Finding a way to win again

Blue Devils end two-year shutout streak to Churchill

Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2006

In just one simple statement, Churchill football coach James Collins essentially summed up the season had by his Bulldogs and Friday’s opponent, Springbrook.

‘‘Finding a way to win,” said Collins of the Blue Devils, who ended a two-year shutout streak to Churchill en route to a hard-fought 9-7 home victory.

While Springbrook has found the right formula for success no matter the situation during its current five-game winning streak, including a recent come-from-behind, 34-31, win against Paint Branch, the Bulldogs have been unable to make the one or two plays necessary to pull off a pair of upset victories, including a 26-20 overtime loss to Seneca Valley Sept. 21.

As such, the Blue Devils (5-1) are in contention to reach postseason play for the first time since 2003, while the Bulldogs (2-4), who had defeated Springbrook by a combined 43-0 score the past two years, have to win out and receive a lot of help to reach the playoffs for the second time in three years under Collins.

‘‘We definitely could have won this game but hat’s off,” Collins said. ‘‘Springbrook’s doing a great job this year. The thing they’re doing is finding a way to win and that’s great for them. They’re doing a good job.”

Friday’s contest played out like each teams’ season in microcosm with Springbrook making most of the big plays, including a 74-yard touchdown run by senior tailback Adou Kouadio with 10 minutes, 12 seconds left in the second quarter for a 6-0 halftime lead.

‘‘I just saw the seam and hit it,” said Kouadio, who broke the 100-yard mark for the fifth straight game with 130 yards on 30 carries. ‘‘They played good on it but I just saw a seam and took it down the sideline. It’s nothing really anything we’ve changed. We play the same Springbrook football — smash-mouth.”

The Blue Devils then scored what turned out to be the game-winning points with 3:30 left in the third quarter when senior kicker Ben Simmons booted a 23-yard field goal. The score came after a blocked punt by Michel Allan that was recovered by Kyle King on the Churchill 34-yard line.

The Simmons kick came after a strong defensive stand at the 1-yard line by Churchill and a 5-yard false start penalty. Simmons made sure the advantageous field position didn’t go to waste, splitting the uprights after missing his extra-point attempt after the touchdown in the first half.

‘‘I was real worried,” Springbrook coach Rob Wendel said. ‘‘They’ve got a very good team. They have a lot talent and a lot of size. The guys got it done. Special teams got a couple of blocks. That was big.”

Defensively, the Blue Devils intercepted Bulldogs sophomore quarterback Chabra Curran twice in the fourth quarter to stop two drives inside their own territory. Kouadio had the first interception around his team’s own 10-yard line with 10:31 left in the game. Dom Omatade added another one with 3:07 remaining. Both balls were tipped.

Churchill had another drive stopped at the Springbrook three-yard line in the first half on a fumbled snap. The Bulldogs had many other drives halted by penalties, committing five costly miscues for 43 yards, and they were sacked four times for 25 yards.

‘‘Penalties and shooting ourselves in the foot [were big],” Collins said.

Churchill’s lone score, however, came on a Springbrook mistake as quarterback Phoenix Butler-Poole was hit and fumbled a handoff attempt with Kouadio following the Omatade interception. The ball was inadvertently kicked into the end zone and Russell Tischler fell on it to cut the lead to 9-7 with 3:00 left.

The Blue Devils recovered the ensuing onside kick by Churchill and then ran out the clock.