Football: Cougars Rout Atoms, Remain Undefeated

With senior quarterback Kyle Downer leading a dominant rushing game, the Oakton High football team devastated the Annandale Atoms 45-7 to remain undefeated with a four-game win streak.

Five plays into the game, Downer ran in a 7-yard touchdown then two drives scored on a 15-yard run. In between, Brian Burns made a 31-yard field goal, putting the Cougars up 17-0 after the first quarter.

Downer kept the Cougars' scoring spree going on the first drive of the second quarter with a 59-yard touchdown run, breaking out of several tackle attempts and sidestepping defenders on an improbable path to the end zone.

On the Atoms' first play after the punt return, Burns returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown and kicked in the extra point. Burns made all five extra point kick attempts for the Cougars.

The Cougars' Chris Larkin nabbed an interception during the Atom's next possession, and Mike Wandey ran in a 10-yard touchdown three plays later with a little more than eight minutes left in the first half.

The Cougars would not score again until the fourth quarter when Bobby Lam ran seven yards for their last points of the game. The Atoms (1-3) did not make their way onto the scoreboard until the fourth quarter on a 2-yard touchdown pass with 43 seconds left on the clock.

"We learned how good we can be. I mean, we put up 38 in the first half," Downer said. "Then we kind of dropped off our intensity a little, but in the first half we just saw how good we can be."

The Cougars put up 294 rushing yards — 127 yards from Downer — compared with the Atoms' 50 rushing yards. While the Cougars relied on their running game, the Atoms had more success passing, tallying 108 yards compared to the Cougars' 25 receiving yards.

On Friday, the Cougars will face Lee High (3-1) in its pursuit to remain undefeated before heading into Concorde District play in two weeks.

"We feel confident coming off a win like this where we put up the most points we've had all season against a team that always fights until the end," Downer said. "I also think the South County game really prepared us for the tough Concorde matchups we've got coming up." 

Notable stats: 

Chris Larkin and Andy Boone each had one interception.
Mike Wandey took eight carries 66 yards.
Kelly Brooks-Muse took four carries for 47 yards and 10 receiving yards.
Kyle Downer completed four of eight passes.  

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