Coming off of a bye week, many football teams find it hard to stay focused with the change of schedule. Going into the Handley game, it was easy to wonder if the Cougars would be able to perform at their full potential. However, those questions soon faded following kickoff.
The stadium was jumping with excitement during the KRHS varsity football game last Friday as arguably the best 3A team in the state faced off against John Handley High School.
With a dominant start, the Kettle Run Cougars seemed to explode out of the gate and never take their foot off the gas. Despite Handley’s impressive size and athleticism, Kettle Run’s effective playmaking behind senior quarterback.
With 5 years of Kettle Run football under their belt, the two veterans showed their experience in what was a well-contested game. Ultimately, it was a Cougars 34-28 win against the then 2-0 Handley Judges. “They were a good team, just less disciplined than us”. Added Quaker.
While the season is still young, a win against a team like Handley, a strong opponent, could potentially hint at big things this year for Kettle Run Football. It is safe to say that the Cougars could be a big contender later in this season.
Coach Porterfield said, “As a whole, I thought we played very well. All phases of the team contributed well. Overall I think it was a very good team effort.” The team executed the game plan very well the Coach said, but I was disappointed with the amount of penalties and flags thrown on the field. “We had some penalties at crucial moments and let up some big plays in the second half.” Coach said.
Coach Porterfield was also impressed with the performance of the Linemen on both sides of the ball. “The linemen played very well. Handley has big linemen as well as a D1 player committed to Wake Forest. With that, we held up well on both sides of the ball.” He mentioned
With not much time on the clock, Kettle Run was in the lead, staring down a fourth down with two yards to go. If this fourth down was not converted, then it would turn the ball over to Handley. A throw to TE Carter Bernatzky converted for a game-winning first down and allowed the Cougars to run down the clock, sealing the game.
Carter Bernatzky had three other fourth down conversions and six receptions with 46 yards, and to top it off, two touchdowns. QB Jake Mulhern also had an incredible game, completing 20-of-26 passes, 283 yards, as well as 3 touchdowns and one interception.
The first Cougars touchdown was a pass from Mulhern, connected to WR Colton Lubbe for a 23-yard catch and run play. Handley, after receiving the ball, fumbled within their ten-yard line resulting in a Cougars fourth down two-yard quick pass touchdown in the back of the endzone by Carter Bernatzky. In the second quarter, following a Handley touchdown by Hassan Akanbi, RB Haydynn Bell separated the lead to 20-7 with a three-yard rushing touchdown. RB Colton Quaker extended the lead to 26-7 on another rushing touchdown, then a two-point conversion was made by WR Zach Roth, creating a 28-7 lead at halftime.
Coach Porterfield reported that “Handley made good adjustments in the second half that made us have to reach further down the bag.” As they did. They were able to maintain a stable lead throughout the rest of the game.
With that victory, the Kettle Run Cougars now have a record of 2-0.
Coming into another tough game, Coach Porterfield added that there were many things that the team needed to work on, including limiting penalties and making crucial tackles to limit big plays. The coach also plans on preparing just like every other week, watching films and going over strategies and a game plan and how to counter opposing team strategies.
