HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ROUNDUP

Village Christian 27, Bell-Jeff 7--The key to Village Christian’s success this season will be the strength of its running game. And if the performance of the ground attack Thursday night against Bell-Jeff at Burroughs High is a fair indication, the Crusaders are looking forward to an enjoyable season.

Led by senior running back Chad Everett, Village Christian amassed 260 yards and three touchdowns on the ground as the Crusaders rolled to an easy nonleague victory in a season opener.

Everett, a returning all-league player, scored two touchdowns and gained 107 yards in 16 carries. Village Christian (8-3-1) scored on its first possession when Everett bounced off left tackle and scored from 19 yards.

Village Christian added another first-quarter score when quarterback David Treanor ran in from two yards.

Treanor completed eight of 10 passes for 131 yards and one touchdown. His touchdown pass was a 39-yarder to Myles Brown in the second quarter which extended Village Christian’s lead to 20-0.

“Our whole offense is based on four yards, a cloud of dust and take what the defense gives us,” Village Christian Coach Mike Plaisance said. “We were able to take more than Bell-Jeff wanted us to tonight.”

Junior running back Tarik Blair, in his first-ever football game, gained 52 yards in nine carries for the Crusaders. Brown also carried for 50 yards in two carries.

Bell-Jeff’s lone score came on the game’s final play, when quarterback Bob Machuca completed a four-yard touchdown pass to Mike Montygierd.