LIVE Game Blog - Salem-VB (2-0) at Bayside (2-1)

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Greetings from Bayside High School, home of the Marlins, on this 76-degree Friday night in September. The 2-1 Marlins of Bayside play host to the visiting Salem Sun Devils (2-0) in a Beach District tilt.

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Captains are midfield for the coin toss and we'll be getting underway here in a moment

 

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Bayside begins with the football at the 50 with 11:55 to go in the opening period. The first play is a solid one for the Marlrins as QB Kam Kirby keeps it for a gain of 9 yards. The chains are then moved by junior running back Kyron Brown, who goes by the nickname of 'Flash,' for a gain of 3.

Before the game, Salem Head Coach Mark Hall III was raving about the speed of Brown, telling me he's easily one of the fastest players in the Beach District.

Seven Washington is unable to haul in what would be an easy walk-in TD on a pass from Kirby that was on the button. After penalties on each side, the Marlins are faced with 3rd & 6 and it's Kiby scrambling for 16 yards to put Bayside in the red zone. Pretty good opening drive here for the home team.

 

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What Coach Jon White and the Marlins have to like most about that opening drive is how well the offensive line stayed on their blocks to allow QB Kam Kirby and RB Kyron Brown to 'do their thing,' if you will.

Salem's first possession will start at their own 46 with 6:50 to go after the ensuing kickoff, but not good news for them as LB Colby Wehr - their second leading tackler - goes down on the play. Doesn't look like he can put much weight on that ankle being helped off the field.

The Sun Devils are already without their starting QB - Landen Curles - who sustained a knee injury in last week's 28-14 win over Landstown.

 

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Not a great pass on the first play from scrimmage for Salem. New QB Cameron Hall should've just eaten that one and taken a sack, but instead it's Kyron Brown making him pay. He was off to the end zone faster than Flash Beagle in one of those Snoopy / Peanuts episodes.

OK, have to admit, once I heard Brown's nickname was Flash I was going to drop that in this Blog at some point...

Second series for Salem begins at their own 48 with 6:33 to go in the opening period.

 

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Big-time response by the Salem offense behind new QB Cameron Hall. The senior completes three straight passes - worth 13, 8 and 30 yards - after shaking off the pick-six. A nice run of +9 by speedster Jason Harden was mixed in there before the Sun Devils ultimately scored on the 30-yard TD connection from Hall to Kaden Drenning, a D-1 talent from the Class of 2027 with multiple offers.

Salem now has the ball back after a quick 3 & out from the Bayside offense. Bayside had runs of just +1 and +3 before an incomplete on 3rd & 6. The Sun Devils have it at their own 12 with 2:43 to go in the first period.

 

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This is a terrific drive for Salem as Cam Hall was able to keep it going on 3rd & 14 from their own 8 to RB Jason Harden out of the backfield. The Bayside defense is having trouble covering the entire width of the field when Salem goes to 3 and 4 receiver sets + accounting for Harden's speed out of the backfield. The hitches and underneath patterns are there all day.

A bad snap that results in a loss of 7 to begin the second quarter for Salem. They get 6 yards back on a quick pass to Landyn Shipley. Marlins DB Breon Hardnett makes a quality tackle on a quick screen to Jason Harden on 3rd & 11 to keep him to just a gain of a couple. Salem will go for it on 4th & 9 from the 24 of the Marlins.

Bayside's defense gets the stop and the Marlins take over at their own 24 with 10:02 to go in the first half.

 

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Following a 4-yard run from RB Kyron Brown, the Bayside offense gets its first pass completion of the night with QB Kam Kirby finding WR Seven Washington for 15 yards. Then it's Brown showing some nifty moves, cutting back for a gain of 13 to move the chains. A pass interference on Salem puts the Marlins at the 29 of Salem.

Bayside takes small chunks with the running game, featuring Kirby, Brown and J'Lahni Spears, a junior whose 3-yard run brings up 4th & 1 from the Salem 7. It's then Kirby moving ahead for a gain of 4 to move the chains.

