AACS tops Baltimore Lutheran for MIAA C lead

Advantage Annapolis Area Christian School.

The Eagles gained sole possession of first place in the MIAA C Conference Friday evening with a 41-19 decision over Baltimore Lutheran in a battle of unbeatens at Arundel.

Senior running back James Anderson rushed for 127 yards and four touchdowns for Annapolis Area (6-0 overall, 2-0 MIAA C), and Chris Chick tossed a 23-yard scoring pass to Alpha Jalloh. Junior wide receiver Jordan Smith caught two touchdown passes for Lutheran (5-1, 1-1 MIAA C).

In extending the area’s longest current winning streak to 14 games, Annapolis Area assumed the inside track to the crown in the four-team league. The Eagles, who won the league championship last year, scored on their first three possessions of the second half and led by as many as 28 points.

“We were both undefeated, so we had to play our A-game,” said Anderson.

“We came together on the defense and everybody did their part,” said Eagles’ senior receiver/linebacker Ben Milburn, who had a quarterback sack. “We could’ve come out a little stronger, but, somehow, we always get it together.”

Milburn, who moved from defensive back to linebacker because of injuries, also recovered a fumble that led into the first touchdown for the Eagles. Tony Paige and Malique Johnson had second half interceptions, leading to touchdowns.

Anderson was the biggest benefactor, scoring on runs of six- and 26-yards to go with three and eight yards touchdown scores. The average starting point for AACS’ six scoring drives Friday was from Lutheran’s 33.

“The more we have it [the football], the more opportunities we’re going to have,” said Eagles coach Kenny Lucas. “Our defense is getting after it right now.”

After a scramble for a John Nunes’ fumble, Milburn settled on top it at the AACS’ 37, more than 20 yards from the prior line of scrimmage. On third-and-14, Chick (5 of 13, 51 yards) found Chandler Edmonds for 32 yards to keep the drive alive.

Three plays later, Anderson found the end zone for the first time with 1 minute, 37 seconds remaining in the opening quarter. The Saints got on the scoreboard in the second as Aaron Ames threw a 12-yard pass to Jay Davis, completing a four-play 53-yard drive.

A 37-yard punt return by Jon Hunter and a block in the back penalty against Lutheran, set AACS up at the Saints’ 13 with 14 seconds left. Jalloh outleaped a Lutheran defender near the corner of the end zone, sending the Eagles into halftime with a 14-6 advantage.

Paige, who helped the Eagles keep their win streak intact in last weekend’s come-from-behind win over St. Vincent Pallotti, intercepted Ames on the third play of the second half. Anderson broke outside to the sidelines and ran in from 26 yards, extending AACS’ lead to 27-6 with 7:33 remaining in the third quarter.

Armes (11 of 17, 98 yards) found a wide open Smith on fourth-and-14 for a 29-yard score for the Saints, but Anderson capped a seven-play, 57-yard drive with an eight-yard score. Anderson, a 5-foot-8, 165-pound bowling ball, credited the Eagles’ front line led by Galen Evans and Kyle Davis.

It was 41-13 after Hunter scored on a 12-yard run, completing a drive started by Johnson’s interception. Lutheran coach Brent Johnson said his team simply made too many mistakes.

“We put ourselves in bad spots all night long, and they forced us to make errors,” said Johnson. “It was kind of a tough road for us.”

The path appears promising for AACS which has Friends, St. Vincent Pallotti and Lutheran the next three weekends on the road.

“We’re playing unselfishly and we’re going to need to continue in order for us to be successful,” said Lucas. “We don’t have 60-70 kids; we got to use what we got to the best of our abilities.”

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