Southern-Anne Arundel and South River both put their 2-0 records on the line on a rainy Thursday evening. It was the Seahawks who had the most fun in the conditions, knocking off the Bulldogs in convincing fashion, 28-7, in Harwood.
“Our offensive line opens up the run, and our run opens up the passing game,” said South River senior signal caller Shane Lee, who threw for over 150 yards and two touchdown passes.
“Southern is our rival, they’re only 10 minutes down the road from us and we see them everywhere. It feels to have that confidence and say we won this game and not you,” said Blane Kleinrichert who finished the game rushing for 143 yards and two touchdowns.
South River established their tempo from the outset on their opening possession. The Seahawks began at their own seven-yard line and drove 93 yards down the field in 14 plays, t was finished by a Klienchart four-yard touchdown run.
It was first touchdown scored against Southern’s defense in 2010.
“That’s the way South River plays football, we drive the ball down your throat, we wear you down, long drives, stay on the field and waste the clock,” said Kleinrichert.
“Their defense [Southern] was only playing three defensive backs so we were able to pick up five yards on almost every play,” said Lee.
Southern coach Russ Meyers elected to go with Hunter Riggs at quarterback, but senior and the Bulldog offense were contained by a stout Seahawk defensive unit. South River forced three turnovers (two interceptions and a fumble) as the Bulldogs struggled to find rhythm with their offense.
“I thought for the first time out there he [Riggs] did a pretty good job did a great for us today, I have no complaints for what he did for us at quarterback, we need to give him a little more support,” said Meyers.
“We were scared to death coming in here today, they [Southern] got great players in Davonte Burke and Hunter Riggs, and our defense played well,” said South River coach Mitch Suplee. “We just played and we played to the whistle.”
Southern’s defense managed to keep South River within reach as the Bulldog defense made Klienchart cough up the ball near midfield and denied the Seahawk in the red zone in the early in the second quarter. Lee found a wide open Robert Palandati in the back corner of the end zone, extending the Seahawks’ lead to 14-0 at halftime.
In the third, Kleinrichert bulldozed his way to the end zone from eight yards out, capping off a six-play scoring drive. Davonte Burke provided some second half fire power for Southern as the senior running back burst through the middle of the South River defense for a 66 yard touchdown sprint, bringing the Bulldogs to within 21-7.
Burke’s heroics were short lived as South River answered with a 10-play drive, highlighted by Lee finding Mike Strange streaking down the sidelines for a 47-yard touchdown catch and run.
With 118 points in three games, South River is the highest scoring offense in the Anne Arundel County ranks. Next weekend, the Seahawks welcome one of the area’s best defensive unit in No. 5 Broadneck, which held Arundel to 10 points in a loss Thursday evening.
“It’s on to the next week,” said Lee, “we just got to do our work in practice and that’s is what will get us our win on the field.”.
“Broadneck is an heck of a team and it doesn’t get any easier here on out and we just got to find a way to win,” said Suplee. “We have to play hard and play our assignments, if not, they [Broadneck] will be standing in the end zone.”
Southern looks to bounce against Severna Park next weekend.
“There are seven football games left, it’s a long season we are 2-1, things could be a lot worse than what they are and we need to come back starting tomorrow and keeping working at it,” said Meyers.
South River 28, Southern-Anne Arundel 7
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| South River | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
| Southern | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
1st Q
SR-Kleinrichert 4 run (Davis kick)
2nd Q
SR-Palandati TD pass from Lee (Davis kick)
3rd Q
SR-Kleinrichert 8 run (Davis kick)
STH-Burke 66 run (Angermier kick)
SR-Strange 47 pass from Lee (Davis kick)
