• We got the season off to a great start with great early defense, which gave our offense some great opportunities to score.  The offense came through immediately when Ashley Owens @run_CMC scored from seven yards out to give us a 7-0 lead just before the halfway point of the first quarter.  After some more defensive stops, our offense again found paydirt when Sam Howitzer found Jackson Kingston @Daybe from 15 yards out to give us an early 14-0 lead.  We weren't ready to celebrate, but it was awfully nice to start the season with a strong first quarter after how last year went.
  

• It didn't take long for our offense to get back to work, thanks yet again to our defense shutting down the Fire Salamanders.  Right at the halfway point of the second quarter, Howitzer again connected with Kingston for another touchdown, this time from 9 yards out.  That gave us a 21-0 lead and we were firing on all cylinders.  Berlin didn't lie down and responded in short order with their first score of the game. Less than three minutes after our touchdown, Danny King @DanE got dis scampered in from four yards out to put the Fire Salamanders on the board.  The halftime score was 21-7 but the game was far from over.
  

• While our defense came out hot in the third period, our offense had a bit of a halftime hangover. Berlin struck first with a 31 yard field goal from Karmichael Hunt @"simo_393" , but we were able to match that with our own 22 yarder, thanks to Dougie Smalls @iseedoug.  Despite another long drive from Berlin, our defense held and forced them to kick another field goal to end the scoring in the third quarter.  This time it was a 32 yarder from Hunt and we entered the fourth quarter with a 24-13 lead.
  

• We knew we needed a touchdown to ice this game and our offense answered the bell in a big way. Just three minutes into the final quarter, Sam Howitzer executed a perfect play action pass and found Buster Bawlls @ryd029aird13 in the flats for a walk-in 9 yard touchdown reception.  With our lead up to 31-13, we knew that barring a monumental collapse, we would start the season with a victory.  Berlin wasn't quick to give up, however. They matched our touchdown with one of their own, thanks to a rushing score from Joseph Petrongolo @Jo3fish5 from seven yards out.  Up by 11 with less than 9 minutes left, we were just a few first downs away from a win. Fortunately, we were able to do that and more, thanks to another touchdown run from Silverbacks legend Ashley Owens.  That gave us a 38-20 lead and that's where the game ended.
  

(12-01-2020, 12:54 AM)Dogwood Maple Wrote: NYS Player of the Game: QB Sam Howitzer @Trautner - 24/31, 299 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT