Sports

Sims, Hoyas run over Davidson

By the

November 20, 2003


When you ask Georgetown Head Coach Bob Benson about junior running back John Sims, he openly gushes about the reserve’s attitude, work ethic and determination. “He’s a team player, and he runs hard, ” Benson said. On Saturday, Sims ran hard, over, through, and by Davidson defenders en route to a school-record 268-yard rushing performance. The game also is the second-highest in Patriot League history, and propelled the Hoyas to a 30-10 victory over the overmatched Wildcats.

Georgetown got on the board first in the match, scoring on a 48-yard Sims gallop into the end zone on the second play of the game. However, sophomore kicker Michael Gillman’s woes continued as he botched the extra-point attempt, and the Hoyas lost much of the momentum they had gained with the quick strike. Davidson chipped away at the Hoya defense, and narrowed its deficit to 6-3 entering the second quarter.

The two teams battled though lulls in the second period until the Georgetown offense finally snapped out of its doldrums with 2:56 remaining in the half. After a key 41-yard completion from junior quarterback Drew Crawford to sophomore tight end Glenn Catergine, first-year quarterback Alondzo Turner scored on a five-yard scamper to give the Hoyas a 13-3 cushion entering the half.

From its outset, the second half belonged to Georgetown. A Gillman field goal and a second Sims touchdown in the third quarter put the game away heading into the fourth quarter. The Georgetown defense was dominant all day, as Davidson’s only other score came after a fumbled punt return. Davidson’s leading rusher, tailback John Leverett, had averaged over 100 yards per game entering the contest, but was held to 51 yards by the stiff defensive line. Wildcat quarterback Tom Cooke was equally frustrated by the Hoyas defense, as he was intercepted three times in the game, by senior co-captain Andrew Clarke, Byron Anderson and Jackson Dismukes. Cooke was also sacked five times on the day, twice by emerging sophomore defensive end Michael Ononibaku, who has now recorded eight on the year.

“Moving Michael to defensive end was a great move for us, and he’ll have a great career here. ” Benson said.

In the fourth quarter, Sims added a third touchdown to cap his day, scoring on a 68-yard run immediately after the Davidson touchdown off the fumbled punt return. The three touchdowns were a personal record, and his yardage more than tripled his previous career high, leading to his selection as Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week. After the contest, Sims repeatedly credited the offensive line with his success, hugging each of them and later reiterating their dominance.

“The linemen just opened up holes all day, ” Sims said. “It was a good team effort, the linemen blocked well, the quarterbacks made good calls, and we got a great team win. “

While the offensive line may have played a key role in Sims performance, Benson couldn’t help but beam about his record-setting running back.

“Sims is one of the classiest human beings and an outstanding running back. He deserves to have a game like that,” he said.

Sims’ performance was particularly essential due to a number of key injuries that kept regular starters out of the game. The most notable bystander was senior wideout Luke McArdle, who leads the team with 54 receptions for 1,019 yards, and missed the game with a shoulder injury. Despite his absence, McArdle retained his lead in Division I-AA total yardage, and may be able to return for this week’s game at Bucknell, according to Benson.

Another notable lineup omission was sophomore tailback Marcus Slayton, who missed the game with an ankle injury. Benson was more confident with Slayton’s outlook, saying he would be back by the middle of the week.

While Sims’ performance may have opened doors for more future playing time, he said that his focus is solely on the game ahead, not next season.

“I’m not thinking about next year or the future, just the rest of the season, ” Sims said. “After that, I’ll go into the off-season and work hard, and I’ll try to help the team in whatever role possible next year. “

Sims’ focus, and the rest of the team’s, will be needed for their final game against Patriot League rival Bucknell. The Bison serve as the Hoyas’ final opportunity for a second Patriot League win, and should present a number of challenges for the team.

“They run a complicated option offense we haven’t seen before, ” Benson said. “We have to go out on a good note, and getting another Patriot League win is really important.”

The team will travel to Lewisburg, Pa. on Saturday to square off against Bucknell in its final game. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.


Voice Staff
The staff of The Georgetown Voice.


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