Millie Duncan
Head-to-Head: Jayden Barnes Sets the Tone
Last Friday, August 22nd, the Ballard Bruins began their football season with an intense home-opener against Lexington Catholic, with a winning score of 19-6. Ballard now enters the rest of the season with a target on their back and a goal to keep their winning streak alive.
However, this win did not happen by sheer coincidence. Jhamir Cato, one of the football captains for Ballard, explained “We have to keep everyone on track…” says Cato “if they aren’t doing what they’re supposed to in school they can’t show up for the team on the field.” Players must stay focused and healthy throughout the whole week to prepare for these games and that is exactly what they did. Hours of practice and film watching led up to this game… which became evident in how they played. The players weren’t the only ones preparing… Friday afternoon, the parking lots were flooded with the student body in arrays of blue, white and red.
The game itself was filled with adrenaline, rage, and power. The Bruins put up a huge defensive front, overwhelming the Knights with big plays and relentless pressure. Two pick sixes and several stand out performances later, our defense was golden. Linebacker Damond Jackson (10) set the tone early with his staggering pick six, leaving the Knights reeling. Later, cornerback Sean Maneese (22) matched this energy with a pick-six of his own, heavily swinging the game’s momentum in Ballard’s favor. Santee Brock had a well-rounded performance; whether it was his key interception or his team leading number of 10 tackles, Brock was dominating on the field. Linebacker Derryon Mitchell (25) wasn’t far behind Brock with his 7 solo tackles, setting the tone for his season opener.
However, the Bruins did struggle with massive amounts of penalties and flags. During the 3rd quarter, movement and game-play was stunted by the immediate whistles at the line. With all the false starts and holding charges the Bruins were denied extra opportunities to bring their lead up higher.
Even with these set backs, the Bruins’ ability to turn defense into offense was what really made the game. With impressive effort across the board, Ballard left no doubt who owned this field. With this win, the Bruins have started their winning streak, a rhythm they plan on bringing to their next game against the Male Bulldogs. Senior, Elijah Woods (8), seems hopeful of their continued success: “… all we can think about is the game, we are the game… we won’t stop until we put belt to a**”.