WESTMINSTER — Oran Tool and Evan Marshall are pretty special players. Faith Christian knew that, but for those who didn’t, the two put their talents on display Saturday afternoon at Adams 12 North Stadium.
Tool returned the opening kickoff 88 yards and Marshall returned a third kickoff in the first quarter 87 yards for a score as sixth-ranked Faith Christian outslugged The Academy 63-24 in a battle for first place in the 2A Flatirons League. Faith Christian (6-2 overall, 4-0 league) remains atop the league standings.
Though Tool and Marshall were electrifying on special teams, The Academy’s Baron Underwood wasn’t going to be outdone. Just 14 seconds after Tool’s opening score, Underwood, after receiving a handoff from Shane Cathcart, returned the ensuing kick 85 yards to tie the score.
“That was crazy. I took one back and then Baron took one back. A crazy way to start a game,” Tool said.
But The Academy, even though it gave Faith Christian its best punch in the first quarter, couldn’t keep pace, being outscored 42-8 after the first quarter.
Tool and Bryan Albright rushed for two scores each, quarterback Alex Buchmann threw for two and the Eagles broke open a close game with three consecutive touchdowns in the second quarter.
“We’ve come a long way since I took the job four years ago. That being said, there are no moral victories,” The Academy coach Seth Replogle said.
Faith Christian 21 21 14 7 — 63
The Academy 16 8 0 0 — 24
FC: Oran Tool 88 kickoff return (Dylan Phillips kick); A: Baron Underwood 85 kickoff return (Janelle McFadden kick); FC: Isaac Henry 1 run (Phillips kick); A: McFadden 31 field goal; FC: Evan Marshall 87 kickoff return (Phillips kick); A: Underwood 16 run (pass failed); FC: Tool 8 run (Phillips kick); FC: Marshall 10 pass from Alex Buchmann (Phillips kick); FC: Tool 8 run (Phillips kick); A: Riley McGiboney 23 pass from John Elliott (Mark Taylor pass from Elliott); FC: Bryan Albright 1 run (Phillips kick); FC: Derek McCartney 4 pass from Buchmann (Phillips kick); FC: Albright 2 run (Phillips kick)
