Bulldogs lead Braves 35-14
Published 11:04 pm Thursday, September 24, 2009
King’s Fork led Indian River 35-14 with 10:52 remaining in the fourth quarter when Thursday evening’s Southeastern District football game at Nansemond River was suspended due to lightning.
The suspension leaves the Bulldogs close to their first victory of the season and it will prolong the Bulldogs’ nomadic ways. The game will resume Saturday at noon at King’s Fork, so for at least 10:52 worth of football this season, King’s Fork can play a true home game.
King’s Fork rolled over Indian River to a 28-0 lead. With Matt Hommell starting at quarterback instead of two-year starter Laray Kindred, King’s Fork relied almost entirely on the ground game and overpowering the Braves.
With Dominique Patterson at fullback, Kindred at tailback and T.J. Hinson coming on as a substitute, King’s Fork scored on its first four possessions.
The opening drive of the game featured Patterson carrying four times for 44 yards and was capped off with Kindred getting an option pitch around the right side and scoring on a 10-yard run. Patterson lined up at quarterback and ran in the two-point conversion.
Thanks to a three-and-out and a fumbled punt snap by the Braves, King’s Fork took over on the Brave 20 for its second possession of the night.
Hinson got going from there, carrying four times for 23 yards and an 8-yard touchdown run, a bruising rush through the middle. King’s Fork led 14-0 with 3:20 left in the first period.
In the second period, King’s Fork added touchdown runs by Patterson and Hommell. Patterson’s was an 80-yard run off a pitch to the left. Patterson was on 20 yards downfield and near the left sideline when he cut past one Indian River defender, then was too fast for anyone to catch him.
Another special teams play set up KF’s fourth touchdown. Joseph Hill blocked an Indian River punt and Brian Johnson recovered the ball and carried it 15 yards to set up the Bulldogs on the Indian River 8. Three plays later, Hommell scored on a 1-yard run.
Indian River got the next two touchdowns to make the game interesting. Wideout Kerry Spellman caught short passes and sprinted away from all the Bulldogs for plays of 64 yards late in the first half and 85 yards midway through the third quarter. Spellman’s two touchdowns made it 28-14 KF.
King’s Fork’s defense answered the change in momentum. After Indian River took over after a KF punt on its own 9, cornerback Charles Clark stopped a Braves’ reverse for a 6-yard loss.
On second down, Derek Wright sacked the Brave quarterback and forced a fumble. Hinson, a linebacker on the defensive side, recovered the ball for a touchdown.
In the first half, King’s Fork rushed for 159 yards. Indian River had 128 passing yards, but -2 rushing yards in the first half.