Sports
Special Teams Key SLUH to Victory over Ladue
The Junior Bills score on three returns in a 49-27 victory over Ladue Friday night.
Special teams were anything but special for the Ladue football team in its contest at SLUH Friday night.
The Junior Bills returned three kicks for touchdowns in the second half in a 49-27 victory.
"Special teams were certainly key for us," SLUH coach Gary Kornfeld said. "(Stefan) Sansone took a couple to the house and Terek Hawkins added one on what was actually an onside kick return. Those were huge plays and helped us beat a good Ladue team."
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The three special team touchdowns combined with five Ram turnovers doomed Ladue.
"Big plays change the energy and momentum of a game on any level of football," Ladue coach Mike Tarpey said. "It can really deflate you quickly."
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As can the turnovers which did in the Rams in the first half. Ladue had the ball in the red zone four times and could come away with only a pair of field goals by Eric Stuber. Penalties and turnovers helped keep Ladue out of the end zone.
"We felt pretty good with the way we played in the first half except for leaving those 21 points on the board," Tarpey said.
Ladue was still in the game at half as it trailed only 14-6 as Trevor McDonagh and Cameron Stubbs scored on short runs for the Junior Bills.
But the third quarter was a nightmare for Ladue as SLUH scored four touchdowns, two on special teams.
Stubbs, who rushed for 197 yards in the game, scored his second touchdown of the game as did McDonagh. Ladue helped the SLUH cause with a fumbe on its first offensive play of the second half.
The Junior Bill offense would not touch the ball for almost an entire quarter as their special teams took over.
Sansone had touchdowns on a 70-yard punt return and a 96-yard kickoff return. Hawkins scored on a 90-yard kickoff return.
Ladue moved the ball well at times in the second half and found the end zone three times.
Quarterback Brandon Carr threw touchdown passes to Chase Lambie and Sam Glancy and Deavin Edwards scored a touchdown run.
"We did some good things but it comes down to making too many mistakes and giving up too many big plays," Tarpey said. "You can't do that against a team as well coached as SLUH. We have a young team and we stil have to find our identity. The good thing is that we played good first halves against two quality opponents."
The Rams look to play a full four quarters when they open their conference season at home next Saturday against Berkeley.