Injuries, Quips’ talent, doom Spartans
Laurel (7) vs. Aliquippa (41)
Written: Sep 03, 2011
By KAYLEEN CUBBAL
ncsports@ncnewsonline.com
ALIQUIPPA — It was a tough night all-around for the Laurel High football team.
Not only did the Spartans fall to Aliquippa 41-7 in their Midwestern Athletic Conference opener, they suffered a bevy of injuries, including five to starters.
The five starters injured were tight end/inside linebacker Ryan Hites, two-way lineman Kaleb Kingston, running back/linebacker Dylan Jones, wide receiver/cornerback James Steele and two-way lineman Dylan Ritchie. Jones, Lawrence County’s top returning rusher with 1,286 yards last season, was injured in the game’s opening minutes.
Laurel coach Jerry Holzhauser said he was not permitted to provide specifics on injuries, but none appeared to be season-ending.
“I’ll know more tomorrow,” he said after the game. “Overall, they might not be as bad as we originally thought.”
With injuries to the Spartans mounting, the Quips scored three touchdowns in just over 3 minutes just before halftime to all-but put the game out of reach.
“Our injuries hurt us, but Aliquippa is really that good,” Holzhauser said. “They probably could have gotten the three TDs with our regulars in there.
“Injuries took us out of everything we wanted to do,” he added. “It was a horribly hot, humid night and we just don’t have the players to keep rotating in there when guys go out.”
Aliquippa took a quick 7-0 lead, but the Spartans evened the score on a 40-yard run by junior quarterback Brandon Ritchie and a Joe Johnson kick.
That score and resulting 7-7 tie came with 3:49 remaining before the half. With 44 seconds left, the Quips led 28-7.
Three big plays — a 56-yard run by Kaylan Kenney, a 28-yard run by Dravon Henry and a 49-yard pass from quarterback Mikal Hall to Davion Hall — accounted for the scores.
The only miscue by Laurel during that flurry came via a Brandon Ritchie interception before Henry’s run.
Brandon Ritchie led Laurel with 17 rushes for 97 yards.
(Correspondent Gaylord Muny contributed to this story).
LAUREL ALIQUIPPA
10 First downs 13
132 Net Rushing 234
6 Passes Attempted 8
2 Passes Completed 3
1 Passes Intercepted 0
25 Yards Passing 117
157 Total Yards 351
4-2 Fumbles-Lost 1-1
6-28.3 Punts-Average 3-25.7
10-75 Penalties-Yards 12-137
LAUREL 0 7 0 0 — 7
ALIQUIPPA 7 21 7 6 — 41
Scoring plays
ALIQUIPPA — Davion Hall, 63-yard pass from Mikal Hall (Marquis Jenkins kick).
LAUREL — Brandon Ritchie, 40-yard run (Joe Johnson kick).
ALIQUIPPA — Kaylan Kenney, 56-yard run (Jenkins kick).
ALIQUIPPA — Dravon Henry, 28-yard run (Jenkins kick).
ALIQUIPPA — D. Hall, 49-yard pass from M. Hall (Jenkins kick).
ALIQUIPPA — M. Hall, 1-yard run (Dennis Moreland kick).
ALIQUIPPA — Anthony Barton, 24-yard run (kick failed).
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