Not enough can be said about the depth of the No. 3 Calvert Hall College football team, and the Cardinals put all of it on display, Saturday, when they routed visiting Havre de Grace, 55-0.
It was impressive that the team scored eight touchdowns on the Warriors (2-1), who were in the state playoffs just last year, but more so that Calvert Hall (4-0 overall) saw seven players contribute to the 55-point game.
“Our depth really showed today,” Calvert Hall head coach Donald Davis said. “The first team clicked really well, but even when we went to the bench the production didn’t stop.
“That is one of the things I impressed upon our guys during the course of the week and even at half time; we are a complete team and I want to see that effort from everyone, start to finish and the level of execution.”
Calvert Hall junior Brandon Neverdon was a monster between the sidelines, rushing for 72-yards and two touchdowns in the first half, helping create a 27-0 lead at the break, and coming out in the second half for 88 more yards on just two carries, including a 69-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second half for a
three-touchdown performance.
The Cardinals’ domination on the ground added up to 380 rushing yards, and multiple touchdown games for both Neverdon and sophomore Garrett Kenne, who finished the game with 74 yards and two touchdowns.
Other Cardinal rushing scores came from senior CJ Williams and sophomore Stephen Kelly.
With all the success on the ground, the Cardinals had no need to spread their wings and take to the air, but did so with junior back-up quarterback John Mooney at the end of the third quarter, firing a 26-yard touchdown pass to junior Andrew McSorely to establish a 48-0 lead.
McSorley (2-of-4, 37 yards, TD) combined with junior Thomas Stuart (4-of-9, 75 yards, INT) to push Calvert Hall for more than 100 yards in the air.
Hall senior kicker Sam Hayes laced all seven of his extra point attempts, while the Cards failed to convert once on an errant snap.
Coming into Saturday’s match-up, the Warriors had beaten their previous two opponents by a combined score of 55-15, but the Cardinal defense stepped up and kept the Havre de Grace offense scoreless for the entire game, and made it nearly non-existent in the first half.
Holding the Warriors to just 26 rushing yards in the first half, it was plays like a forced fumble by senior Dan Yarborough, junior Daquan Davis’ interception and the countless sacks from juniors Ky Reinhardt, Emmanuel Holder and Matt Manzo, and sophomore Thomas Hollenback that made the shutout possible.
“We just came into the game knowing that even thought it wasn’t the hardest game, that we didn’t want to take them lightly,” Williams said. “We knew they had a quarterback that could scramble and we tried to get pressure on him but not let him get to the edge, and I feel like we accomplished that.”
“I probably sound like a broken record but I believe the bread is buttered on the defensive side of the football,” Davis added. “I have great kids, we have a great staff and those guys believe in the system and work really hard. I am proud to be affiliated with all of these guys.”
Turning to the air with the ground game at a halt, junior quarterback Darin Washington threw 28 times, completing 12 passes for 105 yards and one interception for the Warriors, who travel to C. Milton Wright next Friday.
His favorite receiver, senior Monty Werts, made seven receptions and was responsible for 59 of the team’s reception yards.
The undefeated Cardinals take to the road next week in an MIAA A Conference showdown with Mount St. Joe (3-0), on Saturday.
“We are going to have to play well, because Blake has got those guys absolutely rolling over there at Mount St. Joe,” Davis said, adding that the Gaels are coming off a 14-10 win over Fort Hill. “That does not happen often.
“We just have to work hard this week and go out there and play the best we can, and hope we’ll catch a break or two, because I know you might have to catch one or two to beat St. Joe.”
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No. 3 Calvert Hall College 55, Havre de Grace 0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| Havre de Grace | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calvert Hall | 14 | 13 | 21 | 7 | 55 |
1st Q
CHC-Neverdon 2 run (Hayes kick)
CHC- Keene 6 run (Hayes kick)
2nd Q
CHC- Williams 2 run (Hayes kick)
CHC- Neverdon 4 run (conv failed)
3rd Q
CHC- Neverdon 69 run (Hayes kick)
CHC- Keene 6 run (Hayes kick)
CHC- McSorley 26 pass from Mooney (Hayes kick)
4th Q
CHC- Kelly 12 run (Hayes kick)
