Austin High 41, Akins 14

October 24, 2012

The Maroons’ defense played with intensity throughout the win over Akins

by Patrick Olson

Rushing for 229 yards and passing with a pair of quarterbacks, Austin High defeated Akins 41-14 Friday night at Burger Stadium. “It was a great team effort,” Maroon coach Mike Rosenthal said. “The kids played hard, with effort, and I was proud of the way they played.”

John Albert Mansour completed eight of eleven throws for two touchdowns, and Trey Blake connected on six of nine passes for eighty yards. “Both of them played well and managed the game efficiently,” the coach added.

Quinta Goode opened scoring in the contest with a short scoring run; then Drew Schimberg converted a field goal with 9:08 remaining in the second quarter. Schimberg added another field goal and Isaiah Jones caught the first of his two touchdown receptions later, to give Austin High (2-5, 1-2) a 20-0 lead at the half. After Mansour hit Jones for another aerial score, Akins (1-7, 0-4) scored with a passing touchdown and a fumble recovery.

Leading 27-14, the Maroons increased defensive intensity as linemen Matt Jones, Robert Navejas and Stephen Weinberger put consistent pressure on the Akins quarterback. Offensively, Quincy Reese’s rushing helped advance the Maroons into Eagle territory. Facing a third and long, Blake found Kendrick Price for a first down pass play to the Akins 35-yard line. Reese then burst forward behind effective blocking by linemen Jeremy Pavia, Nick Grubbs and Robert Navejas to cross the goal line and give the Maroons a 33-14 advantage with just over nine minutes remaining.

Schimberg capped offensive production for Austin High with an extra point kick after senior running back Joseef DeLeon dashed 51-yards into the end zone in the fourth quarter. Defensively, Mason Hamburg performed extremely well in the secondary, breaking up a deep Akins pass play late in the game. Reese led the Maroons in rushing with 108 yards on 16 carries. Austin High now faces Anderson (0-7, 0-3) at House Park on Thursday with kick off set for 7: 30 p.m.