Izon and Smith lead Spalding over Boys’ Latin, 39-29

It was homecoming night, senior night, and Hall of Fame induction night at Archbishop Spalding on Friday, and the No. 15 Cavalier football team made its contribution to the memorable occasion when they rolled up 29 first quarter points en route to a 39-29 win over No. 17 Boys’ Latin in a MIAA B Conference match-up.

After being stymied in a road loss to Archbishop Curley last week, Spalding running backs K.K. Smith and JD Izon combined for 410 yards on the ground and five touchdowns against the Lakers.  Smith had 235 yards on 26 carries and he scored three times, and Izon ran for 175 yards on just 12 carries, and he scored twice.

Izon started the fireworks when he bolted into the end zone from five-yards out at 7:24 in the first quarter.  He then raced into the end zone for a two-point conversion to give coach MIke Whittles’ squad a quick 8-0 lead.  On the next Boys’ Latin possession, Jeff Chase darted 64 yards around left end for a Laker score, and the estimated crowd of nearly 3,000 anticipated a slugfest.  

When Spalding got the ball back, they faked a punt on fourth and seven near midfield, and Shelley White hit John Jennings for a key first down that  turned the tide for the Cavs.

On first and ten from the BL 37, Smith raced 37 yards to paydirt, and Spalding had a 15-7 lead.

Connor Pequigney picked off a Laker pass one minute later, and on first and ten at the Laker 22, Izon found a hole and sprinted 22 yards to the end zone to give the Cavs a 22-7 lead.

The Lakers gave up the ball on downs, and it was Smith’s turn to score again, this time on a 68 yard scamper. Kevin Weiman made all the extra points, and by the end of the first quarter the Cavalier’s held a 29-7 lead.

Weiman kicked a 28-yard field goal in the second quarter, and the Cavs held a 32-7 lead at the half.

Boys Latin wouldn’t quit, and their backfield tandem of Brandon Barnes and Jeff Chase had a great night of their own.  Barnes amassed 186 yards on 21 carries and he scored twice, and Chase rumbled for 150 yards on 16 carries and he also scored two TD’s.

The Lakers (5-2, 5-1) scored 22 second half points, but it wasn’t enough.  The Cavaliers (5-3, 4-1) got what turned out to be an insurance TD when Izon sped 70 yards down the sideline on the first Cavalier play from scrimmage in the second half.  Coach Ritcie Schell’s Lakers were driving late in the fourth quarter when Richard Gabelman picked off a Laker pass to thwart a last ditch rally and seal the win for the defending B Conference champs.

Whittles gave credit to he Cavalier line.

“Our offensive line did an outstanding job today. They were making the blocks, and our guys were hitting the holes.”

Schell said that his team just didn’t play with passion in the beginning.  “Spalding played extremely well; they’re a really good team.  KK and Izon are terrific players.”

Whittles praised BL

“They’re a very good team. We hoped to catch them with our speed, and we did.  This was a huge win for us.”

It was also a must win.  A loss would have damaged Spalding’s chances of returning the league championship game.  It would have placed the Cavs behind both BL and Archbishop Curley, to whom it lost last week.

With the win, Spalding is in a three way tie for second place with Curley and St. Paul’s, all a half game behind Boys’ Latin.