The No. 3 Loyola football team is known for having talent at just about every position.
But the players who grab most of the headlines are quarterback Leon Kinnard and running back Terence Garvin. As good as they are, it is the players in front of them who help them be so effective.
It was the Dons' play in the trenches, by the offensive and defensive lines, that led them to a 55-12 win over No. 8 Edmondson at Poly yesterday.
"We owe it all to up front," Kinnard said. "We have Ben Cranston in the middle, Terry Ford at left guard, left tackle is Doug Shaw, right tackle is Elliot Poehlman and right guard is Matt Lentz.
"They opened holes all day, and the defensive line did great today, too. We did great as a whole."
Loyola's running game was nearly unstoppable. Garvin had 177 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries. Kinnard rushed for 92 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries and was 7-for-12 passing for 97 yards and a touchdown. Backup running back Gary Forward finished with 10 carries for 51 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, the line put pressure on Red Storm quarterback Jerry Lovelocke, sacking him three times and recording three interceptions. Linebacker Matt Heacock had two picks, Shaw had two sacks and Edmondson (1-1) rushed for only 16 yards.
"The guys on the line are always so underappreciated, and they've worked so hard this year in the weight room," Dons coach Brian Abbott said. "They give me everything they have, win, lose or draw."
Loyola (3-0) was methodical in the first half. It scored twice in the first quarter on a 1-yard sneak by Kinnard and a 5-yard touchdown pass from Kinnard to Brandon Floyd.
In the second quarter, the Dons put together a 17-play drive for 85 yards that took half of the quarter and ended with a 2-yard touchdown run by Kinnard.
A win like this could signal that Loyola is the best team in the area, but for the players, all they care about is improving.
"We're just looking to get better," Kinnard said. "Just following what coach tells us and we should be fine."
