| The News & Advance
10/30/99 RUSTBURG - Turnabout is fair play. Last season, Brookville's playoff hopes ended with a final game 30-0 loss against Rustburg. Brookville got a measure of revenge Friday as the Bees, behind three touchdown passes from sophomore quarterback Scott Nixon, blanked Rustburg 24-0 to clinch a spot in the Group AA, Division III playoffs. "Our goal after the Rustburg loss last year was to dedicate ourselves to getting better physically, mentally and getting together as a team," said Brookville coach Bobby Johnson, whose squad improved to 7-2 overall, 4-1 in the Seminole District. "We've done that. The games that we've won we've played together as a team. Our whole goal was to get into the playoffs." The Bees have done that despite losing starting quarterback Chad Steuck, who suffered a season-ending knee injury about a month ago. Nixon stepped in and has shown solid improvement. He had his best game of the season Friday, connecting on 6-of-10 passes for 113 yards and the three scores. "Scott's a really hard worker," Johnson said. "Each week we can do some more things with him. He's getting more confident and the team's getting more confidence in him." "The receivers are going to catch anything I throw to them," said Nixon. "I'm working on it and I'm getting better. I had a problem early in the season throwing the long ball." On the Bee's first possession, Nixon proved he is getting better at the long ball. On third-and-14 from the Rustburg 43, Nixon found a wide-open Levar Anthony down the right sideline. Anthony made the catch and spun off a tackle attempt by Rustburg's Tony Jefferson at the 10 and waltzed into the end zone. The score was 6-0 at halftime, although Rustburg (6-3, 3-2) drove into Brookville territory three times and came up empty. The Red Devils' only scoring attempt ended when Andrew Thompson's 42-yard field goal attempt was blocked just before halftime. Brookville took advantage of two big special teams miscues by Rustburg in the final two quarters. Rustburg's Derrick Crabtree fumbled a Brookville punt early in the third quarter and the Bees' Ben Martin recovered at the Red Devils' 24. A key seven-yard pass from Nixon to Anthony on third-and-six extended the drive. On the next play, Dejon Kennedy raced untouched through a huge hole up the middle to give Brookville a 12-0 lead. Rustburg threatened on its next possession after Jefferson ran 28 yards on a fake punt to the Brookville 26. But on fourth-and-six, quarterback Brandon Mills came up two yards short on his option run. Brookville then embarked on a seven-play, 82-yard drive. Kennedy rushed for most of the yardage early, but Nixon capped the march by hitting Anthony (four catches, 107 yards) behind the Rustburg defense for the 39-yard strike. The Bees then forced a punt, but Rustburg punter Thompson, feeling pressure, completely missed the ball on his kick. Brookville took over at the Red Devils' 20 and Nixon capped the scoring with a four-yard pass to Lamar Kennedy. Workhorse Dejon Kennedy finished with 112 yards on 31 carries. "I used to laugh when anybody would run their tailback 30 times, but he can do it," Johnson said of Kennedy. "He gets stronger as the ballgame goes on. "I told kids before the ballgame that this game was going to be won offensively and defensively on the line of scrimmage as to who can get control. I feel like we were able to do that especially in the second half." Rustburg coach Mike Scharnus said his team was outplayed. "Brookville played real well offensively and defensively. They played a solid, consistent game like they've been playing. We made a number of mistakes that you can't make to win." Jefferson was the Red Devils' only offense, finishing with 106 yards on 17 carries. Mills completed just 1-of-16 passes for 12 yards and had two intercepted. "It just wasn't a good night," Scharnus said." Rustburg can still make the playoffs. The Red Devils travel to Jefferson Forest (6-3, 4-1) with both teams in the hunt for the postseason. "We're just going to have to regroup and work on some things," Scharnus said. |