Game report_ Dayton Dunbar 48 Cincinnati Aiken 6

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

Yesterday I took in both games at Willard R. Stargel Stadium, a place I have been to twice now and both times I have really enjoyed myself.
Before I start the article on the game itself, I want to thank the coaches from Aiken that I know, a big shout out for being as cool as you guys are to me. I also want to say after meeting a few of the players from Taft, who sat near and then after the game speaking to one of their coaches, that y'all are good people and I hope you guys have a solid second half of the season.

Now to the game.
Going into it I was well aware that the Wolverines (4-1) had two big time studs, with one verbal to go to a big time power five conferences and the other with all kinds of offers. Little did I expect for one of the two to be amazingly good, with the other being maybe a just a short inch behind him.

Things were going well for Aiken(3-2) and with 9:03 left in the opening quarter, a 13-yard run by Antrayel Horton on an option play kept things going in the good direction they were. The Dunbar defense, though flexed their big muscles and ended the drive a short time later. This was the beginning of a huge day for that defense,only the 20 or so that was there watching did not know this at the time.

6:51 showed on the clock, when all everything for Dunbar, Tavion Thomas 6-2 / 232 was stopped for no gain by #30(Not on any of the three rosters I have for Aiken). I think on this play the Falcons defense had a good feeling that they could contain, maybe not stop Thomas. On the other side of the coin, I think it might have awakened the beast that lives inside Thomas, when he is on the field.

Less than a minute later Thomas broke an up high tackle and sprinted Bullet Bob Hayes to the end zone for a 54-yard touchdown. A two point conversion try failed, leaving this a 6-0 Dunbar lead. The drive lasted for three plays and totaled seventy-two-yards.

Timothy Jordan 6-2 / 185, would be stopped for a three-yard-loss by Seth Arnold, with 5:35 left in the quarter. The drive ended with a punt a short time later. Through two drives the Falcons had just twenty-six yards of offense.

Thomas was stopped again for no gain, with 30.6 seconds left in the quarter, by #7 Kevin Seay. Thomas seemed to be undaunted by the stop because on his next two runs, he totaled fifty-five-yards and a touchdown. The touchdown run was a sweet thirty-six-yard run, where he broke another tackle, turned on the after burners and then dove into the end zone.

The score after one period of play was Dunbar 12 Aiken 00.
Even down 14-0 and being out gained 168 to 26, Aiken did not look out of the game. You could hear one of the coaches telling them to keep their heads up, they had plenty of time left, after the 2nd Thomas score.

Aiken came out in the 2nd quarter as fired up as any team could be down fourteen.
The Falcons had a nice drive going and just when it looked like they were going to score Jamar Payton jr. 6-2 / 148 a safety for Dunbar picked off a pass in the end zone killing any hopes of a comeback. At this time I said to one of the Taft players sitting beside me that, that play just finished this game.

Just thirteen seconds later, the other big time stud for Dunbar, Joseph Scates 6-4 / 194 hauled in a long pass, that no one sitting around me, though he could catch up with and then he took it eighty-yards for another Dunbar score. Thomas converted a two-point run to make this a 20-0 game.

The Dunbar offense was back on the field again and with 4:16 left in the half, Thomas huge a gigantic hole opened up by his hard working line, to pick up 26-yards. With 3:29 left Dunbar showed that they have more than one back, who has moves and speed, when Jamarius Thorpe 5-9 / 165 used two nice moves to pick up seventeen-yards. Twenty-one-seconds later THE LICKING COUNTY FAN PLAYER OF THE GAME,TAVION THOMAS went seven-yards for another score. Another failed two-point conversion attempt left this a 26-0 game.

With a little over a minute left in the half, Scates made a one-handed pick on an Falcons pass, at the Dunbar six-yard-line.
Scates might have some of the softest hands in the state and he seems to be able to play a little defense too.

With 52.2 seconds left Jamar Walker 6-2 / 190 dropped back and threw another beautiful ball deep downfield and making the catch and going ninety-one-yards for the Dunbar score was Jalani Allen 6-0 / 170. Allen was wide opened and easily scored after the catch. Walker then found his way into the end zone on the two-point conversion run, to make this a 34-0 game.

One the ensuing kickoff Tim Williams 6-1 / 179 used two beautiful stiff arms to take the ball out to the Dunbar thirty-one-yard-line. I won't go as far as saying that Aiken had quit by this time, but Williams was one of two-players if you watched and did not pay attention to the score, was still giving 100% effort.

The second half was a running clock, so it went very quick.
At this point I started watching players from Aiken and how they reacted to being blown out of the water. I am a little different then a lot, who post on these sites, so I am not going to criticize anyone. I am going to go the other direction and give props to Ja'quan Bennett 6-6 / 317. The giant, from what I have seen the two times I have watched and in talking to a coach from the league not associated with the Falcons program, does not always play like a 6-6-317 monster, but in this game he never quit and showed a lot of the fans, players and coaches that, when he wants he can be a like the giant he is. I am not knowledgeable enough to say his footwork was spot on, or his technique would have graded out high. But I am smart enough to say this young man gave 100% effort throughout this one and a lot of those playing with him can learn a lot from him.

This became a 42-0 game, with 6:54 left in the third, on a 59-yard pass to Allen from Walker. Walker was open by twenty-yards or so and I believe the reason for this was that the Falcons had just ten players on the field. The two point conversion pass was completed to Michael Elmore 6-2 / 180.


With 5:40 left James Goss 6-2 / 245 fumbled the snap and making the recovery for Dunbar was,Brandon Wright 6-3 / 185.
Jamarius Thorpe 5-9 / 165 would go eighteen-yards to make this a 48-0 game, with 4:57 left.

With 7:00 left in the game, Aiken got a nice twenty-nine-yard from James Goss. Goss is a nice looking sophomore, who I was told by one of the coaches can and does play multiple positions and for his age, he seems to adjust to do whatever he is asked to do and usually does at a high level. Goss would get his team on the scoreboard with a nice little run, with 8:29 left. A two-point conversion try failed and this was a 48-6 game.

Aiken would onside kick and #30 would recover it for the Falcons the ball.
The offense could only get five-yards on four plays after the recovery.

Fianl score Dunbar 48 Aiken 6

VERY UNOFFICIAL STATS
DAYTON DUNBAR
36 PLAYS
524 YARDS(423 IN THE FIRST HALF)
PASSING 4-9 2 TD'S

AIKEN
75 PLAYS
229 YARDS
PASSING 2-9 2 INT'S

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

Link to pics

https://www.facebook.com/DavidLewisBurn ... loaded=330

[X8XOHIOLEGENDX7X]

Thats alot of of first half yards.. thnx for the read

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

You are welcome.