September 2008 Archives

SILVER SPRING - - In a tight game until the end, the Blair Blazers continued their newfound success, beating the Whitman Vikings 13-7 at home Friday night.

The Blazers struggled offensively throughout the game, but they were able to make the big play when it counted, a 75-yard fourth quarter dash by senior running back Keith Ayensu to tie up the game.

"We were down 7-0, I was just thinking, I gotta make a play," Ayensu said. "We got someone to block the safety, and I was able to outrun the whole defense. I saw everybody running towards the sidelines, so I just made a quick cut up the field. I went straight, and nobody could catch me."

On Whitman's next drive, senior captain Leo Kengni, returning from a one-game suspension, forced a fumble that fellow captain Dayne Bolt recovered.

"Our defense really stepped up today, shut 'em down, and did what they had to do," linebacker Andy Holmes said. "Having Leo back was great, Leo's an incredible player. We played our best defensive football today, [but] we need to combine that defensive game with the offensive game from Northwood or Blake. We gotta put the pieces together at the same time. All the elements are there, and I think the rest of the county is starting to notice that, so it's just a matter of time before we put it all together in a big game."

Bolt would punch it in from the one-yard line on the resulting drive to take the lead for Blair. Andrew Gondor missed the extra point, and the score was 13-7.

"Seriously, we didn't play too well, we knew we could've blown these guys out way more than we did," Bolt said. "But that victory, that W in that win column is what we wanted, and we fought extra hard for that."

Bolt acknowledged that if the team was to seriously contend in the state playoffs, they will need to improve.

"We gotta practice even harder, we gotta go 175 percent," Bolt said. "'Cause the way we played tonight, we could've easily lost. We talked about a shut down defense, and we shut them down."

Whitman, led by senior quarterback Anthony Young-Wiseman, drove down the field with ease with less than a minute left, and the outcome looked bleak for the Blazers. Young-Wiseman dropped back to pass with 50 seconds left, and threw a high pass over the middle. It slipped through the fingertips of the Vikings' receiver and into the waiting arms of Bolt, who sealed the game with the interception.

"At first, I noticed it was a little too high," Bolt said. "I thought he was gonna still catch it, but I was in the right spot, right position, and it fell right in to my chest. I just caught it and ran it right back."

The Vikings' only points came on a Larry Kline interception return for a touchdown off a Victor Wang pass in the second quarter.

"Our defense didn't give up a point today," Holmes said. "Our defense had a shut out. We had a little slip up on offense, an interception ran back, but our defense just shut 'em down."

Senior lineman David Burnett spoke about the successful guarantee quoted here last week.

"[The team coming through] just shows how much we've improved from last year to this year," Burnett said. "We were so underrated coming into the season, people thought we were going to be a [bad] team again. I don't think we're cocky, we're just real confident. Nobody else believes in us, so we might as well believe in ourselves. I love my team, I love what we're doing right now, but we just have to keep getting better and better."

Burnett also talked about what the team needed to do to reach their goal of a state championship.

"We gotta play harder," he said. "The main thing is we gotta keep our composure. Whitman was playing dirty, I didn't know Whitman was gonna come out here and do this. The main thing is we gotta keep our composure, keep our temper under control, be angry when you need to be angry, and smile when you need to smile."

Blair plays Friday, October 3rd, at Magruder. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 P.M.

Today, the Blazers defeated the Whitman Vikings at home, 13-7. Keith Ayensu scored a 75-yard touchdown to tie the game, and Dayne Bolt took the lead with a one-yard punch in. Bolt sealed the deal with an interception with less than a minute left to stop Whitman's last desperation drive. A full article will be posted tomorrow.

GAITHERSBURG - - The Blair Blazers football team lost for the first time this year, as the Gaithersburg Trojans (ranked eighth in the county by digitalsports.com after the first week of play) defended their home turf, batting away the pesky Blazers' second half comeback attempt. The Blazers trailed 28-0 at the half, but outscored the Trojans 14-0 in the second half to keep the game close.

The Trojans, led by defensive end and future Penn State Nittany Lion Sean Stanley (ranked third among all players in the state by rivals.com), got off to a quick lead in the first half. Quarterback Dominic Toquinto completed a three yard touchdown pass to Stanley to take a 7-0 lead. Stanley would later recover a Blazer fumble and return it 54 yards for a Gaithersburg touchdown. Running back B.J. Marshall had two touchdown runs for the Trojans' other two scores.

