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Bath whitewashes Oatkan Knights 35-0 Kiele Wilson and Nick Carroll split 171 yards and 4 TDs to ignite Bath's offense. Rick Henry runs for 78 yards against powerful Rams D; Whiting and Humphrey lead LR tacklers. |
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LeRoy
vs. Bath Game Videography by EJ Henry |
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The Knights
played heady defense throughout the 2nd half. Jon Casper registered
2 tackles for losses, Cal Whiting provided 7 takedowns from his middle
LB position, and newcomer Jevon Johnson recovered a fumble. The LeRoy
offense actually enjoyed an 8-minute advantage in time of possession
during the contest as junior RB Rick Henry earned nearly 80 yards rushing
against the Bath defenders who are no strangers to the school's weight
room. When the Rams were given an opportunity, they took full advantage
of LeRoy miscues. An interception and a fumble led to red zone drive
starts for the Rams who punched in 2 more scores from 11 and 22 yards
out to make the final 35-0. |
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Normally, I’m reluctant about opining on a team I have not yet seen in action. But circumstance has led me to take liberties with that personal guideline as it pertains to the 2-0 Bath Haverling football team. Let me explain. When the high school football season kicked off last weekend, I was squeezing in my last full week of vacation before things really start to heat up on the scholastic schedule. So therefore, I missed the Rams’ season-opening 17-7 victory against St. Mary’s. And since we traditionally don’t make lengthy road trips to report on local teams live on tight deadline early in the season, the 180-mile round trip to cover Bath’s 35-0 trouncing of LeRoy Friday night didn’t make much sense from a logistical standpoint. Although I wouldn’t have objected to being there in person, we certainly had enough going on closer to home to keep us busy, while relying on a Bath official to call in Friday’s results. So what is there to say about a team I’ve only seen in practice and read about? Well, considering the mass exodus of skill-position talent from last season’s Class B state semifinalists, the Rams’ offense – through two games at least – appear to be in very capable, competent hands. Understandably, there was some concern about turning over the keys to the offense to a freshman signal caller as the 2009 season commenced. However, judging by the numbers through two games, freshman quarterback Dan Leonard has quieted many of those fears. Leonard has given the Rams a steady hand at QB, is obviously giving Bath a chance to win and seems to be managing the game well – all encouraging traits for a young quarterback. Through two games, Leonard has completed 6 of 9 passes for 87 yards and one touchdown. And most importantly, Leonard has 0 interceptions, while helping the Rams to six offensive touchdowns and a team total of 52 points through two games. “We were hoping he would get better each week,” Bath head coach Wayne Carroll said of Leonard. “He’s really showed some poise the last couple games.” While it’s usually very difficult to decipher how a high school team will fare – especially with the amount of turnover Bath had – the Rams have certainly made a statement through two games. Considering the team’s top two tacklers – brothers T.C. and Nick Carroll – were back in the fold, many figured Bath would do well defensively. The Rams pitched a goose egg Friday and allowed just one touchdown in the first game. This was to be expected. And while the 2-0 start might not be classified as shocking, I really thought the Rams might be winning uglier, low-scoring affairs until the team’s inexperienced offense got its footing. Keep in mind, the Rams scored 48 touchdowns on offense last year, yet none of the players who accounted for all of those 48 scores are suiting up for Bath this season. However, Nick Carroll, Kiele Wilson and Luke Burns appear to performing admirably while taking on far more prominent roles within the offense. Carroll,
who scored three defensive touchdowns last year, already has found the
end zone four times in 2009, and has scored in a variety of ways. In
the opener, Carroll’s 60-yard punt return kick-started the Rams
and he gave Bath the go-ahead score with a 3-yard TD plunge, as he finished
with a team-best 53 yards on the ground. Against
LeRoy, Carroll rushed for 95 yards on 13 carries and opened the scoring
by hauling in a 34-yard touchdown pass from Leonard. He followed up
with a 60-yard touchdown run and the rout was on. And don’t be misled into believing LeRoy is a patsy opponent because of its 0-2 start in 2009. Before this season, LeRoy – a perennial state power – owned a 43-game home winning streak, dating back to 1998. It’s only two games, but against a pair of formidable opponents, the new-look Rams appear to be the real deal. Hopefully, I can judge for myself sometime soon. |
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