Playmakers! Brandon Floyd (left) and Terrance Garvin are key members of Loyola's potent offensive attack. Yesterday, Garvin rushed for three scores, while Floyd caught one touchdown pass and set up two other scores with big receptions as the Dons rolled over McDonogh, 55-14, in their MIAA A Conference opener.
The first time Loyola quarterback Leon Kinnard handed running back Terrance Garvin the ball, just two minutes into the game, the fleet senior scooted through a gaping hole on the right side of the line, and raced 60 yards into the end zone to give the No. 2 Dons a rapid-fire 6-0 lead over No. 19 McDonogh, on Saturday at Blakefield.
It was a sign of things to come for the potent "Big Blue Machine," on a sun drenched day before a boisterous home crowd, as they routed the Eagles, 55-14, in the MIAA A Conference opener for both teams.
The only somber moment of the day came just before the National Anthem was played, as the crowd stood silently to offer a silent prayer for Dennis Woolford, a junior kicker, whom God called home only a week ago. Woolford was also a member of the soccer team.
The powerful Loyola offense scored their second TD late in the first quarter, as Kinnard scored on a one-yard plunge, after engineering a nine play drive. The key play was a 22 yard completion to Brandon Floyd that took the ball to the Eagle seven.
On the ensuing series, McDonogh quarterback Rudy Johnson bolted 55 yards down the left side line to the Loyola end zone, but the play was nullified by a holding penalty.
The Dons (6-0, 1-0) recovered a McDonogh fumble moments later, and on a fourth and five at the Eagle 30, Kinnard hit Floyd for a ten yard gain, as the quarter ended. Blakefield opened the second quarter much like the first, when Matt Heacock rumbled 20 yards for a touchdown, blasting his way into the end zone, to give Loyola a 20-0 lead.
"I give all of the credit for that run to the line," said Heacock, who spends most of his time patrolling the Don defense like a junk-yard dog.
McDonogh broke the ice with nine minutes to go in the half to make it 20-7, when junior Bryan Ellis raced 16 yards for a score. When Loyola got the ball back, the Eagles held, and it looked like the game might get competitive, but Loyola's Andrew Marsh recovered an Eagle fumble at McDonogh's 37 and Kinnard took advantage of the turnover, when he hit Floyd for a 10 yard score to give the Dons a 27-7 lead.
"It was set up as a screen, but it was slightly deflected, and I just followed my blockers after I grabbed the ball," said the humble receiver.
On McDonogh's next possession, Johnson got loose for a 38 yard scamper to the Loyola 30, and he kept the drive alive with another run to the Loyola 17. With 1:54 to go in the half, Ellis scored again for coach Dom Damico, and the Eagles got back to within 13.
Loyola coach Brian Abbott could have taken that advantage to the half, but he decided to go for the knock out blow, and he got it.
With a minute to go in the half, Kinnard went back to the air and hit Ryan Cullen for a big play that took the ball from the Loyola 37 to the Eagle 39. Two plays later, the talented QB connected with Floyd on a 30 yard scoring toss and Loyola carried a 34-14 lead into the break.
"I just got the ball out there for Brandon," said Kinnard. "I knew he would run under it." Kinnard was 12-for-15 on the day for 165 yards and two TD's, and he ran for 120 yards and a touchdown.
Loyola held the Eagles scoreless in the second half, but Dons ground out three more touchdowns, two coming on one-yard plunges by Garvin, and the third on a quarterback keeper by Connor Bruns.
The "Big Blue Machine" seemed to take the Loyola student-section literally, whenever they would hear "Roll, Dons, Roll."
Loyola matched their season high point production of 55, which they scored against Edmonson in the second week of the season. They have now scored 40 or more points in five of their six games. The only time they were held to less came in week one when Archbishop Spalding limited the Dons to a mere 39 points.
Loyola 55, McDonogh 14
McD 0 14 0 0 -- 14
LOY 13 21 7 14 -- 55
1QLOY - Garvin 60 run (kick failed)
LOY - Kinnard 1 run (Dunn kick)
2QLOY - Heacock 20 run (Dunn kick)
McD - Ellis 16 run (Eby kick)
LOY - Floyd 10 pass from Kinnard (Dunn kick)
McD - Ellis 8 run (Eby kick)
LOY - Floyd 30 pass from Kinnard (Dunn kick)
3QLOY - Garvin 1 run (Dunn kick)
4QLOY - Garvin 1 run (Dunn kick)
LOY - Bruns 1 run (Dunn kick)