Game Summary: Official Stats | FAVC Summary
Coach Olds Corner: The Paddle Returns
Mindseye Fan Cam Picture of the Week:
WKNG Coverage: Podcast | Postgame
External Coverage: Pulse Journal Pulse Journal Slideshow
Pulse Journal Player of the Game Nomination
Knights Thump Panthers 55-0
Contributed by Bret Sims, WKNG Radio
It didn’t take long for the Knights to start the scoring in what would be the worst defeat for Little Miami in the 46-year old rivalry between the two schools when Kings Justin Crull intercepted a Bo Wilburn pass and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown.
Justin Crull’s score came with less than a minute gone in the opening quarter and the second time the Knights would find the end zone would be 4 minutes later when Jamire Westbrook rushed over right guard and into the end zone to cap a 7 play, 72 yard drive. Ben Bennett was the star of this drive when he took the ball up the middle, then broke to the outside and scampered 46 yards before being tackled on Little Miami’s 2-yard line.
While the defense seemed to shut down every lane on the ground and any opening through the air the offense operated like a hot knife slicing through butter which couldn’t have been more evident when Westbrook took a pitch from Johnny Brewster and swept around his left end. The combination of dance moves by Westbrook and poor tackling by the Panthers resulted in a 55-yard half run, half walk into the end zone and his third touchdown of the night. Jamire would end the night with 127 yards rushing and 3 trips to the promise land on just 13 carries.
Kings Jonny Brewster only attempted 7 passes but connected on 5 of them that resulted in 148 yards and two touchdowns. His 2nd touchdown pass to Jermard Lewis (who hauled in two TD’s on the night) was his best pass of the game and continues to show his ability to hit the open man in stride. A short pass by Brewster actually turned into his longest of the night when Justin Crull took a 5-yard dump off pass 74 yards and would have taken it to the house had he not been caught from behind by Little Miami’s punter. After the game when asked how it felt to be caught by the punter Justin simply replied “No, comment”, as he laughed about it. In all fairness to Justin punter was also the starting middle linebacker for the Panthers Logan Cane (who I will mention again later)
Jensen Gebhardt came in to spell relief for Brewster in the third quarter and scored two touchdowns of his own but instead of using his arm he managed to use his feet. In a game that was already out of hand Gebhardt and the Knights showed class by not throwing down field against an opponent that had been clearly whipped on both sides of the ball.
The Knights defense continues to get better with each game and that is a great sign for this team. There is no question the offense has enough big guns to put up the points but as the season wears on it is often the defense that carries a team into and throughout the playoffs. Midway through the first half the Knights had held the Panthers to less than 30 yards total offense and managed to give up less than 200 for the entire game.
Justin Crull now leads the FAVC in interceptions with 4 on the season but as Justin will tell you that comes from his teammates being in their positions or forcing a bad pass as much as the coaches knowing where to have them line up before the snap. Clearly he has talent but he also knows he is part of the bigger picture which speaks volumes about Coach Olds and his staff and what they are instilling into the players.
My hat goes off to Little Miami’s Logan Cane. Cane is a junior linebacker who showed TREMENDOUS heart, determination and dedication in a losing cause. Cane time and time again ran down the Knight players (Bennett, Westbrook, Crull) when it looked like they would have scored and he played that way until he was removed from the game. He is the kind of player that I would expect to see in a Kings uniform and though he isn’t a Knight he sure played like one.
The Knights are now 5-1 and they are at a point in the season where losses can mean the difference between playing in the post season or sitting home. They have a tough game on Friday with Walnut Hills but I fully expect them to be ready.