Football season is back, and it once again opened at Wayne State for the Xenith Prep Kickoff Classic. The big game of day one was a matchup between Warren De La Salle and Davison. It was all defense in the first half. However, the second half saw the majority of the scoring as De La Salle scored three times to win 21-3.
Davison
Better than the Score
Davison played better than the final score shows. The first half of the game was a defensive battle between the two teams, and Davison took a 3-0 lead into the half. They also had it all set for De La Salle to punt on the second half’s opening drive, but that is where the issue started. De La Salle had trouble with the snap, and you would think that would help Davison, but that is where the momentum shifted. While Davison had good drives on offense and hit hard on defense, more was needed to score, but it never felt like Davison was out of this one.
De La Salle
Momentum Shift
Momentum shifted for De La Salle on their first drive of the second half. Davison had forced a three and out, and De La Salle was going to punt the ball; however, they had trouble with the snap, and it worked out in their favor. That muffed punt turned into a 45-yard gain for De La Salle, and it sparked something for De La Salle, particularly Junior Anthony Bitonti.
Hat Trick
It was a hat trick for Junior Anthony Bitonti in a sense. Bitonti scored all three of the De La Salle touchdowns. While Bitonti scored all his touchdowns on quarterback runs, his biggest play came as the punter. The punter? Yes, his biggest play was the muffed punt. Bitonti picked up the punt and ran it 45 yards, which set up the first touchdown of the game and De La Salle never looked back. Bitonti finished the game with 12 carries for 83 yards and three Touchdowns.