By KEVIN OKLOBZJIA
Wesley Childs already has made a mark on Section V football.
As a freshman, he was a second-team All-County selection at defensive end for the Brockport Blue Devils. Last year, as a sophomore, he earned first-team honors at defensive end.
Now he’s out to show he can dominate from his tailback position on offense as well.
After spotting Greece Arcadia a 19-0 lead in the first 13 minutes, Childs and the visiting Blue Devils stormed back to post a 29-26 victory in a Thursday matchup of Class A2 teams.
Childs carried 25 times for 218 yards and two touchdowns as Brockport (1-1) overcame the three-touchdown deficit.
Of his total output, 79 yards came on a methodical 13-play, 92-yard, nearly eight-minute drive for the winning touchdown, a one-yard dive by quarterback Mason Scott with just one minute remaining.
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“Our O-line was clearing holes tonight,” Childs said. “They were moving people.”
So, too, was the 5-foot-9, 237-pound Childs. He routinely gained extra yards after initial contact, and after the second defender hit him as well.
“I’ve been watching that kid play football since he was in third grade and I knew he was going to be this kind of runner,” Brockport coach Paul Carella said.
Except he almost wasn’t any sort of runner this season. Childs suffered a significant foot injury in a freak accident in the spring. During the healing process, there was little he could do. Running was definitely out of the question.
It wasn’t until July 20 that he was given medical clearance to resume football activities, Carella said. On Thursday, he was unstoppable until he was well past the line of scrimmage, with 12 of his rushes going for double-digit yardage.
And yet when the game was just 13 minutes old, Arcardia (1-1) was ahead by three touchdowns and their potent passing game was connecting at will.
Which was by no means a surprise, especially to Carella. Having dissected the video of Drake Sapp’s four-touchdown performance for the Titans last weekend, the Brockport coach his Blue Devils would be challenged.
“I was extremely worried due to their passing game,” he said. “They passed 39 times and ran 12 last week (in a 35-34 win at Batavia). We said to our guys, ‘They’re going to make plays.’ ”
He was right. Just 49 seconds into the second quarter, Arcadia wideout Michael Ayala had hauled in scoring strikes of 46 and 34 yards from quarterback Jackson Childs as the Titans built a 12-0 lead.
When Sapp, also a defensive back, scooped up a Brockport fumble and ran it back 43 yards just 1:07 into the second quarter, the Blue Devils trailed 19-0.
“I’m proud of them for not folding,” Carella said.
Indeed, the Blue Devils maintained composure and began the comeback on the next possession. They needed just five plays – rushes of 18, minus 1, 15 and 17 by Childs before Ethan Barber scored from 2 yards out.
The deficit quickly was sliced to 19-14. Arcadia fumbled the kickoff and Brockport recovered at the Titans 29. The Blue Devils again needed only five plays to score, with Childs bolting up the middle from 10 yards out to cap the drive.
“We all have confidence in each other,” senior quarterback Mason Scott said.
While the Blue Devils started to move the ball on offense, their defense began to get pressure on Titans quarterback Jackson Childs while maintaining coverage on his targets.
“We just keep staying deep, keep our back-pedals fast and make sure no one gets behind us,” Brockport senior defensive back Isaac Kingsley said. “We made some big mistakes in the first quarter but after that we started hitting, covering and making sure no one (for Arcadia) was doing anything.”
That included Sapp, whose lone catch in the game was a spectacular clutching of the ball behind his helmet as he fell to the turf, a little reminiscent of David Tyree’s Super Bowl catch for the New York Giants in 2008.
“I thought we did a good job containing No. 5 (Sapp),” Carella said. “We were in position and just didn’t let him hurt us.”
Brockport took its first lead with 1:04 remaining in the third quarter when Childs capped a 67-yard drive with a 3-yard scoring burst. He accounted for 58 yards on five carries in the drive.
Arcadia retaliated on the ensuing possession, marching 56 yards in 10 plays, with QB Childs lunging across the goal line from 3 yards out before Joseph DiMaggio’s PAT kick gave the Titans a 26-21 lead with 8:48 remaining.
But Brockport’s Childs and the offensive line powered their way to victory with the you-can’t-stop-us winning touchdown drive of 92 yards that ate up all but the final minute of the game. Four times Childs accounted for first downs with runs of 21, 13, 17 and 10.
Not bad for a guy whose preseason preparation was greatly derailed by the foot injury. And here’s a scary thought for their opponents:
“He’s going to get stronger as the year goes on,” Carella said.
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