Cougars' Sasu Rushes to Front

After Years of Waiting, Senior Carries Quince Orchard Past Damascus

There was never any doubt about Ben Sasu's ability to run the ball. Quince Orchard elevated the shifty running back to its varsity late in the 2006 season when he was just a freshman. But it was hard to notice Sasu with the Cougars' incredible backfield depth year after year.

This season, though, it's hard to miss Sasu -- unless you're a defender, as No. 8 Damascus learned Friday night. Sasu had career highs of 35 rushes for 211 yards and four touchdowns as the 11th-ranked Cougars scored the game's final 17 points to win on the road, 37-13. It was Quince Orchard's fifth straight victory over the Hornets after having never previously beaten them.

After playing behind standout runners such as Travis Hawkins, Thomas Addison and Dawaun Genies the past three seasons, Sasu is making sure people take notice of him even before he steps on the field. He previously wore No. 26, but switched to No. 1 this year, knowing that digit attracts a lot of attention and expectation.

"I've been 26 forever," Sasu said. "This is senior year. I want to go out with a bang. I want people to remember me."

In spite of the slick field conditions, Sasu showed an uncanny ability to stay upright even after contact. Cougars Coach Dave Mencarini praised the 5-foot-9, 200-pound Sasu's knack for staying low to the ground and consistently driving his legs.

"He's been around a long time and waited his turn," Mencarini said. "He's been stuck behind a lot of great runners. He wants to be the next great one, and I think tonight he showed you he can."

After helping Quince Orchard (2-0 overall, 2-0 Montgomery 3A) to a 13-7 halftime lead with a two-yard touchdown run to open the scoring, Sasu took over in the third quarter. His five-yard touchdown run capped an 89-yard Quince Orchard drive to open the half and put the Cougars up 20-6.

Then, after Damascus (1-1, 0-1) answered with a two-yard scoring run from Brian Lucas, Sasu rushed nine times for 80 yards on the next drive, capped by a 10-yard touchdown that pushed Quince Orchard ahead 27-13. There was a noticeable sense of frustration on the Damascus sideline after the nearly six-minute drive.

Cougars linebacker Danny Tonelson intercepted Damascus on its next play from scrimmage. Three plays later, Sasu scored his fourth touchdown from three yards to make it 34-13 just 45 seconds into the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

No. 11 Quince Orchard 37, No. 8 Damascus 13 Staking His Claim: Quince Orchard junior quarterback Drew Murphy found out just before the game he would start. He completed passes to six players in the first half and finished 11 of 12 for 142 yards. Not Much of a Rivalry: Quince Orchard has won its last four over Damascus by an average of 31 points.