Home Blue Devils Throttled by Upperman

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Bees came to town and put a beat down on Lebanon in an impressive performance from a team that should be in the mix to compete for a 4A title this winter. </h2>     When it came time to picking our game of the week, I initially saw this as a potential strong contest that could be interesting in the second half but I was way off. Upperman came to town and put their foot down early and never looked back on their way to a 41-14 smashing over Lebanon.    The very first possession dictated what the rest of the game would look like and that was a heavy dose of junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1254853' first='Bronzden' last='Chaffin']. The 6'4 220 pound signal caller was an absolute force that Lebanon could not stop. He took his Bees offense right down the field on a long drive where Chaffin threw his first of three passing touchdowns on the night, putting his team on top 7-0.    It was an impressive drive that set the tone early for Upperman and they would keep their foot on the throttle the remainder of the way. After stuffing the Blue Devils on their first offensive possession, Upperman went back to work where Chaffin put another score on the board, this time coming by way of his legs. The junior quarterback using his legs ended up becoming a major problem for the Blue Devils defense all night long.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CSmithScout/status/1829677312905998716 </div></figure>   Things got a little quiet throughout the 2nd quarter but one thing that was constant was the Upperman defense. Those guys played extremely hard, making things difficult for the Lebanon quarterback while dominating the line of scrimmage. They also shut down the Blue Devil athletes as guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1228699' first='Dameon' last='Calloway'] were kept dormant all night long.    Right before we hit the locker rooms for halftime, Chaffin decided he would show off yet again and do so twice with one play being called back. A holding call negated a 95 yard run from Chaffin and it was an impressive run that showed a second gear. You would think the Bees would sit on it and go to the break but no, Chaffin launched a beautiful moon shot down the sideline to [player_tooltip player_id='492559' first='Carmine' last='Phillips'] and the junior two-way talent made a great grab and run after catch to put the Bees ahead, 21-0.    Things weren't looking good for the home team as we went into halftime and it would pretty much remain the same in the second half. The Blue Devils got the ball to start the second period but after a few nice plays, their drive would stall yet again and they would give the ball back to the Bees.    Senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='533747' first='Ethan' last='Palk'] found paydirt in the 3rd quarter to help Upperman to a 28-0 lead but his play on defense I thought was one of the biggest difference makers in this victory. On several occasions, Palk would stuff the run either in the backfield or at the line of scrimmage while also providing a pass rush off the edge where he produced a sack on the night.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CSmithScout/status/1829702255353708774 </div></figure>   Immediately following the Bees latest score, Lebanon would finally get on the board but by way of a kickoff return. Senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='344645' first='Harrison' last='Edwards'] chased the ball to the five, scooped it up, found a couple of creases then used his speed to reach the end zone. It was an impressive run and explosive play from Edwards but that one play was not enough.    It's like the Upperman team took it personally for allowing the long kickoff return as they took the ball back and continued to score touchdowns. Chaffin would produce his fourth and fifth score of the night with his first coming through the air as he made a beautiful touch pass down the sideline to senior two-way product Theo Brown. He capped off the scoring with his third rushing touchdown of the night to put the Bees ahead, 41-7.    Lebanon would gain a late touchdown right before the final whistle but the result was already in the bag as the Bees would defeat the Blue Devils, 41-14 and begin their 2024 season at 2-0. It was an impressive performance from the Bees against a 5A opponent that tells me and others that they are legit and a serious contender at claiming the 4A championship this season.    For the home Blue Devils, starting the year at 0-2 is not what anybody wants to do but that's the reality and they must deal with it. Looking at this squad for the remainder of the season, Lebanon could be in-store for a long year as they didn't show a whole lot on this night that says they will be competing for postseason play.   The Bees have to stay healthy and remain focused going forward but a lot of pieces are in place to do something special this year. Having a guy like Chaffin behind center is a major advantage for Upperman as many quarterbacks don't have the athleticism, arm power or size that Chaffin presents.    Leadership is strong as well throughout this Upperman squad with an excellent coaching staff behind them. Their work on Friday evening at Lebanon was outstanding but can they continue looking this good, I believe so and might even look better as they continue to gel as a team and win ball games.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/08/20240830_204248.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1413713" style="width:450px;height:auto" /></figure>