Two-time defending North State champion DeSoto Thunderbirds got the 2010 season off on the right foot here Friday night with an impressive 39-8 victory over the Strider Academy Rams. However, don’t let the score fool you, it wasn’t that close as the T-Birds dominated play from start to finish.
Dylan Cruz scored three touchdowns – two on runs from scrimmage and another on a fumble recovery – and Blake Harper and Dillon Wiggins tallied two and one respectively.
The game was practically out of reach for the Rams before the first quarter concluded.
The 12-minute session must have seemed like an eternity for the visitors who were burned for four touchdowns during that stretch. Strider took the opening kickoff and went three and out. At the 8:57 mark of the quarter, Cruz scampered 51 yards for his first score of the night.
The Rams picked up a couple of first downs on their next series but the T-Birds went up 12-0 on their second possession on a 12-yard run by quarterback Harper with 5:14 to play. A little over a minute later Harper picked off an errant Ram pass and raced untouched 46 yards into the end zone.
Up to this point the T-Birds hadn’t had much luck with extra points.
Vance St. Columbia’s first try of the season was short of its mark. A 2-point conversion on the second TD also failed. St. Columbia clicked on three of his next four kicks – one was blocked.
DeSoto’s final score of the opening period came on a 62-yard run from scrimmage. Leading 26-0, the Thunderbirds were on “Cruz control” the rest of the night.
The Thunderbirds added two more touchdowns in the second quarter. Wiggins scored on a 1-yard plunge at the 10:11 mark. Wiggins set up the TD with a 44-yard run from scrimmage.
The final DeSoto score came with 8:06 left in the half. Cruz rambled 38 yards after recovering a Ram fumble.
The mercy rule went into effect in the second half. The quarters were cut to 10 minutes and the clock stopped only on time outs. Strider finally scored on a 30 plus yard pass play with 9:02 to play and spoiled the Thunderbirds’ bid for a shutout.
Critics would be hard pressed to find anything negative about DeSoto’s performance Friday night. It is too early to tell if the T-Birds are going to make a run at a third straight North State title. Number-wise, the T-Bird roster is a little thin at 24 plus a couple of injuries.
However, the 2010 squad is loaded with lots of speed out of the backfield.
The Thunderbirds, 1-0, travel to Hebron Friday night.
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Two-time defending North State champion DeSoto Thunderbirds got the 2010 season off on the right foot here Friday night with an impressive 39-8 victory over the Strider Academy Rams. However, don’t let the score fool you, it wasn’t that close as the T-Birds dominated play from start to finish.
Dylan Cruz scored three touchdowns – two on runs from scrimmage and another on a fumble recovery – and Blake Harper and Dillon Wiggins tallied two and one respectively.
The game was practically out of reach for the Rams before the first quarter concluded.
The 12-minute session must have seemed like an eternity for the visitors who were burned for four touchdowns during that stretch. Strider took the opening kickoff and went three and out. At the 8:57 mark of the quarter, Cruz scampered 51 yards for his first score of the night.
The Rams picked up a couple of first downs on their next series but the T-Birds went up 12-0 on their second possession on a 12-yard run by quarterback Harper with 5:14 to play. A little over a minute later Harper picked off an errant Ram pass and raced untouched 46 yards into the end zone.
Up to this point the T-Birds hadn’t had much luck with extra points.
Vance St. Columbia’s first try of the season was short of its mark. A 2-point conversion on the second TD also failed. St. Columbia clicked on three of his next four kicks – one was blocked.
DeSoto’s final score of the opening period came on a 62-yard run from scrimmage. Leading 26-0, the Thunderbirds were on “Cruz control” the rest of the night.
The Thunderbirds added two more touchdowns in the second quarter. Wiggins scored on a 1-yard plunge at the 10:11 mark. Wiggins set up the TD with a 44-yard run from scrimmage.
The final DeSoto score came with 8:06 left in the half. Cruz rambled 38 yards after recovering a Ram fumble.
The mercy rule went into effect in the second half. The quarters were cut to 10 minutes and the clock stopped only on time outs. Strider finally scored on a 30 plus yard pass play with 9:02 to play and spoiled the Thunderbirds’ bid for a shutout.
Critics would be hard pressed to find anything negative about DeSoto’s performance Friday night. It is too early to tell if the T-Birds are going to make a run at a third straight North State title. Number-wise, the T-Bird roster is a little thin at 24 plus a couple of injuries.
However, the 2010 squad is loaded with lots of speed out of the backfield.
The Thunderbirds, 1-0, travel to Hebron Friday night.
