Kibler Leads Strasburg to Victory
STRASBURG, VA – Head coach Glenn Proctor emphasized the strength of his defense before the 2004 season began. Ten experienced starters returned to a unit that had shown flashes of brilliance the previous year, despite facing numerous challenges.
In the first two games of the season, the Rams’ defense has been a dominant force. Four fumble recoveries, two interceptions, and only six points allowed in two games have set an impressive early tone for the Strasburg (2-0, 0-0 Bull Run) squad.
For the second consecutive week, a strong defense and a methodical, conservative offense propelled the Rams to a 22-6 non-district victory over rival Stonewall Jackson (1-1).
Strasburg capitalized on an early General fumble to score first. After recovering the fumble in Stonewall territory, the Rams marched down the field, methodically advancing towards the goal line. It took four plays from the one-yard line to score, but on fourth down, freshman Josh Kibler took a pitch left and scored. Ryan Swanger’s extra point gave Strasburg a 7-0 lead with 6:15 remaining in the first quarter.
Moments later, Kibler added to his point total.
After forcing the Generals to punt, punt returner Caylin Valentine showcased his speed, agility, and a bit of luck to set up Strasburg’s offense. Valentine muffed the wobbly punt but calmly recovered it while several Stonewall defenders closed in. He reversed field, running towards the right sideline and receiving key blocks before being tackled deep in General territory.
On the next play, junior quarterback Parker Neal delivered a perfect swing pass over a defender to Kibler. Kibler accelerated towards the end zone, eluding several tackles. Neal’s two-point conversion run extended the lead to 15-0.
Stonewall Jackson managed to score late in the second quarter with a nine-play, 54-yard drive. Running back Luke Wilson’s two-yard touchdown capped the possession. The two-point conversion attempt failed after a fumbled exchange between the quarterback and center.
This late score provided the Generals with some momentum, but with only two minutes remaining in the half, Strasburg responded.
Starting from their own 40-yard line, the Rams utilized their rushing attack to advance 60 yards. With only six seconds left in the quarter, Kibler fumbled the ball into the end zone while attempting to score his third touchdown. Offensive tackle Robbie Gossard recovered the fumble, and another Swanger extra point gave Strasburg a 22-6 halftime lead.
The score remained unchanged for the rest of the game as both teams exchanged possessions without much success.
The Rams employed two late drives to consume nearly thirteen minutes of game clock, leaving Stonewall with little time to mount a comeback.
Senior Brian Blevins led the Strasburg rushing attack with 12 carries for 50 yards. Kibler added 37 yards on seven carries and two receptions. The Rams combined for 183 rushing yards on 46 attempts.
Neal completed 2 of 8 passes for 50 yards and a touchdown.