Strasburg Bounces Back with Convincing Win
SHENANDOAH, VA – Strasburg (3-1, 0-0 Bull Run) bounced back from a loss to Handley with a convincing 39-13 victory over Page County (1-3). Despite playing their second game in four days, the Rams dominated, much like their previous victories, by establishing an early lead.
The scoring began midway through the first quarter when freshman Josh Kibler, leading the team in touchdowns, capped a 39-yard drive with an 11-yard run. Page County responded on the first play of the second quarter with a 30-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Wesley Meadows to running back Dustin Lucas, briefly taking a 7-6 lead.
Strasburg quickly regained the advantage. Parker Neal connected with Cory Spiker for a 41-yard touchdown pass, his second of the season, putting the Rams ahead 12-7. Brian Blevins extended the lead with a three-yard touchdown run. Blevins finished the game with 85 yards on 15 carries (5.67 yards per carry). Neal’s two-point conversion pass to Justin Baker made the score 20-7. Minutes later, Baker added another touchdown to his tally.
With 34 seconds remaining in the half, Strasburg forced Page County to punt from their own 21-yard line. Max Gardner blocked the punt, and Baker recovered it in the end zone for his first career touchdown.
The second half saw continued dominance from the Rams’ defense. They held Page County to 88 rushing yards on 32 carries (2.75 yards per carry), effectively limiting their ground game. While the pass defense allowed 97 yards on nine completions, it was a significant improvement compared to the 195 yards surrendered to Handley earlier in the week.
The only score in the third quarter came from Caylin Valentine, who rushed for a five-yard touchdown to extend Strasburg’s lead to 26 points. Kibler added his second touchdown in the fourth quarter, an eight-yard run. He finished the game as the Rams’ leading rusher with 97 yards on 19 attempts (5.11 yards per carry) and also caught one pass for 38 yards.
Page County added a late touchdown against Strasburg’s backup defense.
The Rams amassed 279 rushing yards on 51 carries (5.47 yards per carry) with seven different backs contributing. Neal completed 3 of 8 passes for 88 yards and one touchdown.