Measuring Stick: STAB beats Blue Ridge to move to 6-0 on the year

STAB's Jonah Brent looks for running room against Blue Ridge Saturday.

St. Anne's-Belfield football knew Saturday afternoon was a potential statement game, as a vastly-improved Saints squad faced off with the defending VISAA D2 champions Blue Ridge, a Barons squad that beat STAB 42-0 last season.

The Saints delivered, rolling 60-19 over the Barons behind a strong defensive performance that registered a pair of pick sixes from Jack O'Malley and Ryan Steeper and a rushing attack powered by a big, effective offensive line and running back Jonah Brent who rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns on just nine touches. Brent's numbers may have been even more impressive if he had had at least one long touchdown called back for holding.

"We told the guys early on it’s a big man’s game and we kind of roll with our big guys," said STAB coach Heath Miller. "If they can move people, that’s the way we prefer to play. They’re doing a good job of doing their part and Jonah has got the speed to break it – if he can break a tackle, he’s hard to bring down in the open field."

Brent also stays patient behind that group and it paid off repeatedly Saturday. That patience means that when he’s facing first contact he’s usually squaring up with a defensive back in the second level, and that’s a matchup that leans heavily in the Saints’ favor. 

"He’s running really hard this year and it’s showing off in the broken tackles," Miller said.

The Barons struck first with a touchdown pass from O.B. Bouchard to Donovan Townes to take a 6-0 lead, but the Saints got things going after that. Haden Morris scored on the ground, Steeper picked up his pick six and when Bouchard and Townes connected again for a score late in the second quarter, the Barons were playing catchup, down 22-12 thanks to Brent’s first touchdown. A 45-yard field goal by Tim Hamann made it 25-12 Saints at the break. 

STAB really ramped things up in the second half, with Brent scoring again and Charlie Smith notching a pair of touchdowns for the Saints. O’Malley’s third quarter pick six was the icing on the cake for the Saints, pushing the lead to 39-12 and all but finishing off the Barons’ hopes of a rally. 

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