Football wins big twice

Walking onto the opposing field in front of a crowd of 5,000 boasting shirts that read, “split the Atoms” on their homecoming night may seem as an insurmountable task, but the Atoms took up the challenge, they seemed to have welcomed it.  Little did the Lake Braddock fans know, but splitting an Atom is the basis for creating an Atomic bomb.

The task proved difficult as expected, when the Bruins started the game off with a ten play 67-yard drive for a touchdown.  The Atoms responded shortly with a touchdown of their own, but after a blocked extra point they remained down one.

“I knew our offense could come back and score easily,” said junior defensive back Nick Chuong.

Midway through the second quarter, the Atoms were lining up for a field goal to gain their first lead of the game.  The snap was taken, the ball placed, and the  kick blocked, again.  It was Lake Braddock’s second of three blocked kicks in the game, two extra points and one field goal.

The Atoms had two choices, hold the Bruins without a score and stay in the game, or let the game slip away.  The defense made the decision when they held the Bruins and gave the offense back the ball with just over two minutes remaining in the half.

Senior quarterback Cason Kynes and company then dictated a near perfect 2-minute drill  that ended with three seconds left in the half on a 15 yard touchdown pass from Kynes to senior receiver Adham Mohammad.  Kynes then connected with senior running back John Copenhaver for the two-point conversion to give the Atoms a seven point lead heading into halftime.

“We wanted to stop the inside run and stop big plays,” said Chuong.

The Bruins came back with renewed fight in the second half and forced a fumble by sophomore receiver Melvin Robinson on the third play of the half.  After the fumble on the Atoms 42 yard line the Bruins were in good position to tie the game.  The first Bruins’ play was closing in on the touchdown until the defense managed to step up again.  A forced and recovered fumble around the ten yard line preserved the lead, gave the Atoms the ball, and kept the crowd quiet.

“The best thing [about winning on their homecoming game] is seeing their crowd all pumped up before the game and then during the third quarter seeing all their fans leave the stands,” said senior offensive and defensive lineman Hazim Salem.