The St. Johns Country Day football team was shutout Friday night, 40-0, at St. Joseph Academy in a non-district 2-1B game. The Flashes led, 13-0, after the first quarter and, 27-0, at halftime. They scored two more times in the third quarter. The teams played under a running clock in the fourth quarter.
The Spartans (0-3) struggled all evening with turnovers and an ineffective offense that gained 96 total yards. St. Joseph (1-2) controlled the clock and the game with 270 yards rushing. They also added 70 yards passing.
Spartan Coach Rodney DuBose said mistakes, missed tackles and a lack of execution hurt his team.
"We're going to be fine," DuBose said. "I'm not discouraged, still. That's what these (non-district) games are for. We'll go back to the drawing board to see where we made mistakes. It was a matter of not executing. Execution on offense is the biggest thing. We don't need the big plays, we just need to execute the little things."
St. Johns took the opening kickoff to start the game. On their second play from scrimmage, quarterback Ray Grant threw a 41- yard strike to receiver Joel Haznedl that gave the Spartans a first down on the Flashes 46-yard. The drive soon fizzled and St. Joseph took over on its own 20-yard line after a Spartan punt. The Flashes drove 80 yards for their first score mainly on the running of tailback Eric Desmore, who score on a 1-yard run with 6:08 left in the first quarter. The extra point was missed and St. Joseph led, 6-0.
The Spartans were three plays and out on their next drive. A four-yard punt set up the Flashes on the Spartan 32-yard line. Six plays later, Desmore, who gained 115 yards on 13 carries, scored again from 1-yard out with 1:23 left in the quarter. The successful extra point by Andrew Ryndak increased the Flashes lead to, 13-0.
In the second quarter, Flashes defensive back Steven Packo blocked a Haznedl punt to give St. Joseph the ball on the Spartan 15-yard line. Two plays later, Desmore scored his third touchdown of the half, this time from 11 yards out. Ryndak's extra point gave the Flashes a, 20-0 lead with 5:08 left in the half.
On the ensuing drive, St. Johns picked up its initial first down of the game when Grant ran for six yards. A few plays later, Grant's pass was picked off by defensive back Shane Mobley to stop the drive at the Flashes 45-yard line.
One play later, quarterback Daniel Giordano threw in the flat to Ryndak who outrun the Spartan defense for a 55-yard touchdown with :25 seconds left before half. Ryndak kicked the extra point to give the Flashes a, 27-0, lead that held up until the end of the period.
The third quarter was a continuation of St. Joseph's dominance as the Flashes took the second half kickoff and drove 64 yards for a touchdown capped off by a three-yard Desmore run. Ryndak's kick was no good. St. Joseph led, 33-0, with 6:11 left in the third quarter.
St. Johns next drive resulted in another turnover as defensive end Adam Ruen intercepted a Grant pass and returned it 34 yards for the Flashes final touchdown. Ryndak's extra point was good and St. Joseph led, 40-0, with 5:52 left in the third quarter.
Neither team moved the ball much in the fourth quarter as the Flashes defense continued to keep the Spartans out of the end zone resulting in the final score of, 40-0.
After the game, Spartan Coach Rodney DuBose said his offense couldn't take advantage of some wide-open receivers in the Flashes secondary. DuBose praised the effort of Grant, linebacker T J Weaver (13 tackles), and defensive back Raymond Welch (9 tackles). Spartan defensive lineman Cassedy Conant had nine tackles and a sack and defensive end Jeffery Dobbertein had nine tackles.
Next week, St. Johns is at home next Friday against district foe Lake City Christian.
St. Joseph 13-14-13-0-40
St. Johns 0-0-0-0-0
Scoring
1st Quarter
St. Joseph-Desmore 1-yard run; kick no good
St. Joseph-Desmore 1-yard run: Ryndak kick good
2nd Quarter
St. Joseph-Desmore 11-yard run; Ryndak kick good
St. Joseph-Giordano pass to Ryndak 55 yards; Ryndak kick good
3rd Quarter
St. Joseph-Desmore 3-yard run
St. Joseph-Ruen 34 yard interception return for touchdown; Ryndak kick good