Sammons gets first score in Academy Park’s bullrush of Interboro
GLENOLDEN — Whether it’s at linebacker or defensive end, Damir Sammons is a difference-maker for Academy Park’s defense. He’s athletic enough to stuff the run, rush the passer or drop back in pass coverage. The 6-3, 190-pound senior is a hybrid.
Now he’s showing glimpses of what he can do on the other side of the ball.
Late in the first half of Academy Park’s Del Val League clash against Interboro Friday night, Sammons lined up behind center, took the snap and ran five yards to the end zone to put the Knights ahead by double digits. After a first-half fight by the host Bucs, the Knights won going away, 37-10.
The scoring scamper happened to be Sammons’ first touchdown. Since the Knights have a multitude of players sharing the ball, Sammons hasn’t had the chance to show what he can do offensively, but perhaps he will be under consideration for more touches going forward.
“It just feels great to get the win,” he said. “We lost twice in a row before, but we came back hard tonight. I liked the way we played tonight. We just went out here and got it done.”
Sammons also racked up several tackles and had one of the defense’s three interceptions.
“Damir’s a special athlete,” AP coach Jason Vohseski said. “A lot of his physique is natural and his athletic ability is obviously natural. He’s grown up a lot in the four years he’s been with us. He’s a lot more mature, he gets it more than he did (in prior years). He’s a playmaker.”
The Knight (5-2, 1-0 Del Val) bounced back after two straight losses at Avon Grove and Downingtown East. They commenced the Del Val League portion of their schedule with a dominating win, weeks after their game with Chichester was declared a no-contest. The Knights finish the regular season against Penn Wood (0-6) and Chester (6-0).
As for Friday, Sammons and the AP defense put on a show. Interboro (1-7, 0-2 Del Val) fumbled the ball seven times and the Knights penetrated the backfield early and often. Despite a big night from senior Abu Kamara, who ran for 173 yards on 25 carries, the Knights stood tall on defense. The Bucs kept within striking distance for most of the first half as AP’s offense struggled to find any sort of consistency.
Ibrahim Sanogo, Tristan Hodges, Ashton Clarkson and Derrid Graham were among the Knights to make several key tackles. The Knights also forced the Bucs to turn the ball over on downs three times.
“Playing Interboro, and the offense that they run, regardless of the decade and the year, it’s still difficult to match up against. I thought our defense played lights out,” Vosheski said. “A team like Interboro, or any team with a similar offense, they run straight at us. It’s one-on-one battles. Side to side, we’re OK, but straight at us it’s one-on-one battles. Depending on the day, it comes down to whoever wins the most.”
Running up the middle is how Kamara accrued most of his yardage. He broke off a 42-yard run to pull the Bucs within six points, 16-10, in the second quarter. He also had a 26-yard run in the second half. All other Interboro players managed 36 yards of total offense.
The Knights put the game out of reach when cornerback Anis Hunter picked off a Julien Buolovas pass and ran 43 yards to the house to give AP a 37-10 lead with six minutes to play. Hunter jumped the short hitch route perfectly and ran untouched to the end zone.
“I had seen the three-step drop and I knew I had to break one,” Hunter said. “I just knew I had to run fast.”
Hunter’s pick-six came moments after he converted an extra point with his leg. The Knights typically go for two-point conversions, but with AP up by three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, Hunter had a rare chance to boot one through the uprights.
“That was my first point and that felt good,” he said. “In practice I work on it, like, kicking it 35 (yards) from the left hash. I liked it better than the interception, I ain’t going to lie.”
Sanogo had scoring runs of five and seven yards in the first half. Joe Davis ripped off a 27-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.
