This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Sports

Prep Football: Kenwood Starts Strong, Falls Short Against Dulaney

Lions rally in second half in 26-20 win over Bluebirds in Essex.

Kenwood appeared ready to start the season strong Saturday against visiting Dulaney.

The Bluebirds jumped out to a 20-0 first half lead thanks in part to touchdown runs of 24 and 40 yards by senior running back Travis Jenkins and a 10-yard interception return for a touchdown by Earl Smith — all in the second quarter.

However, Dulaney rallied in the second half as quarterback Dre’ Lewis connected with running back/wide reciever D.J. Foster for a 46-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter in a 26-20 win at Michael J. Collins Stadium in Essex.

Find out what's happening in Essex-Middle Riverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The loss represented Kenwood’s first season-opening defeat since 2001.

“I had good blocking, I read the holes right, and I picked up the yards...[but] we need to play hard for the whole game, all four quarters,” said Jenkins, who finished with 220 yards of total offense.

Find out what's happening in Essex-Middle Riverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Dulaney comeback began in the third quarter as the Lions put 14 points on the scoreboard thanks to a 1-yard touchdown run and a 29-yard touchdown reception by Foster.

Dulaney kept their foot on the gas in the fourth quarter, as Lewis threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 20, and connected again with Foster for the eventual game-winning score with 4:42 left in the game.

Kenwood mounted one final drive, in which it covered 52 yards, 45 of which came from Jenkins. Starting from their own 20-yard line, the Bluebirds utilized Jenkins’ expolsiveness, as he carried for gains of 10 and 15 yards, and turned a short screen pass into a 15-yard gain.

At Dulaney’s 28-yard line and with time expiring, quarterback A.J. Molden threw a desperation heave into the endzone, but could not find his receiver, Adonta Wallace.

After the game, Dulaney head coach Chris Fallon praised his team’s efforts in the second half, and the way his players were able to adjust their play after halftime to overcome the 20-point deficit.

“Whenever it’s halftime, you make adjustments,” he said. “Fortunately, our guys were smart enough to make the adjustments.”

Kenwood assistant coach Ken Bouchat said the Bluebirds have to play hard for four quarters if they want to improve on last year’s 2-8 record.

“We need to read the highs and lows of the game, and be able to dig in and stay strong when the game gets tough.”

Kenwood looks to bounce back at home next Friday night, when they take on traditional county power Milford Mill (1-0). Dulaney plays their home opener next Saturday against MIAA program John Carroll (1-0) of Bel Air.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Essex-Middle River