For three minutes and 11 seconds, Newport maybe felt hopeful because the Wildcats scored the first eight points Friday at Lloyd Memorial.
The remaining 44:49, however, was scarier than binge-watching the Friday the 13th series. The Juggernauts scored 45 unanswered points on the way to a 45-8 Homecoming win at Cecil Dees Field.
Lloyd’s win was momentous for one large reason: the Juggernauts have not started a season 6-0 since 1995.
It would have been easy to attribute Lloyd’s win because of quarterback Isaiah Sebastian and tailback Yurii Collins Comer. Sebastian ran for one touchdown and threw for another, while Comer scored twice, including on a punt he blocked.
“(Comer) did a pretty good job on defense, that’s for sure,” Lloyd coach Kyle Niederman said. “He did a good job on offense. He carried the ball tough; he didn’t turn the ball over.”
Sebastian ran for 60 yards and threw for 83. He likes running the ball first.
“That’s our key to offense,” Sebastian said. “We run the ball a lot; that’s what we do best.”
But it would have been an incomplete summary. Lloyd’s defense forced three Newport turnovers, and held the Wildcats to minus-10 yards of total offense.
“Lloyd is what we all know they are,” Newport coach Ryan Hahn said. “They’re not ashamed of what they do in terms of running the ball, they’re very well-coached and it is very impressive.”
The Juggernauts gained 271 total yards, and they needed every one because of the 13 penalties for 125 yards. (Newport had 11 for 76.)
“I’m not happy with the penalties for sure,” Niederman said. That’s something we need to address.”
Friday’s first turnover was Lloyd’s, and Newport took advantage. A punt snap slid between Lloyd punter Elijah Westwood’s legs, and three plays later Kyle Lee and Amonte Lowe connected for a one-yard touchdown pass.
Sebastian, who ran for 60 yards, pulled Lloyd to within 8-7 on his 17-yarder with 33 seconds to go in the first quarter.
For Newport, the second quarter was nightmarish. Three plays after a shanked punt, Elijah Collins swept around left end for a 16-yard score.
On Newport’s next drive, Seth Moran and Ky’Ron Carter sacked Lee, and Comer was untouched as he blocked the punt and scored. He later scored from two yards out.
Sebastian found Tyler Copeland for a 37-yard touchdown pass on the third quarter’s final play. Moran scored from eight yards out midway through the fourth quarter, and Dominic Larkin finished the scoring with a one-yard run with 1:04 left.
JUGGERNAUTS 45, WILDCATS 8
NEWPORT — 8-0-0-0 — 8
LLOYD MEMORIAL — 7-19-6-13 — 45
Scoring Plays
1st Quarter
(N)-Amonte Lowe 1 pass from Kyle Lee (Landon Stacks pass from Lee), 6:42
(L)-Isaiah Sebastian 17 run (Elijah Westwood kick), 0:33.5
2nd Quarter
(L)-Elijah Collins 16 run (run failed), 6:11
(L)-Yurii Collins Comer 10 run on blocked punt (pass failed), 4:29
(L)-Comer 2 run (Elijah Westwood kick), 3:57
3rd Quarter
(L)-Tyler Copland 37 pass from Sebastian (kick failed) 0:00
4th Quarter
(L)-Seth Moran 8 run (kick failed), 6:31
(L)-Dominic Larkin 1 run (Ryan Miller kick), 1:04
Game Stats
Passing yards: Newport 32 (Lee 11-23-1 INT); Lloyd 83 (Sebastian 5-11-0 INT).
Rushing yards: Newport minus-42 (Thompson 4-7, Stachel 1-0, Lee 9-(minus-49), Lowe 1-0); Lloyd 188 (Comer 14-52, Sebastian 14-60, Bishop 3-17, Moran 4-43, Collins 2-14, Larkin 2-2).
Receiving yards: Newport 32 (Lowe 3-7, Thompson 8-25); Lloyd 83 (Collins 2-20, Copland 1-37, Moran 1-0, Comer 1-26).
Turnovers: Newport 3, Lloyd 1
Penalties: Newport 11-76, Lloyd 13-125
Records: Newport 4-2, Lloyd 6-0