Glenelg senior halfback Paul Brosenne was the focal point again, but his teammates also joined the fun yesterday, as the Gladiators turned Mount Hebron mistakes into a 28-6 rout.
The victory, before a homecoming crowd, put another exclamation point on a turnaround season for Glenelg (5-1, 3-0). Under second-year coach Ed Ashwell, the Gladiators have equaled their victory total of the previous two seasons combined. Mount Hebron (1-5, 0-3) suffered its fourth straight defeat.
"Coach Ashwell deserves all the credit. He came in, cleaned everything out and started from scratch. He's a great motivator," said Jason Caulder, who intercepted two passes, setting up a touchdown with each one. "He made us get stronger physically. We're not going to outrun everybody. We've got to use muscle. Nobody is selfish. Nobody tries to do too much. Nobody tries to stand out."
For one player -- Brosenne -- that has been impossible. A standout from the outset, Brosenne led the way again with 164 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries. It was the fifth game of at least 100 yards for Brosenne, who needs 52 to reach 1,000. As has been his trademark, he repeatedly knocked defenders backward with jarring runs.
"A lot of backs in the county are afraid to run right at you. He [Brosenne] likes it," Caulder said. "He likes to run people over."
Brosenne was only the beginning of the offensive show. Quarterback Sean Lookingbill completed six of 10 for 130 yards and two touchdowns, including a second-quarter 59-yarder to Ryan McKibben that put Glenelg on top to stay, 14-6. McKibben caught four passes for 94 yards. Aaron Gross caught two for 36 yards and another score.
Defensively, the Gladiators forced four Hebron turnovers. Randy Garland had five unassisted tackles, six assists and a sack. Chris Cordisco added five unassisted tackles and a fumble recovery.
Neither team came out sharp. They combined for five turnovers in a sloppy first period, but only Glenelg turned a mistake into points. On Hebron's second possession, Caulder picked off Phil Tonkins' pass and returned it 32 yards to the Vikings' 13. On the next play, Brosenne bounced off a tackler to the outside and ran untouched into the end zone. Jason Beall kicked the first of four extra points to give Glenelg a 7-0 lead with 6:04 left in the quarter.
Midway through the second quarter, Glenelg returned the favor with its third turnover. After the Gladiators lost the ball on a bad exchange between Lookingbill and Brosenne, Tonkins hit Masai Demus with a 53-yard pass to pull the Vikings to within 7-6.
Mount Hebron 0 6 0 0 -- 6
Glenelg 7 14 7 0 -- 28
GL -- Brosenne 13 run (Beall kick)
MH -- Demus 53 pass from Tonkins (kick failed)
GL -- McKibben 59 pass from Lookingbill (Beall kick)
GL -- Gross 8 pass from Lookingbill (Beall kick)
GL -- Brosenne 1 run (Beall kick)