The Bellwood-Antis defense showed up early for the game at Bellwood Memorial Stadium and stayed all night long as the Blue Devils posted their second shutout in three games demolishing West Branch 49-0.
The Blue Devil ”D” limited West Branch to just 96 yards totals offense, forced seven punts and intercepted three passes. The Warriors were able to register just four first downs all game long, one in each quarter. Ryan Myers, Ricky Shannon and Eric Brubaker had the picks, Myers returned his 38 yards to the WB-6 set up a three-yard TD by Cory Daly three plays later. Shannon’s interception gave Bellwood-Antis the ball at the BA-46 and Brubaker’s was followed by a 46-yard score by Matt Sneath capping a five-play drive for the final score with the B-A Jayvees in the game.
It’s pretty easy when your defense forces your opponent three and out all night,” explained B-A coach John Hayes. “The defense and special teams had us playing on their half of the field most of the night. When we did have to move the football offensively, we were able to make some big plays.”
The Blue Devils (4-1) held West Branch and forced a punt to begin the ballgame, then quickly moved in for a score.
Jesse Graham swung a short pass out to Cory Daly and the senior speedster galloped 45 yards to the WB-18. Adam Plummer picked up 10 of his game-high 97 yards, and Daly carried twice, including the seven-yard TD over the left side. Dan Graham booted the first of five PATs for a 7-0 lead
Still in the opening quarter, Myers returned his interception to the Warrior-six and Daly scored from the three, again over the left side, with Josh Rosella, Eric Brubaker, Bret McCartney and Ryan McCartney blowing big holes in the West Branch defensive line all game long.
B-A held West Branch on zero net yards in three plays at the WB-20 after Dan Graham booted the kickoff into the end zone to begin the series. On fourth down, the ball was snapped over the head of punter Adam Andrasko, who chased the ball into the endzone, knocking it out through the endzone to prevent Bellwood-Antis from recovering and scoring a TD.
With the resulting safety, B-A jumped their lead to 16-0.
Adam Plummer returned the free kick 16 yards to the WB-43. Plummer ripped off a 23-yard pickup on the first call of the series, but the Blue Devils stalled at the Warrior-14. Dan Graham stepped back and booted a 31-yard field goal for a 19-0 lead.
Two series later, Graham set a B-A record with a 39-yard field goal, breaking the former mark of 37 yards set by Graham last year and Jason Tubbs against Everett in 1995. Key gains in the drive were runs by Daly for a dozen yards and Adam Plummer for 13 and a nine yard pass play from Jesse Graham to wide out Damion Miller.
Bellwood-Antis added a pair of TDs in each of the final two quarters.
After receiving the kick to begin the second half, B-A struck quickly with Jesse Graham teaming up with Daly. Graham threw a pass out to Daly, who turned the corner and simply outraced everybody to the end zone for his third TD of the game.
Special teams and defense contributed again when Daly boomed a punt 48 yards to the WB-one yard line, where Danny Houser alertly downed the ball before it rolled into the endzone.
West Branch was able to move just out to the five, where they had to punt again for only 20 yards and Ricky Shannon returned the punt 15 yards to the WB-8. It took the Blue Devils just two plays to score, with Adam Plummer getting both carries and the one-yard TD.
In the fourth quarter, Plummer added a 10-yard score after Dan Houser made the most of his only carry of the night juking several would-be tacklers out of their shoes and streaking 25 yards down the left side.
With the Jayvees in, Matt Sneath capped the five-play march that resulted in the final TD. Derrick Hoffer dashed 23 yards with the key play and two plays later, Sneath went up the middle, got through the line and refused to let anyone catch him completing the 46-yard TD.
“My biggest concern was that we didn’t move the ball consistently,” said Hayes, “but when you have big-play backs you may not have that kind of thing. I was real pleased with the way the kids played. They worked awfully hard in practice this week. The kids were sharp and very alert. It’s just been a real good feeling after a week like that. West Branch is a real sound football team. They are hard hitters and a couple of series there, they hammered us. We played real good field position tonight. When we were in the hole we kicked out of it. Cory Daly kicked two beautiful punts tonight, the quick kick and the pouch-punt that we downed at the one.”
B-A travels to Penns Valley Friday night.
Bellwood-Antis 49 West Branch 0
Score by quarter
Bellwood-Antis – 16 6 14 13 -49
West Branch -0 0 0 0-0
Scoring summary
first quarter
BA- Daly 7 run (D. Graham kick) 4:41
BA- Daly 3 run (D. Graham kick) 2:21
BA- safety 1:05
second quarter
BA- D. Graham 31 field goal 11:03
BA- D. Graham 39 field goal 1:07
third quarter
BA- Daly 66 pass from J. Graham (D. Graham kick) 11:00
BA- A. Plummer 1 run (D. Graham kick) 1:49
fourth quarter
BA- A. Plummer 10 run (D. Graham kick) 8:51
BA- Sneath 46 run (run failed) 2:31
Team Statistics
BA WB
First Downs 13 4
Rushes 38 30
Rush yards 250 86
Pass Att. 8 12
Pass Comp. 4 2
Pass Yards 137 10
Interceptions 0 3
Fumbles lost 1 0
Penalty yards 3-32 2-10
Punts/Avg. 2-50 7-37.9
Total Offense 387 96
Individual Statistics
Rushing
Bellwood-Antis: A. Plummer 18-97 (2TD), Sneath 3-50 (1TD), Daly 8-41 (2TD), Shannon 1-43 (1TD), Houser 1-25, Hoffer 2-25, Der. Miller 3-10, J. Graham 3-2.
West Branch: Ricotta 11-35, Sudik 3-17, Husted 3-17, McDowell 9-29, Andrasko 2-4, Tice 1-4, Team 1-(-20).
Passing
Bellwood-Antis: J. Graham 4-8-137-0-1.
West Branch: Andrasko 2-9-10-2-0, Owens 0-3-0-1-0.
Receiving
Bellwood-Antis: Daly 2-111 (1TD), R. McCartney 1-17, Dam. Miller 1-9.
West Branch: Tice 1-7, McCracken 1-3.
