HOLLY POND, Ala. – After defeating Gaston to earn their first win of the season last week, the Broncos were back home Friday night for a regional matchup against West End. Unfortunately for the home crowd, they had less success against the Patriots this week and Holly Pond took a 44-24 loss.
West End received the opening kickoff, starting at their own 39. Kane Lawson, on first down, took the ball down to the Holly Pond 37. Rocko Sainsbury got the Patriots down to the Bronco 23. The Patriots then got the ball into the red zone and Kane Lawson had his second long run of the night, going 16 yards for a West End touchdown and making it a 6-0 game.
The Broncos start their first drive of the night on their own 31. Zane Faulkner started the Broncos off with a 4-yard rush. The Broncos drove the ball to the Patriot 48 before a holding penalty put the ball back on the Broncos’ side of the field. A quick pass and fumble by the Broncos was picked up by West End and the Patriots returned the ball down to the Holly Pond 9-yard line. Sainsbury took a handoff into the end zone for another Patriot touchdown. The two-point conversion was good, and the Patriots led 14-0 going into the second quarter.
West End was able to find the end zone one more time before the end of the half and went into the locker room leading Holly Pond 21-0 at the break.
Holly Pond got the ball first to start the third quarter and Sawyer Olinger got the Broncos on the board with a touchdown run to make it a 21-8 game early in the second half.
West End answered with a five-minute scoring drive of its own and Sainsbury scored from 6 yards out to cap off the drive and extend the lead to 28-8.
Holly Pond’s next possession started on its own 35. Olinger took the ball for an 8-yard gain, but a facemask penalty aided the Broncos and moved the ball down to the Patriot 44-yard line. Olinger ran the ball again and carried it 29 yards down to the Patriot 15. Gibbs carries the ball down to the 10-yard line and from there, Brody Howard ran it in for the Bronco touchdown. Gibbs completed a pass to Cade Allbright for the 2-point conversion and West End led 28-16 with 2:07 left in the 3rd.
The Patriots had the ball all the way down at the Holly Pond 1-yard line when the third quarter comes to a close and on the first play of the fourth, the patriots scored on a 1-yard dive by Sainsbury to move ahead 36-16.
The Broncos converted a fourth down with a pass from Olinger to Jayden Holloway on their next drive, moving the ball up to the 46-yard line but four plays later, a sack on Gibbs ended the Holly Pond drive early.
The Patriots first play after the turnover on downs saw Sainsbury go 42 yards for another Patriot touchdown and extend the lead to 44-16.
The Broncos scored one last time on a 2-yard run by Gibbs. The two-point conversion was good, bringing the final score to 44-24 in favor of West End.
Next week the Broncos will travel to Cleveland to face the Panthers.
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