Kennett uses big first half to down Octorara
ATGLEN >> The Kennett High School football team came out of the gate firing on all cylinders, and kept the foot on the gas, scoring five unanswered touchdowns en route to a 40-13 Ches-Mont League American Division win, and spoiled Octorara’s homecoming festivities.
“We got off to a great start, getting right at them on the first play,” said Kennett lineman Nate Pizzini. “We just never let up, and they seemed to get tired. We just wore them down.”
The Blue Demons (1-0, 3-2) scored on each of their first three drives, finding nearly equal success through the air and on the ground.
Myles Robinson, who gained 66 yards rushing on five carries with three touchdowns, capped the first drive was a seven-yard scoring run.
“The O-line was ridiculous tonight,” said Robinson. “I barely needed to even make a cut. It was great to come in here and get a big win like this. We just have to keep that momentum going, and we could find ourselves 4-2 after next week.”
After the Blue Demons stopped the Braves (0-2, 1-4) cold on their first possession, they were forced to punt. Kennett turned it into points as Mitchell Kosara brought it back 64 yards to make it 14-0.
Seconds into the second quarter, quarterback Jake Dilcher ran it in 13 yards, on a first-and-goal to make it 21-0. Dilcher led all rushers with 105 yards on five carries, and completed 8 of 15 passes for 108 yards and a TD.
“We made too many mistakes, and let them get a big lead on us,” said Octorara coach Jed King. “As a team, you could see us start to hang our heads, just let our frustrations and our emotions get the best of us. We can’t just hang our heads and stop playing because we’re down. There was plenty of football to come.”
A Jose Rodriguez touchdown catch, and Robinson’s second score of the night, sent Kennett into halftime with a comfortable 34-0 adavantage.
The Blue Demons enacted the running clock with their lone score of the second half as Robinson galloped in from 41-yards out — his third TD.
“Jake Dicher and I have been playing together since were in the 80-pound, and-under league,” said Robinson. “Whether he’s handing off or finding me on a pass, it just feels really natural.”
The Braves did manage to score a pair of second-half touchdowns, taking advantage of a couple Kennett turnovers. One of them being a Nick Raabe interception.
The first score came when Trent Pawling found John Easterday for a 20-yard scoring strike. Later, Sye Hall turned a short Pawling pass into a 61-yard scoring jaunt to highlight the Braves’ night.
“We just can’t let ourselves fall into that mental state when we’re behind,” said King. “We played better in the second half, scoring twice and getting some turnovers. But, we have to play a full sixty minutes and not hang our heads if we fall behind. I love this group of kids and no one will work harder than they will to get past this one.”
