By Rick Kozlowski
SPRING MILLS — Spring Mills enjoyed a victory to the Max Friday night.
With a nod to the X, as well.
Senior quarterback Max Anderson threw two touchdown passes — one to his younger brother Xavier — ran for a score and added a two-point conversion run as Spring Mills romped to a 50-0 victory over Jefferson.
The Cardinals opened the season with a victory they felt they had to have — not just because many expect either Spring Mills orJefferson to vie for second place in the Eastern Panhandle Athletic Conference behind perennial champion Martinsburg, but because of what it meant to them in a deeper way.
Spring Mills honored late teammate Nico Loeber, who died in a swimming accident this summer. He would have been a senior linebacker this season.
“That meant a lot to us,” Spring Mills coach Marcus Law said. “His family was here, and we put together a scholarship in his honor.
“Everyone, we wanted him to be proud of us.”
Both teams are coming off playoff seasons as they branch into the state’s new Class AAAA.
While both will advance this season given that there are 16 teams in Quad-A and 16 openings in the postseason, the Cardinals looked more like the bonafide entrant.
“We didn’t execute on all facets,” Jefferson coach Craig Hunter said, “special teams, offense defense.
“We looked like we were ready to play.”
The Cougars struggled to start the game, and the Cardinals zoomed in.
Spring Mills blocked a punt on the first series of the game and scored one play later as Blake Sanders, a transfer from Musselman, ran 8 yards for a touchdown.
The Cardinals needed only a single play again to score its second touchdown. From the Jefferson 49-yard line, Anderson tossed a swing pass to Keyon Mills, and the speedy running back turned the play into a touchdown. Anderson ran for two points.
“All week, we preached that we wanted to start fast because we usually don’t,” Anderson said. “It was a good way to play for Nico.
“When we start like that fast, we’re tough.”
The Cardinals weren’t finished.
Once again, they scored on a one-play drive when the Anderson brothers hooked up on a 75-yard touchdown pass play to give Spring Mills a 21-0 lead.
“That play was supposed to go to the other side, but I looked and saw he was open,”
Anderson, who should be in consideration for the Kennedy Award, finished the game completing 6 of 7 passes for 160 yards. He ran five times for 81 yards. He would’ve passed 100 yards rushing had not a run of some 40 yards get called back on a penalty.
He scored Spring Mills’ fourth touchdown midway through the second quarter on a 4-yard dash and then added a second scoring run with 29 seconds left in the half.
Spring Mills added two points on a safety as Jefferson bobbled a snap in the end zone and the punter was tackled, making the score 37-0 at halftime.
Much of the second half was played with a running clock.
That went into effect at the 7:30 mark of the third quarter on Kam Taylor’s 16-yard run, his third straight carry in covering all 45 yards of the drive.
Bradley Butts’ 2-yard touchdown burst concluded the scoring.
The only thing that went wrong for Spring Mills is the Cardinals had to take a timeout the only time they punted. The Cardinals couldn’t get the right personnel on the field and into the proper position.
“All of our running backs ran hard,” Law said. “I’m happy with it.
“Jefferson is good. You can’t simulate the speed they have. We told the kids, ‘If you don’t box them in, they’ll go 60 or 70 yards down the sideline.”
The Cougars did have two receivers drop passes from Dylan Harich that likely would’ve been TDs.
“He was wide open when he dropped the pass,” Hunter said. “If we score there, it’s 14-7.
“Who knows?”
Anderson expects the outcome will grab some attention around the state.
“I think a lot of people thought this would be a good game,” the quarterback said. “Blowing them out is going to open eyes for us.”
