GLENDALE — It was a tough start to the season on Friday night for the Sunnyside Blue Devils as they dropped their opening game on the road 28-3 to the Apollo Hawks.
Both teams knew from the jump the run game would be the main factor, but it was the Hawks who were able to better execute their game plan. For Sunnyside coach Thomas Romack, the loss stings, but he knows it’s one that will also help them get better.
Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, things were somewhat counterproductive for most of the night; It seemed as if every time they’d make a big play, they’d end up making a costly mistake shortly after.
“We have big plays and long drives and then we just shoot ourselves in the foot,” Romack said. “Good football teams don’t do that. Good football teams finish on long drives. They get stops. They make plays.”
Apollo set the tone early in the game with an explosive kickoff return by senior Adam Mohammed, who took it all the way to the Blue Devils’ 25. From there, the Hawks were able to keep chipping away to move the ball. With 8:12 left in the first quarter, Mohammed took the ball four yards into the end zone for a touchdown. The extra point attempt was good, giving Apollo an early 7-0 lead.
On Sunnyside’s following possession, the Blue Devils caught a break on what could have been a disastrous play. While attempting to punt, Apollo was able to get a hand on it before it was caught near Sunnyside’s 30. However, Apollo fumbled the ball and it was recovered by Sunnyside at the 36-yard-line to keep the drive alive.
Sunnyside with a field goal to make it 21-3 with 4:47 left in the 3rd quarter. pic.twitter.com/SklyH4VdrH
— Brittany Bowyer (@LittWithBritt) August 26, 2023
After continuing to move the ball down the field and reaching the red zone, a fumble by the Blue Devils would give the ball back to Apollo with just eight seconds left in the first quarter.
The Hawks didn’t need long to reach the end zone once again, as Mohammed hit the gas and took the ball 85 yards for another touchdown. The extra point was good, putting Apollo up 14-0 with 11:30 left before the half.
Sunnyside struggled to get the ball moving on the next possession. The Blue Devils quickly found themselves in a three-and-out situation, resulting in a punt.
On Apollo’s next possession, the Blue Devil defense stepped up and forced their first punt of the night, getting the ball back. Their possession wouldn’t last long, though, as another set of three and outs would force Sunnyside to punt with 4:20 left before the half.
Apollo wanted to make the last possession before the half count, and the Hawks did just that. After marching down the field, they capped things off with a 4-yard touchdown run from junior Sylus Stevenson before another good extra point attempt from senior Talen Gallegos made it 21-0.
Sunnyside got the ball to start the second half and began to slowly take it down the field. After getting all the way to the red zone, the Blue Devils had another costly error. A high snap caused another fumble, although they were able to recover this one at the 31-yard-line. Because of this, they had to settle for a field goal attempt, which was hit by Mike Vasquez to make it 21-3 with 4:47 left in the third.
Fired up, the Sunnyside defense went out and got another stop, forcing Apollo to punt with 3:17 remaining. Sunnyside was able to start the drive off strong, but it continued to crumble as time went on. The Blue Devils turned the ball over on downs at Apollo’s 38-yard-line with 7:26 remaining.
Just when Sunnyside needed a big play, Apollo fumbled the ball on the opening play of the drive. The Blue Devils were able to recover it, giving them some hope they were still in the fight. However, they struggled to capitalize on the gift and ultimately gave the ball back to Apollo with 4:15 remaining.
Apollo wanted to put up one more touchdown before the end of the game while also maintaining possession for as long as possible. Methodically moving the ball, they waited until there was less than a minute left and called a timeout. From there, they sent the final gut-punch with a 34-yard touchdown by Mohammed.
“That’s a great football team,” Romack said. “I think they’re going to compete for a championship.”
While it wasn’t the outcome the Blue Devils were looking for, they know they faced a quality opponent in Apollo and are ready to build off what they learned from the loss.
“We’re just such a young team,” Romack said. “There’s so many guys that need those reps and that time.”
Sunnyside will now prepare to face Flowing Wells on Friday in the second of three consecutive road games to start the season. They’ll then face Kellis in week three.
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