The scoop-and-score proved to be Strawberry Crest’s worst enemy Friday night, as two of those touchdowns set the tone for Sumner’s 22-6 win in Dover.
A 23-yard field goal gave the Stingrays (3-0) a 3-0 lead with just under two minutes left in the first quarter and Sumner scored its only offensive touchdown of the game on a Jason Rivera quarterback keeper with 1:24 left in the second quarter. The Stingrays tried to get creative and pass for a two-point conversion, but the ball sailed into the outstretched hands of Crest’s own Marcus Springfield instead of the targeted receiver.
The Chargers found a rhythm on their next drive when Marquell Hudson beat the defense for a big run dip into Sumner territory aided by a horse-collar tackle penalty against the visitors. Austin Osborne floated a pass into the end zone with Hudson in mind on the next play, but it was just out of the wideout’s reach. Quincy Hart attempted to make something happen on the ground with 26 seconds left, but the Stingrays forced a fumble that Keoni Denny scooped up and ran all the way back for a touchdown. The point-after kick was good and the Stingrays took a 16-0 lead into halftime.
Crest did look good opening the second half. Though the Chargers were forced to punt on the first drive of the third quarter, Armando Garcia pinned the Stingrays down at their own 30-yard line and Ryan Weems got the Chargers the ball back by intercepting Rivera on the Stingrays’ ensuing drive. That put the Chargers at Sumner’s 44-yard line and Miles Jones hit pay dirt with a long run just a minute later. Crest’s attempt to go for two points didn’t work, but the home team was able to make it a 16-6 game.
The Chargers’ defense forced a punt on the next Sumner drive, but the Stingrays turned up the pressure defensively and scored again on a strip sack as time expired in the third quarter. A missed PAT set the score at 22-6, which held up for 12 more minutes.
Though Crest couldn’t recapture any of the offensive success it had to start the second half, the defense did play well and limit Sumner to only one unsuccessful 38-yard field goal attempt with 58 seconds left. The Chargers took over anther own 20-yard line, tried to drive but lost another fumble with eight seconds left that allowed Sumner to kneel the game away.