Prep football: First Baptist comes alive in second half to pound Kingdom Prep
The First Baptist Academy football team didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard during the first half of Friday’s game. The Lions found the end zone just once before halftime against Auburndale-Kingdom Prep.
But they made up for it.
With a surge of 28 unanswered points in the second half, First Baptist routed the Royals at home, 35-6.
Running back Will Stearns and quarterback Cole Burlison did most of the work on the ground for the Lions. Between the two, they picked up 224 rushing yards. Stearns also pitched in two rushing touchdowns.
“I think they are doing a really nice job,” First Baptist coach Billy Sparacio said. “They’re really coming along. When you’re working them all week and you go over certain things, and you see them execute them, it’s a lot of fun.”
Stearns ran it in from 11 yards out for the Lions' first score in the fourth quarter and Burlison capped off the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Zach West. Kingdom Prep scored late in the fourth with its only big play of the game — a 65-yard rushing touchdown from quarterback Earnest Herron.
First Baptist (4-2) will visit Moore Haven (7-0) on Friday at 7 p.m.
After starting the half up 7-0, First Baptist finally started to stretch its lead in the third quarter. Burlison, who only threw for six yards in the first half, went 3 of 5 for 43 yards in the quarter, including an 8-yard touchdown toss to Nick Tompkins.
“We really came out the second half and did what our coaches told us to do,” Stearns said. “Pretty much just tried to wear them out with the run game and then Cole had some pretty nice passes and that really helped us out.”
Burlison went 6 of 13 for 102 yards and two touchdowns.
Kyle Batiato represented the Lions’ defense later in the third, picking off a Royals pass and taking it 66 yards to the end zone. His score gave First Baptist 21-0 lead and a little bit of breathing room after a less-than-stellar first half.
Just before the break, Kingdom Prep returned an already short punt down to the Lions’ 12-yard line. The First Baptist defense came up big, though.
The Lions stopped Kingdom prep once, but a roughing the passer call on fourth down put the Royals on the 6-yard line, with a brand new set of downs.
First Baptist refused to budge, though. After three plays, Herron tried to score on a keeper on fourth and one, but the Lions’ Joe Sparacio and Tompkins broke through the line and dragged Herron down in the backfield.
“They (the Lions defense) did a nice job, fought hard and stayed together,” Billy Sparacio said. “They made the plays when they had to.”
The goal-line stand kept First Baptist on top, after only mustering one score in the first half.
The Lions struggled to find a rhythm early on. After going three-and-out on their first series of the game, they found themselves with another fourth down. They had advanced well into Royals territory, though, so they relied on Stearns to keep the drive alive on fourth and five. He got nine. And, on the ensuing set of downs, the workhorse back finished the job with a 22-yard run up the middle to put First Baptist up 7-0.
Stearns made a guy miss in the open field, then out ran defenders the rest of the way to reach pay dirt.
“Will’s doing an awesome job,” Sparacio said. “He’s stepped in and he’s performing well in the role we’re asking asking him to do.”
FIRST BAPTIST ACADEMY 35, KINGDOM PREP 6
KP 0 0 0 6 -- 6
FBA 7 0 14 14 -- 35
First quarter
FBA -- Will Stearns 22 run (Austin White kick), 3:18
Third quarter
FBA — Nick Tompkins 8 pass from Cole Burlison (White kick), 7:37
FBA — Kyle Batiato 66 interception return (White kick), 2:58
Fourth quarter
FBA — Will Stearns 11 run (Austin White kick), 9:28
FBA — Zach West 4 pass from Cole Burlison (Austin White kick), 6:02
KP — Earnest Herron 65 run (run failed), 4:01