By Terry Mosher<\/p>\n
Editor, Sports Paper<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
BREMERTON \u2011\u00a0 Bremerton High School football coach Nate Gillam wasn\u2019t sure how his new group of players (29 seniors graduated from last year\u2019s team) would respond, but he didn\u2019t have to worry.<\/p>\n
They did just fine.<\/p>\n
Junior running back Calvin Cardwell ran for 185 yards and four scores, junior quarterback Connor Mahoney showed he is more than a capable replacement for departed Olympic League offensive MVP Mikey Lawrence, throwing for one touchdown\u00a0 and 99 yards, and Florida transfer Michael Brown, also a junior, was a wow factor defensively, offensively and as the team\u2019s kicker (he added six PATs and a 25-yard field goal), as the Knights overcame an early mistake to blow past visiting Foster, 51-6.<\/p>\n
There are only eight seniors on this 2013 edition of the Knights, but two of them \u2011 Terrick Houston-Sims and Skyler Mullins \u2011 play critical roles in an offensive and defensive line that clearly manhandled Foster on both sides of the ball, recovering five fumbles and holding the Bulldogs to 137 total yards, most of which came against Bremerton reserves in the second half.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have been working really hard,\u201d said Gillam of his linemen. \u201cThat is the one place we got actual experience this year. We got a brand new set of skill kids. But we got Terrick Sims, Taylor Saylor (also a junior), Skyler Mullins and Keith Moore is a sophomore, but is a real good solid sophomore. And then we kind of rotate between Tim Riders and Ryan Aaro at center until we figure that out.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe weren\u2019t sure how the skilled kids were going to be tonight, but it kind of takes the pressure off the skill kids to have a good offensive line. And same thing on defense. We didn\u2019t have to stress our DBs out as much as we were afraid too.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut, yeah, we weren\u2019t sure. This is a brand new team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although Foster wasn\u2019t a real good test, the smashing success Gillam\u2019s team had is sure to create nervous reaction from future OL foes. The Knights were 9-2 last year while annexing their first league crown in Gillam\u2019s nine years as head coach, and league opponents may not see any drop off from this edition of the Knights.<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t look good at the start last night, though. Mahoney threw an interception on the third play of the game and Foster\u2019s Anthony May returned it 48 yards for a quick 6-0 Bulldog lead.<\/p>\n
The Knights, though, regrouped and took over the game. A 13-play drive resulted in the first wave of a tsunami that would engulf the visitors and create a running clock mid-way through the fourth quarter, per rules established by the WIAA<\/p>\n
Cardwell\u2019s two-yard run finished the drive.<\/p>\n
Buddy Gaines, another one of the young skilled kids (he\u2019s a junior), rolled eight yards for the Knights\u2019 second score four plays after a Foster fumble, which became a recurring theme for the Bulldogs.<\/p>\n
Another Foster fumble set up a 17-yard TD run by Cardwell and a 35-yard interception return by freshman DB Deboreae McClain set up a 43-yard scoring scamper by Cardwell that made it 27-6. The speedy Cardwell juked a Foster defender out of his cleats on the 35 to break away for the score.<\/p>\n
Gaines, another breakaway threat, romped 51 yards for an apparent touchdown on a punt return. It was called back by penalty and Brown tacked on three points with a 25-yard field goal.<\/p>\n
Brown, defensive back-wide receiver, gives the Knights a kicking threat they have not had for a while. His family is from here \u2013 his mother and an aunt went to school at Bremerton in the early 1990s with Gillam. They decided to come back to Bremerton from Florida, and Gillam couldn\u2019t be happier they did.<\/p>\n
Brown had several tackles, booted six extra points (one was blocked), kicked the field goal, caught three passes for 51 yards and rushed for 31 yards in just three carries.<\/p>\n
