Linden rolls to Region win over J.U. Blacksher

LINDEN – Following a week of tragedy off the field, Linden High School seemingly could do no wrong on the field Friday night, rolling to a 60-8 Region win over J.U. Blacksher at Linden Athletic Field.

“It’s been a tough week, and it’s been tough to get focused,” said Linden head coach Andro Williams, referring to the loss of former LHS quarterback Anthony Robinson in an automobile accident last weekend. “But our kids were able to get focused at times and they are learning that as young men in this community and this country, we have to overcome adversity. Anthony Robinson would expect us to do that.”

The ball bounced right for Linden – literally – on the first play of the game Friday. Blacksher took the opening kickoff but a collision between the return man and his blocker forced a loose football, which Linden’s Jeffery Stacy alertly recovered at the Bulldog 22. Three plays later, Linden took a quick lead on a 19-yard Prentiss McCuiston run up the middle. Dewayne Charleston added the extra point.

After a Blacksher punt reached only the Bulldog 37 on the next series, Linden quickly struck again when McCuiston scored from 25 yards out on another run up the middle. Charleston again booted the PAT to give Linden a 14-0 lead with 6:10 left in the first.

The Patriots added two more scores before the first period expired. Devontae Knox gave LHS a three-touchdown lead with a 27-yard interception return, and Demarcus Gilmore scored on a 16-yard run. What followed Gilmore’s score was one of Blacksher’s few highlights of the evening, a Travouris Hill kickoff return to the Patriot 3. Only a hustling Tywan Smith kept Hill from scoring, and Smith’s effort did not go unnoticed by the head coach.

“I thought we played much better on special teams,” Williams said. “We are getting better by doing the small things that it takes to win.”

Following Smith’s touchdown-saving tackle, an inspired Linden defense kept Blacksher out of the end zone and the Patriots took over on downs.

However, Blacksher did manage to get two points out of the sequence, when a bobbled snap in the end zone resulted in a safety on the final play of the first quarter.

On the ensuing free kick, Linden’s Christopher Robinson recovered a squib kick at the Patriot 47, and on the next play quarterback Charleston hit Nicholas Rogers for a 53-yard scoring strike. Charleston’s kick made the score 35-2.

Linden added a 28-yard Gilmore run, a two-yard McCuiston plunge and a 21-yard Eric Monroe fumble return before the half, providing the Patriots with a 54-2 margin at the break.

Both teams agreed to eight-minute quarters in the second half, and each team hit paydirt once in the third period, with Linden’s Knox providing the final points of the evening on a 34-yard sprint.

“I’m proud of our guys,” Williams said. “We are only going to get better.”

Linden is now 1-1 on the year and 1-0 in Region play. The Patriots travel to St. Luke’s next week for another Region matchup.