The Bel Air High School Varsity Football team (2-2) played the Joppatowne Mariners (1-3) on Friday, September 28th. The Bobcats triumphed with a score of 42-0.
Bel Air came up with the first scoring play by sacking Joppa’s quarterback in the end zone. Not long after, Bel Air running back Juwan Singletary scored the first touchdown. Joe Denver’s extra point brought the score to 9-0. 5 minutes into the first quarter, Mike Marshall intercepted a pass and ran it in for a touchdown and after Denver’s extra point, the score was 16-0. Bel Air’s next scoring drive ended with a touchdown run from Justin Noles, ending the first quarter with a score of 23-0. There were no scoring plays for either team in the second quarter, but the Bobcats’ defense came up with a key 4th down stop to halt Joppatowne’s offensive momentum. 2 minutes into the second half, cornerback Brenden Yetter recoverd a fumble and returned it for a touchdown. After the missed extra point, the score was 29-0. With 6 minutes left in the third quarter, Juwan Singletary scored his second rushing touchdown, making the score 35-0. The fourth quarter was relatively quiet with only one Bobcat touchdown with 2 minutes left in the quarter coming on a rush from running back Mitchell Muller. After the extra point, the score was, and stayed, 42-0.
Friday’s win brought the Bobcats to a 3-2 record. The Bobcats regained momentum after a tough loss to rival Fallston. Commenting on the performance of the Bobcats, Varsity coach David Huryk said, “Every player on our team played. We had a good, as what we refer to as a ‘next man up’ mentality. Even when we put a backup in, we don’t expect a drop in play.” A reoccurring theme in the game was extended injury timeouts. 2 minutes into the second half, an ambulance was called due to a hip injury from a Joppatowne player. “That’s part of the game. We preach to the guys that you never know when your last play is going to be,” said Coach Huryk on the injuries. Next week, the Bobcats take on very tough division rivals the North Harford Hawks (3-2). North Harford’s only losses came from strong opponents Hereford and St. Paul’s. The game will be on Friday, October 5th at 7 pm in Bobcat Stadium. When talking about North Harford, Coach Huryk said, “We need to be flawless.”