By Tony Solorzano
(Durate, CA) – Three touchdowns by running back Samuel Edwards powered Duarte to a 40-0 shutout victory over Blair Thursday night at Duarte High.
Edwards, a sophomore in his first season in the backfield of the Falcons (2-0, 0-0) was the catalyst for an offense still jelling after only one game. His 77 yards on 14 carries powered an offense that looked completely different from the team that suffered a 23-0 defeat to the Vikings (1-1, 0-0) last year. However, Edwards was quick to point out that the offense wasn’t completely functioning.
“We need to pass more,” Edwards said after the game. “We need to get our passing game going so we can really open up the whole field.”
Edwards put the Falcons on the board with 3:42 left in the first as he closed out a drive with a one-yard run. The lead would be increased in the second with Malcolm Mency’s six-yard score with 6:46 left in the half.
In rthe third quarter, the Falcons opened up their already effective ground game with two scores in two minutes. First, Edwards scored his second touchdown, a four-yard run with 6:42 left in the third quarter, however kicker Saul Acosta’s point after attempt was off to the left. Two minutes later, after Mency returned a punt to the Vikings’ 29-yard line, quarterback Dyran Adams called his own number and broke through the left side of the field for the score. On the two-point attempt, Adams attempted another sweep left only to be dropped short of the goal line.
Early in the fourth quarter, Adams redeemed his failed conversion with a 26-yard pass to Richard Bradford, who managed to pull in the ball after nearly dropping it at the 5-yard line. Edwards closed out the scoring just 30 seconds later when he took advantage of a Blair turnover with a 29-yard run.
The Vikings will return to play on Sept. 24 when they travel to LA Southwest College to battle Verbum Dei while the Falcons will face off against the City Section’s Fulton Prep.
SCORING SUMMARY
Blair 00 0 0 0
Duarte 77121440
SCORES
1st Quarter
3:41 D – Samuel Edwards 1 run, Saul Acosta kick
2nd Quarter
6:46 D – Malcolm Mency 6 run, Acosta Kick
3rd Quarter
6:42 D – Edwards 4 run, Kick failed
4:32 D – Dyran Adams 29 run, Run failed
4th Quarter
10:16 D – Richard Bradford 26 pass from Adams, Acosta Kick
9:44 D – Edwards 29 run, Acosta Kick
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