The Laurel varsity football team opened the season with a tough one last Thursday in Laurel, facing District 3A powerhouse Sussex Central. The Bulldogs only trailed by six points going into half-time and tied the score at the start of the second half before the Knights pulled away for a 41-20 road win.
Sussex Central opened with the ball on its own 37 yard-line. On third and eight from the 49, senior running back Malik Bell took a pitch and ran 24 yards to the Laurel 27. Bell ran it in from 12 yards out on third and eight and Rodney Escobar-Gonzalez added the PAT for a 7-0 Golden Knights’ lead with 6:45 left in the first quarter.
Laurel senior Tate Walls ran the kickoff back 89 yards for a touchdown, but his extra point was blocked to keep the score at 7-6 (6:33).
The Bulldogs’ Khalid Burton, left, and Koby Shockley connected on a pair of pass plays in their team’s 41-20 loss to Sussex Central last week. Photo by Mike McClure
Sussex Central faced third and nine from its own 27 when Laurel’s Joseph Baynard hit Sussex Central running back William Harmon and forced a fumble which was recovered by Bell at the 11. The Knights attempted a punt on fourth down, but the snap went over the punter’s head and the ball rolled out the back of the end zone for a safety and an 8-7 Laurel lead with 4:07 left.
Laurel got the ball back before the Knights recovered a Laurel fumble at the 43. Sussex Central quarterback Bradley Chavez completed a seven-yard pass to Josiah Johnson on third and seven for a first down. Sussex Central moved the ball to the Laurel 37 before the first quarter came to an end.
Chavez ran 13 yards on a quarterback keeper and Bell added a 15-yard run to set up first and goal from the four. Jajuan Sturgis ran the ball in on the next play and Escobar-Gonzalez booted the extra point for a 14-8 lead (10:41).
Laurel’s offense was held to three plays and out on the next series and the Knights’ offense started with the ball on their own 20. Bell had a 14-yard run on third and four from the 26 to move the chains. He added a 22-yard run to push the ball to the Laurel 38. Sussex Central went for it on fourth and two from the 30 and missed by inches.
Laurel was once again forced to punt after three offensive plays, giving the Knights the ball on the 47. Chavez completed a 16-yard pass to Johnson and Bell added a 15-yard touchdown run with 1:16 remaining in the half. Laurel’s Elijah Niblett blocked the extra point to keep the score at 20-8.
A Khalid Burton kick return and a face mask penalty on Sussex Central set up first and 10 on the Knights’ 48. On the very next play Laurel quarterback Koby Shockley completed a 48-yard touchdown pass to Burton to cut the lead to 20-14. A bad snap on the PAT kept it that way going into half-time.
Laurel started with the third quarter with the ball on the Sussex Central 48 following a kick return by Walls and another face mask penalty. Shockley had two runs for 14 yards for a first down. Shockley completed a 29-yard pass to Burton on second and 17 from the 41, following a Laurel holding penalty. Another holding penalty on the Bulldogs set up third and 21, but Walls made it fourth and five with a 16-yard run then ran six yards for a first down before scoring on second and goal from the one with 5:19 remaining in the quarter. The extra point was blocked and the score remained tied at 20-20.
Sussex Central started its next offensive series at midfield. Bell took a toss on fourth and five from the Laurel 45 and picked up a first down. A face mask penalty on Laurel made it first and 10 from the Bulldogs’ 16. Harmon ran it in from nine yards out on third down and Escobar-Gonzalez made the PAT for a 27-20 Knights’ lead (1:21).
Laurel’s offense was held to three plays and out and Sussex Central got the ball back early in the fourth quarter. Harmon had an 18-yard run, Bell rumbled for 11 yards, and Chavez pushed it in from a yard out on a keeper. The PAT extended the lead to 34-20 with 8:47 to go in the contest.
Sussex Central’s defense continued to shut down the Laurel offense, forcing another punt. Facing fourth and eight from the Laurel 45, Chavez completed a 45-yard touchdown pass to Johnson and Escobar-Gonzalez added the extra point for a final score of 41-20.
