Spalding quarterback Brian “LB” Snowden couldn’t ask for much more as a freshman suddenly thrust into the starring role of the ongoing Cavaliers football dynasty.
Everywhere Snowden looks, he has options. Throwing, running, handing off, the Brooklyn Park native is developing at a rapid pace thanks to the smorgasbord of high-caliber talent littering the field.
Coach Kyle Schmitt feels happy to deliver it all.
“We don’t ask him to win the game for us. We ask him to operate, manage it,” the coach said. “He doesn’t turn the ball over and that’s a big-time trick for a young quarterback.”
When Snowden assumed the starting quarterback role in the second game, he shook off the nerves long before he threw his first of five touchdowns. He and his squad continue to steamroll the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference — first McDonogh, then Calvert Hall, Gilman and on Friday, St. Mary’s, 51-7 – outscoring them 184 points to 34.
Attention has already downpoured on the young quarterback and not likely to let up as Spalding stretches its conference winning streak to 30. But Snowden isn’t the only mechanism driving that scoring success.
The offensive line, anchored by seniors Kyle Lucas, Quinn Purnell, Grant Little and Gavin Laupp, carries more championship experience between them than every other set of linemen in the state combined, even among its younger players, like junior Owen Rickard and sophomore Bryce Smalls. They’re “business-like” in their approach, the model for their newer teammates.
“They’re the heart of this group right now,” Schmitt said. “They allow so much flexibility.”
With so many skilled and Division I-bound receivers, Snowden passes freely and often. He entered his fifth start with over 1,000 passing yards and did plenty to pad the total. When he considers his performances, he doesn’t revel in his own accomplishment.
“Drew Hall. That catch,” Snowden cheesed, looking off to the field like he could replay the sophomore wide receiver speeding down 40 yards of turf. “Nobody would’ve expected that, but we already knew that from the jump, working hard in practice every day. He earned that.”
Even without four-star wide receiver Myles McAfee, who suffered a season-ending injury during the opener in Indiana, wideouts such as Anne Arundel receiving yards leader Kam Miller open doors to first downs over and over again.
Schmitt credited St. Mary’s defense with slowing Spalding’s pace in the first quarter to one touchdown. But with running back Antonio Ledbetter cruising for 21 yards to open the second quarter, or Snowden fooling the Saints defense into piling at the goal-line just to whip a touchdown pass to tight end John Juppe, the Cavaliers found ways around the Saints.
“With our structure right now, we’re not running a lot of draw back with [Snowden],” Schmitt said. “It’s a lot of shot plays, sprint out, RPOs. He just has a really good understanding of it.”
Snowden’s been itching for the chance to run, too, something he claimed to enjoy more than his predecessor and mentor Malik Washington. He ran for one touchdown on Friday – his 19th of 20 total. But that wasn’t his favorite run of the night.
As the third quarter opened, Snowden raced down the sideline — behind it, in fact. He screamed and laughed as senior Aaron Igwebe scooped the kickoff around the 18-yard line and took it in for a touchdown.
The Cavaliers designed the kick return to feature the Towson commit. To Schmitt, the accompanying six points were just a happy addition.
“Him scoring that touchdown builds a lot of momentum,” Snowden said.
When you’re winning by so much, Schmitt’s glad to buff some rough edges. One such blemish followed Igwebe’s kickoff return, when two false starts forced Spalding’s extra point attempt back twice and ultimately got it blocked.
“Onto the next play,” Snowden said.
Penalties nicked Spalding all night, offensively and defensively, from late hits to holds. But often, talent outweighed those mistakes.
On fourth-and-20 in the third quarter, Schmitt had zero intention of punting. He left Snowden on the field and that’s when he hit Hall for 40 yards. Running back Cam Pinson closed the 10 yards remaining to score.
St. Mary’s coach Jason Budroni had hoped for more. Spalding’s ongoing conference-conquering reputation hadn’t dimmed, and the Saints hadn’t fared so well in recent weeks — his dreams were too lucid for a blowout St. Mary’s victory.
But a botched snap on fourth-and-1 in scoring range and a litany of flags repeatedly shot any chance St. Mary’s had at competing in the foot for two quarters.
“We didn’t play well. That’s what I’m not happy about,” Budroni said. “They don’t need any help and we gave it to them.”
After a winning start, the Saints have lost three straight. There’s not much else to do but “keep working,” Budroni said.
Possible improvements glimmered here and there.
Quarterback DJ Hitaffer found Dylin Jackson in the red zone. LJ Evans paid off their work with the first Saints touchdown six minutes into the third quarter.
“The running clock stopped,” a Saint commented as he looked up at the scoreboard.
When the clock ran again, Spalding’s defense cramped St. Mary’s backup Cam Barbrick’s first drive into a punt. Spalding freshman Chase Magnelli filled his starter’s spot and churned the drive down from 25 to a touchdown.
“There’s a formula that makes it really hard to beat us,” Schmitt said.
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