Skyhawks set themselves apart from Dominion district

L.C. Bird didn't feel the need to prove anything against Clover Hill's big defensive lineman, Mo Gross. In fact, the team ran away from him.

It proved to be a winning strategy as the Skyhawks sprinted to an early lead, then let their defense shut down the Cavaliers in a 27-3 romp.

Now at 5-0 in district play, the Skyhawks both avoided a tie for first and, thanks to Manchester's victory, put two games between themselves and the competition in the Dominion.

"We knew this was a big game," lineman Tyler Fisher said. "We wanted to set ourselves apart from everybody else in the district."

Fisher anchored the left side of the offensive line, which saw the bulk of the work as Gross positioned himself on the other side.

With Gross in the game, Bird ran 12 times to the left for 120 yards, 14 times to the center for 85 yards, and 10 times to the right - Mo's side - for just 20 yards. Gross led his team with nine tackles.

"Every week you have to find out their best player, and find a way to take the game away from him," Skyhawks coach David Bedwell said. "There are games where we just run right, depending on what's working."

Quarterback Anthony Harris was the star rusher, piling up 127 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown run in the first that set the tone. The Skyhawks added two more in the first half, including one after a blocked punt, for a 21-0 halftime lead.

Three players had rushing touchdowns for Bird, including Lionel Williams and Eric Sayles, a senior who transferred from Matoaca.

"It was a good game plan, and we had strong blocking," Sayles said.

After the offensive outburst early it was time to turn things over to the defense, which shut down the Cavs on the ground and in the air.

The young unit stepped up, including a career-high 17 tackles for junior Deon Clarke, a pair of sacks for junior Avery Coleman, and a solid performance by sophomore Torey Pettis on the defensive line.

Bedwell credited the leadership of senior Xavier Miles for helping mold the defenders into a show-stopping unit.

After the game, the coach warned his team that Bird was now the team wearing a big target in the Dominion. But with a two-game cushion, and a trio of running backs on top of their game, the Skyhawks seem to be ready for the challenge.

Clover Hill ------------------------- 0 0 3 0 - 3
L.C. Bird ------------------------- 7 14 0 6 - 27

LCB - Harris 54 run (Keck kick)

LCB - Lee 11 pass from Harris (Keck kick)

LCB - L. Williams 2 run (Keck kick)

CH - FG Conklin 37

LCB - Sayles 1 run (kick failed)
RUSHING

L.C. Bird - L. Williams 16-38, Sayles 12-42, Harris 12-127, Miles 3-39. Clover Hill - Caleb 17-39, Tyler 9-21, Donnelly 2-7.

PASSING

L.C. Bird - Harris 6-9-72. Clover Hill - Caleb 8-15-60.

RECEIVING

L.C. Bird - Lee 5-62, Clarke 1-10. Clover Hill - Wood 2-25, Conklin 2-19, Sprouse 4-16.