Sussex Central football Malik Bell leads the tem out of the tunnel. Photo by Ben Fulton
Laurel – Sussex Central’s Malik Bell carried the load for the Golden Knights gaining 168 yards on 22 carries and a pair of touchdowns in their win over Laurel 41-20 on Thursday night in the season opener for both teams.
“This game was a get back game for me, they took me out the first game of the season last year with a broken collar bone so for me it was just motivation and drive,” Bell said.
The Golden Knights amassed 348 yards of total offense with 259 coming from the run game. First year quarterback Bradley Chavez was 5-9 passing for 89 yards and a touchdown.
Sussex Central took the opening kickoff and drove 63 yards on eight plays capped off by a 12 yard run up the middle by Bell. Rodney Escobar-Gonzalez’s kick gave the Golden Knights an early 7-0 lead.
Laurel answered right away as Tate Walls returned the ensuing kickoff 89 yards for touchdown. The kick was blocked as Sussex Central held a 7-6 lead, but the touchdown was bittersweet for Walls who last played in a game 20 months ago.
Walls missed all of last season with a torn ACL and his touchdown was the first time he has touched the ball since the 2022 state championship game.
The Bulldogs took their only lead of the game when the punt snap sailed out of the endzone for a safety giving Laurel an 8-7 lead with 4:04 left to play in the fourth quarter.
“We could have folded after the safety, we are young on defense and I am proud of the way we responded after that,” Sussex Central head coach John Wells said.
Sussex Central retook the lead with a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter. Jujuan Sturgis scored on a four yard run followed by a 10 yard scoring run by Bell to give the Golden Knights a 20-8 lead with 1:10 to play in the first half.
A facemask penalty on the ensuing kickoff gave Laurel the ball at the Sussex Central 48 yard line. The Bulldogs wasted little time answering as Koby Shockley connected with Kahlid Burton on a 48 yard touchdown pass. The kick was blocked as Sussex Central took a 20-14 lead into halftime.
Laurel started the second half in plus territory at the Sussex Central 48. Eleven plays later Walls scored on a one yard run on a penalty ridden drive for the Bulldogs who twice faced third and long. Walls kick was good as Laurel tied the game 20-20 with 6:14 to play in the third quarter.
Sussex Central broke the game open late in the third quarter as William Harmon scored on a nine yard run for the first of three touchdowns for the Golden Knights.
Chaves closed out the scoring with a one yard run and a 45 yard touchdown pass to Josiah Johnson in the fourth quarter. Escobar-Gonzalez converted on all three kicks as Sussex Central took a 41-20 lead with 4:56 left to play in the game.
“We kept our focus tonight and we grinded it out, kept battling and never stopped playing hard,” Wells said.
Laurel will host Brandywine next Friday night in the annual “Battle of the Bone” game with kickoff at 7:00.
Sussex Central will host Middletown next Friday night in a battle of top five Class AAA teams.
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