Mark Herman of Leavitt Area High School tackles Evan Bourgoine of York behind the line of scrimmage during the first half in Turner on Friday. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal Buy this Photo
The Leavitt defense knew that York was going to pass the ball a lot Friday night, it was just a matter of how dangerous the Wildcats would be through the air.
The answer was: Not enough to hand the Hornets their first loss of the season.
“Our pass defense was good tonight,” Leavitt coach Mike Hathaway said. “We had a couple new guys in the secondary. We’ve had some injuries, we’re pretty banged up. So Matt Wallingford, Jaden Banks, Denver Taylor, that was all really their first major varsity action tonight, and to have to do it against a pass game like York, I thought those guys did a nice job.”
York junior quarterback Teagan Hynes had a respectable 201 yards passing, and finished with a 50% completion percentage, but the Hornets defense hounded the aerial attack in the first half when the game was still close. Hynes was just 8 of 18 for 76 yards during a scoreless first 24 minutes for the Wildcats.
One of the incompletions came on a fourth-down throw in the first quarter with York down by just one score and in Leavitt territory.
Hynes was better in the second half, completing 8 of 14 passes, including two touchdowns. But that all came with the Wildcats down 24-0 after the first play of the third quarter. And Hynes’ first completion of the second half was with the Wildcats down 30-0.
Senior defensive back Mark Herman intercepted Hynes in the fourth quarter.
PHOENIX STARS IN SYNC
The chemistry between quarterback Jack Bryant and running back Brandon Frey is at its maximum right now, and Spruce Mountain is reaping the benefits.
On Friday night, Frey scored twice off passes from Bryant — once over the top down the right sideline after burning the corner, the other a pitch-and-catch in the back of the end zone one play after Frey’s interception with 10 seconds left in the first half of a win over Madison/Carrabec.
The senior back also ran into the end zone twice. Oh, yeah, and all four of the offensive touchdowns came in the first half.
Frey said it was his biggest half he can remember, and his father agrees.
“That’s probably one of his better games,” Spruce coach David Frey said. “In the second half of the Poland game, he took that game over, and against Camden Hills he had three touchdowns. He’s just an athlete. It’s hard to explain. We just have some weapons.”
FBryant said Frey’s versatility opens up the offense even more.
“They really tried to cover deep and double Brandon, so we tried to pound it up the middle and the left side,” Bryant said. “We have a ton of weapons, so whoever they cover we have other options.”
Spruce has a tough schedule ahead with a home game against Lisbon and a matchup at the one-win Mountain Valley Falcons before back-to-back road tests against Oak Hill and Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale. For the Phoenix to keep their undefeated record alive, the Bryant-Frey combination will have to continue to grow.
“Going 4-0 halfway through, we have a tough schedule left, but this momentum will push us through,” Bryant said.
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