By Chris McCarthy/Editor
Glencoe lit up the scoreboard with four second-quarter touchdowns en route to a 35-0 shutout over Westbrook Christian last Friday (Aug. 26) at GHS.
The Yellow Jackets (2-0) ended up with 468 total yards, 197 of them coming in the decisive second period.
Senior twins Austin and Aaron Bush turned in big performances. Austin was the leading rusher with 68 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries, while Aaron was the top receiver with six catches for153 yards and one score. He also had four tackles and a sack on defense.
“Both of those kids will give you everything they’ve got on every play,” said Glencoe head coach Rusty Davis. “Their speed gives people problems in that they have to worry about one being in the backfield and one on the perimeter. It’s fun to coach them, because they’re special players.”
With the Warriors on the ropes, the hosts delivered the knockout blow three minutes into the second half.
Austin Bush fell on a Westbrook fumble on the second play from scrimmage to set up Glencoe at the Warrior 44-yard line. A 21-yard pass from Cole Holbrooks to Aaron Bush brought the ball inside the 2, where Austin Bush ran it in the end zone.
Katie Smith’s fifth PAT of the night made it 35-0 at 9:48 of the third frame, and the Yellow Jackets soon cleared the bench for substitutions.
“We just kind of got a rhythm going in the second quarter,” said Davis. “Guys that were supposed to make plays, made plays. The kids responded and played hard. I wish we didn’t get as sloppy as we did towards the end [of the game], but I thought we came out in the first few minutes of the second half and did what we had to do to finish it off.”
Westbrook had little success on the ground or in the air. Out of their 12 offensive possessions, the Warriors punted nine times, had one failed fourth down conversion and lost the ball on a turnover. The Yellow Jacket defense limited the visitors to 38 total yards.
Holbrooks also was a key factor, as the senior quarterback completed 12 of 20 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed five times for 30 yards.
“Up, down or whatever, Cole’s steady,” said Davis. “He stays cool and calm.”
Cade Alred added 68 yards on 13 carries, while Jacob Amberson had three receptions for 31 yards.
Elijah Trimm had five tackles, while Paul Hicks had four. Trimm also had a sack.
Glencoe shook off an interception by Westbrook’s Jashaun Cattling on the third play of the game. The Warriors failed to convert the turnover into points, and the contest remained scoreless until the 11:22 mark of the second quarter, when the Yellow Jackets’ 12-play, 75 yard series ended with Austin Bush’s 1-yard touchdown run.
Following a Westbrook punt, the next Glencoe series began with a bang when Holbrooks and Austin Bush connected on a 43-yard pass play. Four plays later, Austin Bush scored from four yard out to provide the hosts with a 14-0 advantage at 7:05.
Holbrooks and Austin Bush teamed up for another big play later in the quarter, this time for 67 yards and a first down at the Westbrook 1-yard line. Holbrooks found Bradley Scott in the end zone for the score, and Smith’s extra point pushed the gap to 21 points with 4:40 left in the first half.
Taking over with just over two minutes remaining, the Yellow Jackets drove 51 yards in six plays, with Holbrooks and Aaron Bush teaming up for a 17-yard touchdown pass with 4.6 seconds left in the half.
For the Warriors, Garret Kennedy rushed 11 times for 38 yards and was 4-for-9 in passing for 22 yards. Tyler Comeau had an interception.
Glencoe kicks off Class 3A, Region 5 play at home this week against none other than top-ranked and defending state champion Piedmont.
“We needed these two wins going into the Piedmont game,” said Davis. “It’s a tough task and we’ve got an uphill battle, but we’re not going to shy away. We’re going to come out and play ball.”
Westbrook opens Class 2A, Region 6 play on Friday (Sept. 2) at Sand Rock.