Justin Kline shares his thoughts on Strawberry Crest’s Aug. 25 home opener.
Last Friday’s Game of the Week did not go the way I expected it to.
I figured that, even if Strawberry Crest lost, it wouldn’t be by more than 10 points. But the Spoto Spartans had other ideas and ended with a 19-point lead, winning 32-13.
They did it by carving up the Chargers’ run defense to the tune of 224 yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries. On the flip side, Spoto’s run defense had no problem stopping Crest’s three-back offense, allowing just 87 yards and no scores on 34 carries.
Most of Spoto’s work came from junior Kobe Smith’s 144 rushing yards on 12 touches. We knew going into the game that Crest doesn’t have the fastest team in the county, but Smith was especially effective for the unit whenever his number was called. The run defense won’t be an issue for Crest for some time — King doesn’t look to pose a threat in that department this week, and the Chargers then have a bye week Sept. 8 — but the team will want to shore that up for a three-week stretch starting Sept. 15 that has games against Tampa Bay Tech, Durant and Plant City.
I think the Crest offense can improve with a little more confidence, which should be easy to come by with more reps this week and next. King just took a 47-0 loss to Middleton, a team Crest nearly beat in 2016 that returned many of the same players this year. King hasn’t won a game since Nov. 6, 2015, which was a 16-13 overtime win at Durant. If there were odds on high school football, I would think Crest is the one favored to win.
The Chargers did a fine job putting pressure on quarterback Jerson Singleton, though. The defense recorded five sacks and there was one play early in the second quarter where defensive end Josh Young slipped through the o-line and batted a pass attempt away.
I know it wasn’t the outcome everyone in the home section wanted, but it’s also not something I’d be worried about. I think this week’s game against King is an even better opportunity for the Chargers to get a win, if not the best all season, so if I were a Crest fan I would make the drive to that game.
Speaking of snapping streaks, give Durant credit where credit is due: the Cougars’ 14-10 win at Jesuit last Friday ended the Tigers’ 21-game home winning streak. Cougar fans can thank running back Cam Myers, who put the team ahead with a 75-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, as well as the defense, which stuffed Jesuit’s offense at the goal line on the game’s final play. After a win like this over a county powerhouse, I don’t think the Cougars will be stuck with an “underdog” label for while.
