Home Local Sports Archmere offense keeps rolling in big football win at Mount Pleasant: Photo...

Archmere offense keeps rolling in big football win at Mount Pleasant: Photo gallery

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The Archmere defense swarms to make a tackle. The Auks defeated the Green Knights, 48-6. Dialog photo/Jason Winchell

PENNY HILL — Archmere got a pretty good idea of how its football game against Mount Pleasant would go just seconds in. Max Ewing fielded the opening kickoff at the Auks’ 16-yard line, and 84 meandering yards later, he was in the Green Knights’ end zone. The Auks scored 14 points right off the bat in what would become a 48-6 victory on Sept. 18.

Archmere proved to have too many weapons for Mount, which is now a district rival of the Auks in the newly configured DIAA football setup. Whether handing the ball off to one of a number of running backs, or passing to a multitude of receivers, the Auks found success.

Their defense was also stout. Mount fumbled on its first play from scrimmage, giving the Auks the ball at the 15. Ben Mongare ran it for 13 on first down, setting up a first and goal at the Green Knights’ 2. It took another two plays, but Kieran Udovich bulled his way in from a yard out to make it 14-0 just 96 seconds into the game.

The teams traded possessions before the Green Knights took over at their own 35 midway through the first. Mount was held to just three yards and punted again, but the Auks coughed up the ball on the return, allowing the Green Knights to take over on the Archmere 28. This time, quarterback Laivyun Snow hit Dahmir Bird for 20 yards on first down, taking the ball to the 8. Snow gained four yards on first down, and an Archmere penalty before the next snap moved the ball up two yards. Bird went up the middle for the Knights’ lone score of the day. The extra point was wide right.

Archmere’s Johnny Kim took the kickoff back for an apparent touchdown, but a penalty brought it back to the Mount 18. Facing a third and 17 after a penalty, Auks quarterback Chris Albero found Conor Udovich at the 1. Two runs were unsuccessful, but on third down, Albero hit Cole Fenice on a crossing pattern for a score on the final play of the quarter.

The Auks added three more touchdowns in the second quarter to put the game out of reach. The first scoring drive included a 23-yard pass to Conor Udovich and an 18-yard strike to Thomas Pinto that moved the ball to the Knights’ 5. Albero ran for the touchdown.

The Auks forced another three and out, and Archmere’s offense embarked on a quick 82-yard drive. Pinto caught a pass for 15 yards to start things off, followed by a Kieran Udovich rush for 32 yards. Kieran Udovich then caught a screen pass and took it to the Green Knights’ 13. Two plays and a holding penalty later, the Auks were at the Mount 28, but Albero covered those yards on two rushes, going the last eight for the score.

Another Mount punt resulted in Archmere starting a drive at the Knights’ 42. That drive ended with Albero hitting Kim on a crossing pattern for the team’s sixth touchdown with 1:20 left until the half.

Micah Walker scored on a two-yard run for the Auks in the fourth to close out the scoring.

Albero was 13 for 21 passing for 135 yards and two scoring passes. He also rushed for 44 yards and two TDs. Defensively, Kieran Udovich led a strong team effort with eight tackles. Cam Kilicoglu had five tackles and two sacks. The Auks (2-0) host Howard next Saturday at 11 a.m. in a rematch of last year’s Division II state championship game, won by the Wildcats.

Mount Pleasant fell to 0-2 and travels to A.I. duPont on Thursday at 6 p.m.

All photos by Jason Winchell.