This long Bayside drive will take a pause with 4:31 to go in the half as the Marlins use a time-out. Both teams were a bit sloppy subbing in and out players.

 

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Two big plays made in the red zone defensively by Salem's Jaden Hudson and DJ Wright. Hudson deflects the 3rd & Goal pass from the 6. Then it's Wright making the tackle on a 4-yard run by Marlins QB Kam Kirby on 4th & Goal.

That thwarted a 13-play, 74-yard drive that took 6:47 off the clock. Didn't love the decision in real time for Bayside to not try the field goal there and get points to make it a two-possession game. If it was within two or three yards, going for it there would be a different move in my opinion.

Salem, after nearly getting tackled in the end zone for a safety (which it looked like it should've been to me), is able to dig out of its own end thanks to a 20-yard burst from Jason Harden on 3rd & 7 from their own 5. Their next third down sequence - a 3rd & 5 from their own 31 - does not end as well with QB Cam Hall's pass being intercepted by Kyron Brown.

Bayside gives it right back though as with 33 seconds to go in the first half from their own 35 with just one time-out, QB Kam Kirby is intercepted by Asaiah Brown, the Oscar Smith transfer starring in the secondary for the Sun Devils now.

So Salem - with two time-outs - gets a chance from their own 38 again with 25 seconds left in the first half.

 

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Jason Harden's run of 17 yards makes Salem burn one time-out, leaving them with just one left with 17 seconds to go. Harden gains seven more before QB Cam Hall is flushed out of the pocket and it's an incomplete pass to end the half.

 

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Stats at the Half:

Bayside 13:
Kam Kirby - 1-5 for 15Yds; 8Car. 40Yds. TD
Kyron Brown - 10Car. 52Yds; 5 Solo Tackles, 2 INT's, INT TD return
Seven Washington - 1Rec. 15Yds.
Isaiah Newton - 3 Solo Tackles
Breon Hardnett - 2 Solo Tackles
Brandon McCants - 2 Tackles, TFL

Marlins - 25 plays for 111 total yards (1-5 for 15 yards passing, 1 intercept; 20 rushes for 96 yards); 2 penalties for 10 yards; 1 turnover


Salem-VB 7:
Cameron Hall - 11-17 for 108Yds. 1-2 TD/Int. ratio
Jason Harden - 8Car. 76Yds; 3Rec. 35Yds.
Kaden Drenning - 3Rec. 40Yds. TD
Landyn Shipley - 2Rec. 22Yds.
Asaiah Brown - 3Rec. 18Yds; 3 Tackles, INT
Markus McCoy - 4 Tackles (2 Solo)

Sun Devils - 27 plays for 177 total yards (11-16 for 108 yards passing, 2 intercepts; 10 rushes for 69 yards); 3 penalties for 25 yards; 2 turnovers

 

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Salem's opening possession of the third period begins at their own 49. Credit sophomore LB Marquis Miles for the stop on Jason Harden for no gain. Harden gains 7, but then it's Brandon McCants making a sack of QB Cam Hall on 3rd & 3.

So the Sun Devils go 3 & out, punting it away.

Bayside's first series of the second half starts at their own 15 with 9:33 showing on the third quarter clock. After a 5-yard run from QB Kam Kirby and a pass interference penalty on the Salem defense, that Marlins turn it over for the second time on the night. Markus McCoy thinks he has a 36-yard INT TD return to tie the game. However, a block in the back penalty means the Sun Devils have it at the Bayside 45 instead with 8:28 to go in the third period.

 

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Couple of sophomores make plays on defense - Marquis Miles and Freddie Eubanks - to set up 3rd & 11. That's where junior LB Isaiah Newton intercepts Salem QB Cam Hall. It gives the Marlins the ball back, at their own 48, with a 13-7 lead and 7:31 to go on the third period clock.

How BIG was that penalty on McCoy's INT return now? Massive.

 

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Seven Washington got wide open for a 40-yard catch on the first play after Isaiah Newton's INT for the Bayside defense. If Washington didn't fall down after making the catch, it woud've been a 52-yard TD.

