Lindbergh was again able to jump on an opponent early. This time it was Mount Rainier, as the Eagles beat the Rams 27-7 Friday night.
Lindbergh (5-1 overall, 5-0 Seamount) has scored first in every game this season except one and is now tied with Kennedy Catholic for first place in the Seamount.
Even though the Eagles scored first, the offense wasn’t clicking on all cylinders right away. Mount Rainier’s D.J. Hardy intercepted Lindbergh quarterback Matt Stuart’s first pass attempt of the game.
But the Lindbergh defense recovered a fumble and forced a turnover on downs in the Rams’ first two drives to stabilize the team.
“We looked sloppy in the beginning, great in the middle and sloppy in the end,” said Lindbergh coach Pat O’Grady. “It was kind of a sandwich. One we hope to avoid in the future.”
Frank Cange broke loose down the left sideline for a 69-yard touchdown on Lindbergh’s third drive to open the game’s scoring.
Bakaris Davis burst through the middle for a 47-yard touchdown rush in the second quarter.
Senior Derek Herley added a touchdown before the half on a one-yard rush to put the Eagles up 20-0.
Davis intercepted a Ram pass in the end zone to end any Mount Rainier hopes to score before the half.
Stuart found Davis for a third-quarter touchdown from 39 yards out in the third quarter. Mount Rainier finally got on the board when Caleb Saulo ran in from 14 yards out in the third.
Stuart was often under pressure from the pass rushing Rams, but more often than not was able to get the ball out to one of the Eagles talented receivers.
“They’re a physical team and they had a good defensive scheme to put some pressure on us,” O’Grady said. “They got to him, they knocked him around a little bit.”
Stuart, a 15-year-old freshman, stands 6-foot-4 and plays very well — despite the fact he has almost no experience.
“This is football game number seven period, in his life. He was too big to play junior football,” O’Grady said. “His potential is limitless. He’s a big, strong kid and he’s only going to get bigger and stronger.”
Stuart has seven touchdown passes in five starts this season.
Lindbergh and Kennedy are now on a collision course for Oct. 16 at Renton Memorial Stadium. The winner will sit in first place in the Seamount all alone.
