might have benefitted from a little superstition on Friday.
It was a rainy evening leading up to the Spy Ponders' matchup against the Reading Memorial High School Rockets, but the fired-up home team was not thinking of the thundering downpour as a sign of things to come.
"I'll be surprised if they even score once," an Arlington fan in the audience was overheard saying in reference to the Rockets.
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After Reading's Drew Belcher threw a first-quarter interception to Arlington's Matt Garcia, both the team and the crowd were fired up. Arlington, however, was unable to transfer their fortune onto the scoreboard.
What ensued for almost the entirety of the first half was a defensive battle, neither team putting any points on the board. But with 1:51 left in the first half, Reading scored off a run by quarterback Drew Belcher.
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And they scored again, this time with 8:47 left in the third quarter. Then again, with 3:05 left in the third off a long run by running back Liam Kenneally. And the final nail in the coffin: another touchdown with 9:01 left in the fourth quarter, again by Belcher.
When the clock hit 0:00, Reading had trounced Arlington 27-0.
"We came out a little slow," Reading coach John Fiore said in response to the Rockets not scoring until almost the end of the second half.
Although Reading scored four touchdowns without allowing any points by Arlington, coach Fiore is focusing on the long-term rather than relishing in a shut-out victory.
"We're young and gaining experience and I feel like we have to truly believe in ourselves. I think that's just what the kids need," Fiore said after the game. "I'm really happy with the results, and, you know, we're getting there."
