Braves get back on track

Raiders done in by interception return for TD

Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2007

Click here to enlarge this photo Staff Photos by Reid Silverman Chopticon running back Marco Sawyer runs in for a one-yard touchdown in the third quarter. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story Click here to enlarge this photo Leonardtown running back Mike Hebb, stopped by Chopticon linebacker Jimmy O’Grady, ran for 150 yards on 31 carries Thursday night. O’Grady had nine carries for 97 yards and two touchdowns.

Rollins intercepted Leonardtown senior quarterback Bruce Julian late in the second quarter and returned it 92 yards for a touchdown. Chopticon pulled away for a 34-12 victory Thursday evening at Raider Stadium.

‘‘This is the greatest one I’ve ever been a part of,” Rollins said. ‘‘The team needed it and the coaches did good. Everybody just did good.”

Rollins told junior teammate Jimmy O’Grady that he had a dream that he was going to get an interception.

‘‘The ball came right to me,” Rollins said. ‘‘The guys were blocking left and right for me and I was just running and that’s all I remember, just running.”

It was the third interception of the season for Rollins, who leads the team in tackles.

‘‘Doug, when he gets in the game he makes plays,” Chopticon head coach Tony Lisanti said.

Rollins’ interception return ruined a four-plus-minute drive that started on the Leonardtown 27. The Raiders drove to the Chopticon 15 looking to come to within a touchdown going into halftime when Rollins snatched Julian’s pass. The Braves went to the intermission with a 28-6 lead.

‘‘That really hurt,” Leonardtown head coach Anthony Pratley said. ‘‘It took the wind out of our sails. Actually, we ran the wrong route and overthrew the ball and that’ll kill you. [Rollins] made a heck of a play, cut back four or five times and took it to the house, and that really, really changed the whole course of the game.”

The interception wasn’t the only Chopticon big play of the night. Junior quarterback Leo Kyte (5 for 5, 126 yards passing) connected with senior wide receiver Matt Boltz for a 52-yard touchdown pass early in the second period.

‘‘The run game helped set that up,” Boltz said. ‘‘We’ve been working on it all week of just changing our patterns and fake the inside and go outside and it was open all day.”

‘‘It’s nice to see the big play come back,” Lisanti said. ‘‘We are capable of it. I think we are a diverse offense, we can run and throw. We just need to be consistent about it.”

Midway through the quarter, senior running back Michael Hebb (31 carries, 150 yards) brought Leonardtown to within eight on a nine-yard touchdown run. Twenty-four seconds after that, O’Grady scored his second touchdown of the night on a 66-yard run.

‘‘When I broke through I just looked for the open hole and just kept on going, didn’t look back at all,” O’Grady said.

Leonardtown began the second half with the ball. On the second play of the half, Julian was heading down the left sideline for a long gain and possibly a touchdown when the officials blew the whistle not aware that the Raiders quarterback had the ball.

‘‘Our kids just dropped their heads after that,” Pratley said. ‘‘[Julian] was off to the races, he really was. It happens. It’s a veer option. I’ve had it happen to me 15, 16 times before. It’s just part of the game, you got to play the next play.”

Julian (13 for 23, 120 yards passing, 12 carries, 52 yards rushing) connected with senior wide receiver Kenny Aicher (10 catches, 106 yards) on a 17-yard pass to bring the Raiders to the Braves 18. After the chains were set with two seconds left in the third, Julian took a quick snap and went into the end zone for the score.

‘‘We knew it was there all night,” Pratley said. ‘‘We’re just working on running the veer the way it should be run and tonight we started to run it a little bit, and that’s what we’re looking forward to.”

Chopticon (2-1, 1-1 SMAC) finished the game with 31 plays compared to Leonardtown’s 71.

‘‘Our offense moved the ball,” Lisanti said. ‘‘It looked like we could run when we needed to and the passing game was definitely there. Some boys were making some nice catches and Leo was putting the ball on the money, so I was quite pleased with our offense.”

Leonardtown (0-3, 0-2) matched its point total from Week 1 after being shut out by Westlake in Week 2.

‘‘Every week we’re getting better,” Pratley said. ‘‘I keep telling the kids to stay the course. We’re getting better. It’s going to happen. We’re going to turn this ship around, it’s just you got to stay on board.”

E-mail Paul Watson at pwatson@somdnews.com.