Colonels Make History With First Playoff Win
By David Insley
AMERICAN CORNER - Every high school football playoff game has an element of history to it - but Friday's contest at Colonel Richardson High was one for the record books.
Breaking out to a 30-0 first-quarter lead, the Colonels (7-3) rolled to a 72-0 win over Washington in the opening round of the Class 1A East playoffs -- the blowout marking not just a milestone as the first playoff victory in the school's history, but also setting a new single-game record for points scored by the varsity.
The Jaguars (0-6) received the opening kickoff but went three-and-out. Cameron Gondeck got on the board first for Colonel with a touchdown run, followed by a Sam Souil 2-point conversion which made it 8-0 with 8 minutes, 46 seconds still remaining in the first. A fumbled pitch on the next Washington possession led to the second Colonel touchdown, this from five yards out by Cam Lake. Souil's 2-point run made it 16-0.
Washington, which didn't punt all night, turned the ball over on downs on its ensuing possession, and the third and final player on the team named Cam - this time, it was Errickson, a senior - scored on a run to make it 23-0 following a PAT kick off the right foot of Ashton Vail, a junior playing in his first game as kicker, having spent the fall season on the boys' soccer team until this week.
Lake, who had picked off a pass moments before, intercepted another Washington throw as the quarter wound down, tipping it once in mid-air before bringing it in; facing away from the Washington end zone when he caught it, Lake whirled, and dashed downfield, cutting left and scoring on a 58-yard return to make it 30-0 after the second Vail PAT.
It was 57-0 at halftime; Colonel received the second half kickoff, Errickson taking it at his team's 10-year line and dashing the rest of the way back for a 90-yard score.
Freshman Dylan Cecil rounded out the scoring with a 5-yard rushing touchdown in the final period.
Washington, which didn't score a touchdown on offense all season, had just seven first downs on the night.
With the win, Colonel advances to a second-round game, at home next Nov. 12 against third-seeded Surrattsville, which defeated Kent County 35-12 Saturday afternoon.
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