Game 8: Tallmadge 26, Kent 0

B Team Blue finished a successful 2006 season with a 26-0 road win against Kent. This game featured another 100+ yard, 3 touchdown effort by Kane Wolfe, great running and another touchdown by Michael Beane, an outstanding game from quarterback Andrew Shannon, swarming defensive play, and dominating offensive line play!

Kent won the toss and received the opening kickoff but after some stellar defense the B Team Blue offense took to the field after only four short plays by Kent. Three plays and a first down later, Kane Wolfe scored his first touchdown from about 40 yards out:



The Devils were unable to convert the extra point on this one. On the ensuing kickoff, Evan Stricker turned on the speed to almost recover the ball:



This ended the first quarter with Tallmadge leading by a 6-0 score.

At the start of the second quarter, Tyler Cupps recovers the Kent fumble to give B Team Blue another offensive series:



B Team Blue marches quickly moves down field as Andrew Shannon completes a great pass to Andrew Francesconi:



Michael Beane breaks off two nice runs, setting up a twenty yard end around run by Kane Wolfe for six more points:



This time, Andrew Shannon powers in the extra point, putting the Devils ahead by a score of 13-0:



As Kent receives the ball again, they encounter stiff opposition from the Tallmadge defenders. This includes a nice tackle for a loss by Andrew Francesconi:



as well as pressure up the middle by Evan Stricker:



Kent manages to get its first first down of the afternoon, but soon on fourth down and long the Tallmadge defense stuffs the drive and the offense once again finds itself with a new opportunity to score. Again, Andrew Shannon delivers a perfect pass to Andrew Francesconi for a big gain:



and Dallas Hukill steals what appears to be a Kent intereception of a Tallmadge pass:



This sets up Michael Beane's touchdown run. This time from around the Kent 45 yard line:



Andrew Shannon again converts the extra point:



and B Team Blue takes a commanding 20-0 lead as the clock runs out on a Kent drive to end the first half.

B Team Blue players use halftime wisely as they boogie down:



and the coaches take a more serious approach as they gather the troops before the start of the third quarter:



Only two minutes had ticked off the start of the second half as the Devils had to go into "mercy mode" thanks to Kane Wolfe's third touchdown of the day from around the 50 yard line:



The extra point conversion was unsuccessful, but by this time, B Team Blue was sitting comfortably with a 26-0 lead. Because of the mercy rule, Tallmadge had to play defense the rest of the way, as Kent was unable to close the 24 point spread.

The Kent offense was met with both great individual coverage, like this great play by Colton Tomaiko:



and a swarming defensive unit that refused to give up yardage:



The sun set as the game clock expired and the 2006 season came to an end. B Team Blue ends the season with a 6-2 record. Some impressive statistics: All of B Team Blue's wins were shutouts; B Team Blue scored 134 points this season and gave up only 36 points to opposing teams, both in losses to Field and Cuyahoga Falls.

Our thanks to the coaches: Tony Shannon, Greg Stricker, Ted Carey, Michael Beane, Mike Stricker and our awesome commissioner/coach Dujuan McClendon. They truly turned from dads who wanted to coach their kids to real teachers of the game of football. B Team Blue turned out to be a talented and hard-nosed, tough football team and special thanks goes out to all the players, who made the 2006 season a fun and memorable one.

I hear from Sam and others that there will probably be two A teams next year. I know that our coaches as well as the Gold Team coaches will probably want to keep their players together, so get ready for 2007, A Team Blue is on its way!!!