The Knights turned out the lights on Foster by halftime (30-6) and Gillam pulled back his starters in the third quarter to spare further embarrassment for the Bulldogs.\u00a0 Even so, he could not stop his team from scoring after gift fumbles. Gaines caught a 22-yard TD pass from Mahoney in the corner of the end zone over a defender, Cardwell finished his night with another scoring run, and then the freshman, McClain showed his stuff after replacing Mahoney at quarterback.<\/p>\n
McClain ran 44 yards on one run, scored on a four-yard run, and rang up 79 yards in just six carries.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the first time for him playing on Friday night,\u201d said Gillam, who wanted to get him some experience at QB in case he might be needed later in the season if something \u2013 God forbid \u2013 should happen to Mahoney.<\/p>\n
Altogether, the Knights ran for 364 yards and passed for another 99 for 463 total yards.\u00a0 And it might have been 600 yards if Gillam hadn\u2019t called off his young pups.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are awesome,\u201d said Cardwell of his offensive line. \u201cWe have a lot to prove. So this is a good start to show our talent this year.”<\/p>\n
Moore added, \u201cWe went out there and dominated. We knew from the start we were going to kill. So we went out and tried our best.\u201d<\/p>\n
Houston-Sims said, \u201cWe had a little bad start, but once we got going we didn\u2019t stop.\u00a0 Once they got a touchdown it lit a fire under us and we didn\u2019t let them score again. We are bigger than we were a year ago. We got more strength. We have been in the weight room working together.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Gillam, it could not have been better. It was almost like he would have wished it to be drawn up.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was good to give these young kids some confidence as we go into our next preseason game,\u201d said Gillam.<\/p>\n
That next \u201cpreseason\u201d game is this coming Friday at Wilson in Tacoma. Wilson gave Bremerton its lone regular season loss last year, 21-14, in a game the Knights probably should not have lost, and Gillam would like some revenge.<\/p>\n
\u201cWilson got us last year,\u201d Gillam said. \u201cThey are pretty solid. We got to make sure we are ready to go. We can\u2019t get too cocky, we got to be ready to come back to practice and get ready.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Foster\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6\u00a0\u00a0 0\u00a0\u00a0 0\u00a0\u00a0 0 \u2013\u00a0 6<\/p>\n
Bremerton 14 16 14\u00a0 7 \u2013 51<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Team Scoring:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
First quarter<\/p>\n
F \u2013 Anthony May 48 interception (pass failed)<\/p>\n
B \u2013 Calvin Cardwell 2 run (Michael Brown kick)<\/p>\n
B \u2013 Buddy Givens 8 run (Brown kick)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Second Quarter<\/p>\n
B \u2013 Cardwell 17 run (kick blocked)<\/p>\n
B \u2013 Cardwell 43\u00a0 run (Brown kick)<\/p>\n
B \u2013 Brown 25 field goal<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Third Quarter<\/p>\n
B \u2013 Gaines 22 pass from Connor Mahoney (Brown kick<\/p>\n
B \u2013 Cardwell 6 run (Brown kick)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Fourth Quarter<\/p>\n
B \u2013 Deboreae McClain 4 run (Brown kick)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Individual Stats:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Rushing \u2013 F: Randy Tippins 13-16; Alvin Noa 8-29; Justice Muna 3-5; Sergey Pristupa 1 (-2); Zane Jacobson 1-10. B: Calvin Cardwell 23-185; Connor Mahoney 6-0; Buddy Gaines 4-24; Darren Circulado 4-20; Michael Brown 3-31; Deboreae McClain 6-79; Anthony Lopez 3-15.<\/p>\n
Passing \u2013 F: Tippins 13-6-1-63; Jacobson 2-1-0-16. B: Mahoney 13-6-1-99.<\/p>\n
Receiving \u2013 F: Onopene Lemaota 2-26; Anthony May 2-18. Noa 1-14; Maleko Lemaota 1-5; Patrick Straight 1-14; Charlee Simpson 1-2. B: Brown 3-51; Gaines 2-42; Cardwell 1-6.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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