"Well, the first half was a real disappointment," senior linebacker and captain Andy Holmes said. "We came out, we played scared, and we didn't play up to our potential. We were just intimidated, we were in a unique position, none of these guys have really been in a position to be a team that's used to winning, and so I think we kind of reverted back to old habits."

Stanley also had eight tackles and blocked an Andrew Gondor punt that led to his touchdown reception.

"We slept on them, we didn't know what to do," Gondor said.

The Blair Blazers lost to the Gaithersburg Trojans today, 28-14. The Blazers were outscored 28-0 in the first half, but came back and had a solid second half to keep the score close. Senior running back Dayne Bolt scored both of the Blazers' touchdowns and led the team in tackles. A full article will be posted tomorrow.

This past week the Thunderbolts announced that Jason Walck, an assistant coach at the University of New Orleans, will replace John Duffy as head coach this year. Walck looks to bring a new level of talent to a team that finished 15-25 and 18.5 games out of first place this past season.

"[I want to bring] some talented players that can play in the summer environment and also be a good character person that can help out in the community," Walck said. "I've been in contact with some of the major programs in the country, and I've been getting some names, and not just names that I'm not familiar with. I have scouts that are confirming that these players are, in fact, talented players, so I feel we'll really get the guys not just blindfolded, but from a trusted source."

Walck also thinks his experience at New Orleans will help him as the Thunderbolts' coach.

"I think being around a top-class program and watching the head coach and the other assistants, the way that they've run their program and the organization that has taken us to a new level [has helped me]," Walck said. "I feel that being with them last year and again this year, that experience will serve me and carry over for me into the summer and have a big effect on my coaching style."

SILVER SPRING - In the "Battle of the Boulevard" yesterday between rival high schools Blair and Northwood, the Blazers eased through with a defiant victory, 41-12.

"We played hard," lineman Dana Williams, Jr. said, "The seniors stepped up, did their jobs, and we came up with the victory."

Senior running back/linebacker Dayne Bolt was once again largely responsible for that victory, playing well on both sides of the ball. Bolt ran for 202 yards and 2 touchdowns on 11 carries, and had 5 tackles, including two sacks, and forced a fumble that was recovered for Blair's second score.

"I could've done better, but the W is all that counts," Bolt said. "We're all happy that we got that W, that's what we wanted. Going into this game, they were talking so much garbage on Facebook, and this is a personal game for everybody. This is more than football, because it's the Battle of the Boulevard also, and they beat us last year."

Bolt took his 6'0", 208 pound frame and punished Northwood defenders, carrying them with him wherever he ran. He describes his running style as "A little bit of [Giants' running back] Brandon Jacobs, mixed in with a little bit of [Chargers' running back] LaDainian [Tomlinson]."

Tonight, the Blair Blazer football team destroyed the Northwood Gladiators in a rivalry game at home, 41-12, to improve to 2-0 on the season. Jonathon Haughton, Dayne Bolt, and Alex Egber each had two touchdowns as the Blazers cruised to victory. A full article will be up tomorrow.

SILVER SPRING - - DAYNE BOLT! DAYNE BOLT! DAYNE BOLT!

Cries for the Blazers' star player echoed throughout Bengal Stadium last night as he put up a monster performance against the Bengals to lead Blair to a 47-14 opening night victory. Bolt, a senior who played quarterback, halfback, fullback and linebacker in the season opener, ran for 127 yards on nine carries with four of the Blazers' seven touchdowns. Bolt also contributed with 6 tackles on defense.

"It was a hard game, but we came out like champs and ended this losing streak," Bolt said. "Obviously, I've got to thank my team and my line, they did a great job."

Bolt also commented on his newfound celebrity status with the fans.

"I'm not gonna pay too much attention to it right now, 'cause we gotta keep it going," he said. "Once we keep it going, then yeah, I can be seen as a celebrity, but right now, it was just a good game."

