Everson scores 6 TDs, Bartlett routs E. Aurora
Friday night was the perfect opportunity against the perfect opponent for the Bartlett football team to work on its passing game.
Sophomore Jordan Flint threw just 2 passes in two games since replacing injured starter Steve Hrbacek early in the season opener. The Hawks called passing plays on their first eight snaps, Flint was forced to scramble on one play, to get the ball inside the 5 before scoring the first of 9 touchdowns in a 67-0 Upstate Eight Valley victory Friday over East Aurora at Millennium Field.
“It was a (goal) to come out and try to pass and see our passing game,” Bartlett coach Tom Meaney said. “We’ve got Metea and Waubonsie coming up and you’ve got to be a little bit more balanced attack.”
Flint completed 4 passes on the opening drive to get the Hawks (2-1, 1-0) to the Tomcats’ 3-yard line. After Aaron Everson lost 2 yards on second down and gain nothing on third down, Everson scored on a 5-yard run with 9 minutes remaining in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.
That was the first of 6 touchdowns for Everson. The senior added touchdown runs of 59, 38, 34 and 28 yards and had 174 yards rushing on just 8 carries in the first half. Everson also had a 24-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter to give Bartlett a 46-0 lead.
“He’s hard to take down by one tackler,” Meaney said. “He’s a combination of power back and skat back. He can move.”
Flint only played the first series of the second half. He was 11-of-16 passing for 160 yards and a 10-yard touchdown pass to Chris Kantzavelos on the final play of the first quarter.
“We’ve been working on our passing game,” Kantzavelos said. “We just wanted to get our running game down (in the first two games) since your quarterback went down. We brought it together this week.”
Alex Bailey (1-yard run), Nick Garcia (25-yard run) and Mitch Reid (40-yard fumble return) added second-half touchdowns.
Everson finished with 224 yards on 12 carries. Deon Nido had 2 catches for 52 yards for Bartlett.
The Tomcats, who lost their 33rd straight game, had just 72 yards of total offense. Marcus Massey had 61 yards on 17 carries.
“I tell the kids, ‘I guarantee I won’t quit on them.’ And I ask them not to quit on themselves,” first-year East Aurora coach Kurt Becker said. “We just have to stay the course and keep working hard every day.”