Brooke Point 31, Massaponax 14
By Stephen A. Norris
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, October 20, 2007
For two quarters of Brooke Point's 31-14 victory over Massaponax last night, the threat of a rain lingered. Then the second half began, and the skies unleashed a swirling wind and a storm that engulfed the football field.
It sent fans rushing for the exits, but on the Brooke Point sideline, where the Black-Hawks were clinging to a three-point lead, new energy swept over the team. Players recalled a 35-0 victory last season that Brooke Point won in a rainstorm.
"When that rainstorm hit, we all remembered last year," Brooke Point running back Chase Barnett said. "It was lights on for us and lights off for them."
The Black-Hawks forced a fumble on the first play, scored on the ensuing drive and shut out the Panthers in the second half. Brooke Point (6-1) now has sole possession of first place in the Commonwealth District at 4-0. Massaponax (6-1, 3-1) lost its first game of the season.
"I was dead tired, and that rainstorm picked me up," said defensive end Isaiah Hamlette, who has committed to Virginia Tech. "It was just so exciting, all the winds and leaves. It was crazy."
No one was happier to see the rain than Barnett. The junior had rushed for 256 yards in the first half en route to a career-high 377 yards. All night Barnett blasted through holes and spun by and shook off defenders. The rain was just one more advantage for the tailback, who scored four times on runs of 18, 70, 2 and 11 yards and averaged 10 yards per carry.
After the game even Barnett was shocked to hear his total.
"I'm speechless," he said. "That's not like me. I just want to credit my line and coaches for making the right calls."
Barnett gave the Black-Hawks a 24-17 lead less than three minutes into the second half, when he scored on a two-yard run on the drive following the Brooke Point fumble recovery. He had runs of eight and 11 yards on the drive before scrambling in for the touchdown.
His second touchdown of the game gave Brooke Point a 17-14 lead with 2 minutes 46 seconds remaining in the first half. Quarterback Brian Hudson pretended to drop back to pass but instead handed off to Barnett, who ran up the right sideline 70 yards untouched for the touchdown.
"Coach says it takes me a while to get rolling, but once I do I am unstoppable," Barnett said. "I don't know why. It just takes me a while to build up momentum."
While the Panthers had no answer for Barnett on offense, they couldn't find one for Hamlette on defense. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound senior had 3 1/2 sacks and two tackles for a loss.
"We just played responsibility football," Hamlette said.
Brooke Point 31, Massaponax 14
Bright Spots: Massaponax wide receiver Freddie Richardson had three catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. Drake Sanders scored the only other Massaponax touchdown, a 10-yard run in the second quarter.
Streaks: Brooke Point has beaten Massaponax two years in a row after losing to the Panthers the three previous years.
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