Healthy or injured, the truth about the Christian Brothers Academy football team remains the same – once they start making big plays, it’s nearly impossible to stop them.
With lots of key players on the sidelines Saturday at Sunnycrest Field, the Brothers still produced some excitement in a 28-point third quarter that put away defending Section III Class AA champion Henninger and led to a 35-6 victory.
CBA learned earlier in the week that star defensive back Bryant Moore had a torn ACL (suffered in a season-opening win over Auburn on Sept. 4) and would miss the rest of the season.
That, plus other injuries, led to an uneven first half against Henninger, the only points coming when quarterback Tyler Hamblin hit Jared DePalma on a 15-yard touchdown pass.
Both teams saw big plays (and in one CBA case, a TD run) called back by various penalties, and Riley Dixon had a 27-yard field goal go wide.
If anything brought CBA to life, it was what took place right after Henninger received the second-half kickoff. Black Knights quarterback Shawn Bryant hit Richard Neal on a 59-yard reception, setting up Langston Lambert’s one-yard TD run.
Now only ahead 7-6 (the two-point try was missed), CBA felt its first real urgency of the afternoon. It didn’t take long for the response to arrive – just 17 seconds, to be exact.
Two plays into CBA’s ensuing drive, Fajri Jackson found a hole on the left side and took off, 59 yards to the end zone, and made it 14-6, but the Brothers were just getting started.
Pinned back at its own five-yard line after forcing a punt, CBA lined up with DePalma at quarterback. On the snap, DePalma took off, running up the left side and never getting touched on a 95-yard touchdown jaunt.
Now ahead 21-6, the Brothers kept applying pressure, thanks to both of its quarterbacks. CBA drove to Henninger’s 22, from where Hamblin threw his second TD pass to DePalma.
After yet another defensive stop, the Brothers drove to a fourth TD in less than 10 minutes, Hamblin throwing an 18-yard pass to Yosh Karbowniczak in the end zone. Karbowniczak also had a first-half interception.
At 2-0, the Brothers head home to Albirandi Stadium for a highly-anticipated Class AA-1 division opener against 2-0 Baldwinsville. By far, CBA’s biggest defensive focus will be on containing tailback Malik Burks, who has given the Bees 588 yards and nine touchdowns in wins over West Genesee and Fayettville-Manlius.
