Gonzaga Spreads the Wealth in Victory
By Adam Chasen
BETHESDA, MD - The second annual gridiron classic was not the close game that many had expected, as Gonzaga (2-1) made the most of their trip up to Bethesda, defeating Georgetown Prep (2-1) 41-21. Representing the WCAC conference, the Gonzaga Eagles came out in spread formations to combat the large and aggressive Prep defense. With help from a bevy of athletic playmakers, Eagle quarterback Kevin Hogan (Stanford Commit) orchestrated an impressive offensive attack that never slowed down.
"Kevin doesn't surprise me anymore, I've seen him make so many plays I don't even worry anymore," said Coach Aaron Brady, who is in his first year as Gonzaga's head coach after several years spent at other area private schools.
The Eagles give Hogan a lot of responsibility allowing him to call most of his own plays at the line of scrimmage in a no-huddle offense that has kept teams off balanced. Studying Prep on film it was evident to Gonzaga that spreading the Prep defense out could give them a chance to make plays on the perimeter and use the Little Hoya's aggressiveness against them. The plan worked to perfection, as Hogan had a phenomenal day, and running back D'Lante Martino showed off his talents to the capacity crowd.
Gonzaga never trailed, taking the opening drive in for a 7-yard Martino run just 3 minutes in. Prep would answer with a drive of their own, which began with a 65 yard kickoff return from Tene Samuto, and finished off with a short plunge from their own star, running back Bobby Gribbin. That would be the last tie of the game as Gonzaga began to open things up with the continual use of a shotgun spread no-huddle formation. Prep misplayed a snap on a 4th down punt, deep in their own zone, which setup Martino for his second touchdown of the day with one minute left in the first quarter, and the Eagles never looked back. The lead at the half for the Eagles was extended to 27-7 and the boisterous Prep student section was all but silenced.
Prep did come out in the second half and fight back, driving down the field, utilizing their strong offensive line and depth in the backfield. Samuto would return the opening 2nd half kickoff down to the Gonzaga 35 yard line, which would lead to Gribbin's second touchdown of the day and cut the lead to 27-14. But it was not enough as Gonzaga turned to D'Lante Martino again on the very next drive. Martino would touch the ball on five consecutive plays, gaining 63 yards, punctuated by an impressive 15-yard touchdown to give his team a 34-14 lead.
Each team would add a late touchdown in the 4th quarter, well beyond the time both sides had begun to make liberal substitutions. The tough loss for Prep is made even tougher by the fact that it came on the heels of the toughest portion of their schedule. Coach Dan Paro has a very talented team and still has high expectations for this season, but for the second year in a row the Little Hoyas walk away from the Gridiron Classic wondering what went wrong.
Gonzaga now improves their lead in the all time series to 33-27-3 and will take on McNamara (0-3) next week. Prep will have a huge task on their hands as they play a Gilman team this week that has already defeated both Good Counsel (28-7) and Dematha (Saturday night 35-10.) Both teams will be traveling for their respective contests.
GAMEDAY PLAYER OF THE GAME:
D'Lante Martino - While Kevin Hogan was equally deserving, it was Martino who set the early tone ripping off a pair first down runs on the first drive. Martino brought a physical dimension to the game in addition to his outstanding speed, finishing runs with power.
Martino's Final Stats: 100 yard rushing and 4 touchdowns.
Gameday spoke with D'Lante Martino, Kevin Hogan, and Gonzaga Head Coach Aaron Brady following Saturday's game:
