Home Local Sports Quick-strike St. Elizabeth gets four touchdowns from Quasim Benson in win over...

Quick-strike St. Elizabeth gets four touchdowns from Quasim Benson in win over Glasgow: Photo gallery

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Quasim Benson nears the sideline on one of his carries for the Vikings. He scored four touchdowns. Dialog photo/Mike Lang

WILMINGTON — Quasim Benson scored four rushing touchdowns, including three of 50 yards or more, as St. Elizabeth continued its winning ways on the football field with a 47-0 victory over Glasgow on Oct. 1 at Abessinio Stadium. The Vikings are 4-0 for the first time since 2010.

The Vikings’ defense should not be forgotten as the offense puts up big numbers week after week. They held the Dragons to a three-and-out after the opening kickoff, setting the stage for St. E’s one-play drive. A Glasgow punt and personal foul set the Vikings up at the 50, and on first down Benson ran around right end untouched for a score just 2:08 into the game.

Glasgow moved the ball on a 22-yard running play by Zahbir Goggins after getting the ball back, but on the next play, Michael Downes sacked quarterback Bryant Shelton for a loss of 11. The drive fizzled from there, and St. Elizabeth ended up with the ball at its own 32 after the punt.

Again, Benson made the drive a quick one. He took the ball on first down, and 68 yards later, he was in the end zone for the second time.

The Vikings got the ball back toward the end of the first, and they went to work on the quick strike once again. From their own 26-yard line, quarterback Brett Smick launched a ball that found receiver James Garrett in stride down the right side, and he did the rest for a 74-yard touchdown.

After another defensive stand, St. Elizabeth went to work again. Chris Caracter started this drive with a 20-yard run to the Glasgow 39. St. Elizabeth overcame some penalties to get the ball to the Dragons’ 21, and Benson did the rest, covering the remaining yardage as he scored for the third time.

Glasgow moved the ball to the St. Elizabeth 3 on its next drive, but the Vikings’ defense stood its ground. They held the Dragons to one yard gained on two plays, but on third down a late-hit penalty gave the Dragons a first and goal from the 3. A forced fumble, however, ended that threat.

The Vikings received the second-half kickoff, but they didn’t have the ball for long. They started at their own 35 after the kickoff went out of bounds, and Benson streaked 65 yards on first down for his fourth score. He now has run for 10 touchdowns on the season.

A few minutes later, Downes picked up where Benson left off. He followed up a 15-yard run with a 55-yard touchdown run. Carl Taylor finished up the scoring, getting one for the defense with two minutes to go in the third. Taylor snatched a Dragons fumble out of mid-air and rumbled 50 yards into the end zone.

It was the team’s Pink Out Game to raise money to fight cancer. The Vikings wore pink jerseys with the name of someone affected by cancer on the back. At halftime, each of the players processed on to the field with that person or a friend or family member in their place.

St. Elizabeth is back at Abessinio next Thursday for its toughest opponent to date this season. They play Indian River at 7 p.m.

The Dragons (1-3) are home next Saturday at noon against Wilmington Friends.

All photos by Mike Lang.