olney Charter.
Butler and Bowman exchanged chest bumps four times as they scored two touchdowns apiece to give rookie head coach Kyle Detweiler his first career victory.
“It’s the way we support each other,” Butler said. “We’re one big team.”
Two of Bowman’s three carries went for touchdown. He scampered 22 yards in the first quarter to get the Patriots on the board and then raced 28 yards in the second quarter to make it 21-0.
“I like to hide behind the big guys,” Bowman said of his offensive line. “They always help out. You have to trust the big guys.”
“He’s America’s favorite tailback,” Detweiler said of Bowman. “He plays much bigger and much tougher and much stronger than his size would allow you to believe. He’s a senior. He’s been through it. He’s got varsity experience. He brings great leadership to that running back room and he does a really nice job. I was happy to see him score twice.”
Both of Butler’s receptions went for TDs. He hauled in a 33-yard scoring pass from quarterback Russel Minor-Shaw in the second quarter and pulled in a 32-yard TD pass right before the half to give the Patriots a 28-0 advantage heading into the break.
“It’s all to the offensive line,” Butler said. “They’re the ones that give us the time to do what we do best.”
Minor-Shaw also threw an 18-yard touchdown strike to Mike Dempsey in the third quarter and Jalil Warren rounded out the scoring with a 12-yard TD run in the third period.
The defense also did its part. The Patriots held the Trojans to 130 in total offense, 69 of which came on Olney’s lone scoring play. Carroll racked up three quarterback sacks, 11 tackles for losses and forced two turnovers to give Detweiler his first win.
“I told them from jump street in March that it’s never about me,” Detweiler said. “It’s always about them. It’s their football team and their football program. I’m going to give you all the tools you need to be successful and I’m going to put you guys in position to make plays, but you guys ultimately have to make the plays and they were able to do that today.”
