Bengals slip past Edgewood 15-0: Defense records fourth shutout

By John W. PeelerOctober 16, 2013

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(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BENNING, Ga., (Oct. 16, 2013) -- The Fort Benning Bengals overcame a slow start in Thursday's match up at Fort Middle School against the Edgewood Red Devils in the Columbus Youth Football League 11- to 13-year-old division. But, the Bengal defense shined by scoring a safety and setting up a short field for the offense with a blocked punt in the 15-0 win.

Going into the game, the Bengals came off two consecutive tough games against last year's defending champion Eastway Cherokees and runner-up Phenix City Titans, winning both games.

With a perfect 5-0 record and after winning what Bengals' coach Travis Washington earlier had termed as their two toughest tests, Edgewood presented more of a challenge than anticipated.

During the first half, the Bengals' offense was stymied by a run-blitzing Red Devils team that kept the Bengals in check for most of the first half.

The Bengals' defense pressured the Red Devils' offense on their second possession with David Lacy recording a sack and forcing the Red Devils into a third-and-28 from their own 11-yard line. On the ensuing play, David, Tyler Washington and Kywan Woods broke through the Red Devils offensive line and sacked their quarterback in the end zone for a safety.

Leading 2-0, the Bengals struck fast with Kywan returning the free kick from the Bengals' 40-yard line down to the Red Devils' 2-yard line. The Red Devils held the Bengals on the 1-yard line after four downs, taking possession on their own 1-yard line.

On the ensuing Red Devils' possession, Tyler broke through the line on second down for a sack back to the Red Devils' 3-yard line, and on fourth-and-9, the defense came up big again by blocking the punt attempt to give the ball back to the Bengals' offense at the 3-yard line with less 6:47 remaining in the half.

Two plays later, quarterback Dishaun Woods took the ball in from 10 yards out for the touchdown for the final score of the first half and a Bengals' 8-0 lead.

In the second half, the Bengals' defense harassed the Red Devils' quarterback the entire half with David and Tyler both recording two second-half sacks each.

The Bengals lone score in the second half came on a Dishaun 25-yard touchdown run with 7:09 remaining in the game. Dishaun added the one-point conversion for the final 15-0 win.

Halfway through the season, Washington said he was not satisfied with the way the team played.

"We played horrible (on offense)," he said. "I was very proud of the defense. They kept us in the game … they won the game for us."

The Red Devils defense was problematic for the Bengals' offense the entire game, which Washington said was more attributed to his offensive line trying to do too much.

"We were thinking too much," he said. "Our line has to worry about only taking care of their own assignment. Just because they bring somebody up, they still need to block the person in front of them. They were just thinking too much instead of doing what we have taught them to do.

"We should have had 40 points at halftime. We didn't make physical mistakes, those were all mental mistakes … and that's what bothered me the most."

The Bengals will try and run their record to 7-0 Saturday when they take on the Clubview Bulldogs at French Field on Fort Benning. Game time is 10 a.m.