When the top-ranked team in the VISAA Division 1 standings like Benedictine meets up with Woodberry Forest, you expect a battle. What happened Saturday wasn’t a statement. The Tigers weren’t jacked up before hand and weren’t bouncing around the field afterwards. Despite beating the Cadets 43-7 in a game that was only close in the first quarter, Woodberry was about as ‘business casual’ as it could be from start to finish in game that saw the Tigers’ defensive line dominate, quarterback Lindell Stone throw up crazy numbers and junior Khalid Thomas put together a solid-two way game.
“We’re not built like they are, we’re not as physical but we just had to be tough enough try and go 15 rounds like it was a boxing match,” said Woodberry coach Clint Alexander. “If we made the game long enough and kept them from being able to run a power game on us over and over, we’ve got a shot. We did it. We put so much pressure on them when we got the lead.”
The game started with the first of five touchdown passes for Stone as he found running back Jameel Wilson for a 42-yard score to make it 7-0 early in the first. Benedictine answered back with a touchdown drive capped by Ellis Brooks’ 6-yard run aided by a pile of linemen. That was all that the Tigers defense would allow as the following three and half quarters was decidedly one sided.
“This week it was all about protection because we’ve got the receivers, they’ve been there all year,” Stone said. “The receivers did their thing, the o-line did a great job and so that helped me a lot to do my job.”
The 36-0 run began with a 46-yard strike from Stone to Terrell Jana to make it 13-6 with 4:02 left in the first. That was followed up by a Colton Alexander field goal from 32-yards out early in the second. The Tigers struck twice inside the two minute drill to truly take control of the game. Stone hit Thomas for a 16-yard touchdown pass with 1:37 left until the break only to find him again just 69 seconds later the two connected again, this time for a 52-yard TD reception and it was suddenly 29-7.
“We’ve had so many yards in the air and so many guys in the mix,” Thomas said. “We just try and stick to the gameplan. As receivers we know if we stick to it the results will be there.”
The second half was a matter of the Tigers putting the game away in the third and the second stringers maintaining control with a running clock to finish out the fourth quarter. The third started with Thomas coming up with an interception deep in Woodberry territory after Benedictine’s opening drive. The Tigers marched down field and then Wilson picked up a 32-yard rushing TD on a shifty run to make it 36-7. Finally, Stone capped the scoring when he hit Jana over the middle and senior receiver finished the job with for 68-yard reception to wrap up the scoring at 43-7 with 5:24 left in the third.
Stone finished 18 for 29 passing with 380 yards and 5 TDs. Jana had 167 yards on seven catches. Thomas had three receptions for 83 yards. Kyle Bilodeau hauled in six passes for 66 yards. Wilson finished with 11 carries for 84 yards and his 42-yard reception.
Woodberry (6-1) travels to St. Christopher’s on Friday at 1 p.m.
