Defending Bay Rivers District champion Lafayette wasted no time in picking up where it left of a season ago, topping Brunswick County 41-0 in both teams’ season opener at Wanner Stadium Friday night.
Despite losing 2,000-yard rusher Jahil Green, the Rams, who averaged over 45 points per game last fall, showed that they still had plenty of offensive weapons capable of putting plenty of points on the scoreboard.
“Good start,” Rams head coach Andy Linn said after the game. “You want to get your first game under your belt. We have a long way to go and a lot of work to do, but it was a pretty good effort. No one is hurt, which is key.”
While Brunswick struggled to the tune of just 91 yards of total offense without its all-state quarterback Darren Owens, who was out with a broken hand, Lafayette’s skill positions contributed to a Rams offense that piled up 204 yards on the ground and 106 through the air.
Senior quarterback Brendan McGinty finished the night 5 of 10, throwing for a score and running for three others. Senior wideout Brandon Villanueva-Pernell hauled in a 53-yard score in the first quarter before finding the end zone from three yards out in the third.
“We have a lot of young backs who have never played before, and I got exactly what I expected from the upperclassmen who have played before,” Linn added. “I wanted to see some young guys, and they did a good job.”
Defensively, the Rams set the tone in the game’s opening series. All told, Lafayette recorded a sack, tackle for a loss and a blocked punt before McGinty and the offense even saw the field. Brunswick’s best drive came in the first quarter, netting just 35 yards over four plays.
With Brunswick largely stymied, the Rams enjoyed a field position advantage throughout the game. Of Lafayette’s nine drives, three began in Brunswick territory with five more beginning within 10 yards of midfield. The lone outlier came in the second quarter when the Rams engineered a 13-play scoring drive that began on their own 19-yard line.
Despite the outcome, Linn said he saw room for improvement. Lafayette’s next game, two weeks away, already has Linn’s attention.
“We just take care of one at a time,” he said. “We’ll work on the next one.”
LAFAYETTE 41, BRUNSWICK 0
Lafayette – 14 14 7 6
Brunswick – 0 0 0 0
First Quarter
Laf- Smith five-yard run (Rouse kick, 9:30)
Laf- Villanueva-Pernell 53-yard reception (Rouse kick, 6:48)
Second Quarter
Laf- McGinty two-yard run (Neville reception, 7:38)
Laf- McGinty nine-yard run (1:11)
Third Quarter
Laf- Villanueva-Pernell three-yard run (Rouse kick, 9:28)
Fourth Quarter
Laf- McGinty two-yard run (10:27)
Totals
Laf; Bru
First downs: 14; 5
Rushes-yards: 42-204; 23-69
Passing yards: 106; 22
Comp-att-int: 5-10-0; 3-10-0
Penalties-yards: 4-35; 9-46
Fumbles-lost: 1-0; 6-2