With a tie game in the first quarter, Blair's defense swung the momentum their way. Blake had a third-and-one near midfield and was driving down the field into Blair territory. Quarterback Colin Keegan handed off the ball to half back Daniel Wilson, who, without a hole up the middle, tried to bounce to the right side for the first down. Blair senior defensive end Neil Corran, however, broke free from his blocker and took down Wilson for a key loss. On the ensuing punt, defensive tackle Charles Camara broke through the line, blocked the punt, and scooped it up for a big gain, setting up Bolt's first touchdown of the game, a three yard run.

Blake had a similar situation on the next drive, near midfield and driving into Blair territory, but this time, it was third-and-seven. Once again, Keegan handed it off to Wilson, who, learning his lesson on his last attempt, tried to go to the left side. Senior defensive end and captain Leo Kenghi got past his blocker easily and tackled Wilson for a 7-yard loss, setting up another punt for the Bengals. Andrew Gondor, who was Blair's kicker, punter, kick returner, punt returner, wide receiver, running back, and safety, set up to return the punt. Gondor retrieved it at Blair's 47-yard line and raced down the left sideline, outrunning all Blake defenders for an easy score.

After Wilson scored a touchdown for Blake and Jonathan "Jamrock" Houghton tackled the holder on a botched snap on the extra point attempt, it was 14-6 Blazers. Blake drove down the field when they got the ball back, ending the drive with an incredible touchdown pass from Keegan to Michael Ogbonna. From the Blair 18-yard line, Keegan dropped back to pass, and threw it over the middle to Ogbonna, who was covered by two Blazers. Ogbonna tapped the ball up with his right hand, and while being hit by both defenders, caught the ball with his left in the end zone. Blake tied up the game with a successful two-point conversion.

After that point, however, Blair's sheer superior athleticism took over. Gondor broke free for a 30 yard run, and Bolt followed up with a 5-yard touchdown run to take the lead for the Blazers. On the next drive, senior quarterback Victor Wang threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Kenghi in the corner of the end zone as time expired in the first half, giving the Blazers a 28-14 halftime lead.

The Blair Blazers football team won at Blake against the Bengals, 47-14, to kick off the season. Dayne Bolt ran for 127 yards and 4 TDs, and it was a stellar effort in all three phases of the game. A full article will be posted tomorrow.

Gerardo Hernandez, catcher for the Thunderbolts for the past three seasons, was named to the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League All-League Team last week, the only Thunderbolt to receive the honor this year. Hernandez, who hit .287 for the Thunderbolts last year, led the team with 19 RBIs and was a vocal leader for the club throughout the season. Hernandez attended West Virginia Tech this year, and it is unclear whether or not he will be returning there this season. He will be in his senior year.

The rest of the All-League team, along with the MVP (Most Valuable Player) and MOP (Most Outstanding Pitcher) awards, can be found at:

http://www.ripkensrcollegebaseball.org/published/archives/all-league09012008.html

Although they may not be as prestigious as Team USA Basketball, Blair Blazer football shares a theme and message with the team that swept through Beijing this summer - redemption.

After a humiliating 0-10 season last year, the Blazers are looking to bounce back to show their fans that they mean business. Experience is on Blair's side, as they return 22 seniors, including 11 starters (4 offensive, 7 defensive). One of those seniors is captain Andy Holmes, who will play strong side outside linebacker and tight end this year for the Blazers.

"I think the biggest thing you can see is a change in attitude," Holmes, Blair's leading tackler last year, said. "I think last year we had a lot of skill but we didn't have the right attitude, and I think that's one of the main reasons we had an 0-10 season. This year we're gonna have a different attitude, we have a lot of seniors coming back this year who, after experiencing last year, just aren't willing to go through that again, and I think are really dedicated to making sure that this team wins no matter the cost."

The wing T offense (run by Head Coach Jeff Seals and Assistant Coach Bryan Nance) and 3-5 defense (run by Assistant Coach Earl Lindsay) that the Blazers will use this upcoming year will utilize their already extraordinary athletic abilities to make the team even more exciting to watch.

Readers,

As fall, winter, and spring approaches, this blog will have a different topic. Of course, with no Thunderbolt season going on, I will not be exclusively covering the Thunderbolts. I will, however, post updates pertaining to the 'Bolts as the year goes on. Now, however, I will be covering sports from Blair High School. For the upcoming fall season, I expect to cover both varsity football and boy's varsity soccer, time permitting. A combined preview article of both sports will hopefully be up in the next two days.

Yours truly,

Pete Volk