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Football: Burlington blanks Assumption

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By Andrew Petersen | Saturday, August 30, 2008 |

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Try as he might, Davenport Assumption junior Ryan Byrne couldn’t wrap his mind around what happened.

Sure, it was possible, but acceptance still is a ways off.

For the first time in seven years, the Burlington football team beat Assumption, 22-0, on Friday at Brady Street Stadium.

The Grayhounds (1-0, 1-0 Mississippi Athletic Conference) picked apart the Knights’ defense and suffocated their offense, effectively shaking the conference power structure.

“I don’t know if we underestimated them or what,” Byrne said. “Last year they didn’t throw it that much, but they really spread it out.

“We were humbled tonight.”

Assumption (0-1, 0-1) trudged its way to 166 yards of offense and squeaked into the red zone once. By comparison, the Knights were good for 433 yards in last year’s 48-7 win over Burlington.

Byrne, a junior running back, led Assumption with 84 rushing yards. He reeled off a 40-yard effort in the first quarter, but neither he nor his teammates could keep the gains coming.

Burlington, meanwhile, moved unfettered on the ground and through the air. And everyone got involved. In all, 14 Grayhounds either carried or caught the ball.

“We make sure everyone gets their touches,” Burlington quarterback Jack Flaherty said. “I mean, they really kicked our butts last year. This is exciting.”

Flaherty was 13-of-18 passing for 163 yards. In the second quarter, he lobbed a 19-yard pass to Trey Ramsey in the right corner of the end zone to give the Grayhounds a 12-0 lead. Those 12 points matched Burlington’s total against Assumption the past three seasons.

Burlington also ran in a pair of 5-yard touchdowns and got a 33-yard field goal from Kieffer Lietsch.

Assumption’s best opportunity came on its second possession of the game.

Started by Byrne’s big run, the Knights stomped down to the Burlington 16-yard line. But an incomplete pass on fourth-and-2 ended the drive.

“We made just about every mistake we can make,” Knights coach Wade King said. “(The Grayhounds) made mistakes, too, but theirs didn’t sink them like ours did.”

Assumption lost both balls it fumbled and notched nine first downs.

Junior quarterback Sean Finn was 9-of-14 for 74 yards in his starting debut for the Knights.

Andrew Petersen can be contacted at (563) 383-2288 or apetersen@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qcvarsity.com.