After the Salem defense puts Bayside in third down, Kam Kirby delivers it on the button to a wide open Breon Hardnett.

Salem now takes over at their own 35 with 5:35 to go in the third quarter, trailing 20-7 instead of leading 14-13. Major swing of momentum.

 

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Bayside's offense is going backwards with a loss of 2, a delay of game and then Izayiah Bray - another Oscar Smith transfer starring on this Salem defense - sacking QB Kam Kirby for a loss of 6.

On 3rd & 23 from their own 1, the Marlins decide to throw over the middle and junior Kaden Drenning makes a dazzling one-handed INT, returning it all the way to the Bayside 9.

This game has seven turnovers, four on Salem and three by Bayside, keeping it within reach for the visiting Sun Devils.

 

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Back-and-forth we go.

Bayside may be regretting not taking that field goal late in the first half.

Salem could be haunted by that penalty on the Markus McCoy interception that wiped out a score.

Still anybody's ballgame. Bayside has it at their own 32 with 42 seconds to go in the third period.

 

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An incomplete pass and gain of just one yard on a run from sophomore Jae'Shawn Franklin puts Bayside in a tricky third-and-9 situation to bgin the 4th period.

 

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Enormous scramble of 19 yards by Bayside junior QB Kam Kirby, keeping his balance along the near sideline on 3rd & 9 to not only move the chains, but put the Marlins in Salem territory while nursing this 20-14 lead. They are in Salem territory only momentarily as a false start penalty puts them back at their own 47.

Junior Kamari Eubanks makes a catch over the middle on 2nd & 5 for 10 yards down to the Salem 36. After an encroachment penalty on Salem makes it 1st & 5, Kirby is a bit late on a pass intended for Seven Washington. Washington was wide open on a inside slant that would've netted about 15 yards or more. Kirby makes up for it with an 11-yard scramble down to the Salem 14 as the Marlins are now in the red zone, trying to get separation from the Sun Devils.

 

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Kyron Brown has a run that puts Bayside inside the 5, but a holding wipes it out completely. However, Salem gives some of it right back with an unnecessary pass interference penalty. That gives the Marlins the ball at the Salem 13, facing 2nd & 9 with 6:56 to go before Jon White's crew on offense will use their first time-out of the half.

 

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Kam Kirby put that pass right where it needed to be for his 2nd TD toss of the evening - both of which have gone to senior Breon Hardnett. Believe Hardnett is one of 17 seniors on this Marlins roster that is full of several underclassmen.

Salem still has plenty of time to work themselves back in this one, trailing by 13 with 6:47 to go and they have it at their own 47.

 

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A very quick 6-play, 53-yard drive in 2:13, where the running game did most of the heavy lifting. However, Salem's first and only completion of the half was a crucial one with Cam Hall finding Landyn Shipley for 26 yards on 2nd & 10.

Bayside needs to chew clock and protect this 27-21 lead with 4:28 to go, beginning this latest series at their own 35.

 

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A face-mask on Bayside is followed by a 1-yard loss in the run game and incomplete from Salem. Then the Sun Devils get called for false start - their 10th penalty for 88 yards - to make it 3rd & 16 from the Marlins 41.

Kyron Brown breaks up the 3rd & 16 pass from the 41. Salem is pondering to go for it 4th down or punt with 3:25 to go, holding all three time-outs.

If I'm Mark Hall, I punt this away and trust my defense to get it back for me around midfield.

 

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Two superb INT's by the ninth grader Jy'Aire Collins. His first was an over-the-shoulder variety. This one he telegraphed right away. He was trying to take it back 68 yards to the house, too.

Highlight from our friends at the NFHS Network.

Now can the Marlins run the clock out?

 

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What can Brown do for you? For Bayside, he's pretty much done it all. Heck of a two-way performance.

Highlight from our friends at the NFHS Network.

 

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Bayside sophomore LB Marquis Miles is dinged up after his latest tackle - about 6 or so all this half. Jason Harden had the run to bring up 3rd & 4 for Salem from the Bayside 45 with 1:20 to go and the clock ticking.

 

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More to come later... stay tuned!