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McDonald comes out passing against Mineral Ridge
By ERIC FORTUNE
McDonald
After averaging nearly 38 points per game in the season’s first three weeks, you wouldn’t think McDonald coach Dan Williams to be concerned.
Still, there were some early struggles, but the Blue Devils worked them out in a 49-13 rout of Mineral Ridge on Friday night.
“We struggled early on ... it seemed like the last three games in the first and second series of the ball game,” Williams said. “We just tried to do something a little different, tried to open it up early. It came in handy today.”
So instead of initially trying to establish their running game behind Jake Reckard, Cameron Ifft and Caleb Dimery, the Blue Devils instead had Ben Carkido throw the ball.
Passes of 47 and 31 on the opening two drives got McDonald rolling in the tune of an early 13-0 advantage less than three minutes into the game.
Carkido was 5 of 8 and finished with 101 yards passing.
“We came out and threw the ball on first and second down a little more than normal,” Williams said. “We tried to get them off-guard a little bit. Ben made some nice deep throws early, which I think got them on their heels and that opened up the running game later in the half.”
After their second three-and-out, Reckard got the running attack going as his 36-yard touchdown run pushed the lead to 19-0 midway through the opening quarter.
“We are doing a lot of things well right now, so it’s hard for defenses to focus in on one thing,” Reckard said. “They’re trying to stop the run, we pass a little bit, then they back off and we run.”
Reckard’s 150 yards rushing on 10 carries paced an attack that finished with 267 for the game. He ran for three TD runs.
“We had great protection and were able to run the ball when we wanted to run the ball,” Williams said. “Our guys locked on guys. Our offensive line has been growing and getting better each week.”
The Blue Devils added three more rushing TDs in the second quarter from Ifft, Dimery and Reckard for a 40-0 lead at the 3:49 mark.
“We have a great line along with two other great backs,” Reckard said. “So it’s hard to just key on one guy. Our line does a great job opening holes. I do the easy part.”
It was a struggle all night for Mineral Ridge. The Rams didn’t get a first down until the Blue Devils had jumped out to that 19-0 advantage.
“I assume the responsibility for not getting team the team prepared in the first quarter,” Mineral Ridge coach Jeff Whittaker said. “I apologize for that.”
The Blue Devils will look to continue to stay unbeaten against Sebring next week before a much-anticipated game against Western Reserve.
“We talk that you can’t go 10-0 unless you go 4-0 and you can’t go 10-0 unless you go 5-0,” Williams said. “We’re going to focus on next week’s game against Sebring. They are off to a good start. We’re not going to look past anybody.
“Every year we want to win every football game, week-by-week and that’s what the kids are focused on.”