The football team started off the season in the right direction as the team blew out B-CC 47-7 at home Sept. 16.
The win improved the team’s record to 3-0, to put them in first place in the Montgomery 4A South Division. The Bulldogs look to make the playoffs this year as they have not made the playoffs since 2004. The last two seasons CHS has lost to Whitman in the final game of the season where a playoff bid was on the line.
“A major reason for our early success is we grew up,” head coach Joe Allen said. “Our team last year was young and now we’re a year older.”
In the second game of the season CHS defeated rival Whitman 21-7, Sept. 10, but it was not easy. The Bulldogs struggled to move the ball in the first half against Whitman, and found themselves in a 7-0 hole at the break.
“We need to accustom ourselves to start at a high tempo as soon as the first quarter starts,” senior Collins Kenlak said. “When we do that, we will become a team near impossible to beat.”
The second half belonged to the Bulldogs as senior Lansana Keita got the momentum going with a 43-yard touchdown pass to junior Dominique Williams. Later in the half senior captain Bret Sickels intercepted a pass that lead to a Bulldog rushing touchdown by sophomore Malik Harris. The Bulldogs iced the game with a touchdown on a fumble recovery by junior Joe Nolan.
“In the second half we changed our offensive approach,” Allen said. “We started to throw the ball more and we were successful.”
The offense woke up in the second half, but the defense has been the backbone for this team. The defense has only given up seven points in two games. In the game Sickels lead the defense with 13 tackles, the interception, a sack and a forced fumble. Senior captain Jacob Suissa also had a big game with 11 tackles.
“Our goal is simple,” Kenlak said. “We expect to be at M&T Bank Staduim for a state title in
December.”
The football team also defeated Kennedy in 40-0 blow-out in its season opener at home Sept. 2.
“Our strength is definitely our size in our line and our experience,” Keita said. “A lot of guys have been playing football since they were 4 or have been on varsity for three years.”
Despite the dominant win, the Bulldogs started the game slowly. In the first three offensive drives, the team fumbled and lost the ball, threw an interception and missed a field goal.
“After those drives we regrouped and talked about what Kennedy was doing defensively against us,” Keita said. “We stopped running the plays that did not work well and we started using the ones that did.”
The team went on to score a touchdown on its next three drives. In the game Keita completed 11 of 15 passes for 197 yards with two touchdowns. Senior captain Curtis Kamara also sparked the offense, rushing for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Williams contributed greatly with four receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown, and senior Quan Gill had two receptions with a touchdown.
“Lansana controls the offense well,” Suissa said. “Defensively our strengths are the way we work and trust each other.”
Suissa plays linebacker and had five tackles in the game. Senior captain Bret Sickels lead the team with seven tackles, senior captain Matt Miller had four tackles, and junior Darrion Locke had four tackles and the team’s only sack.
