ST. BONIFACIUS, Minn. --- Crown Football defeated the Beloit College Buccaneers on Saturday afternoon 23-6 in the Storm's 2019 Home Opener. With fans packed in Old National Stadium, it was the dynamic duo of running backs sophomore Avory Caruthers and first-year Ameer Lee that led the Storm to the team's first victory since the 2016 season. The duo rushed for over 300 yards in a game filled with countless broken tackles and driving piles. The offense wasn't the only part of the team putting in work, with the defense compiling four interceptions in the contest, including a pick-six by senior Sebastian Alvarado.
The game was tight in the first half, with the Storm only holding a 3-0 lead at halftime. The only three points came from a Corey Huard 23-yard field goal on Crown's opening drive.
After the Bucs countered with a touchdown of their own in the early third quarter, the Storm came roaring back when Alvarado's interception returned for a touchdown. Alvarado expanded on his lead in career Storm pick-sixes, his third in his storied Crown career. Early in the fourth quarter, it was Caruthers that capped an eleven play, 77-yard drive with a touchdown, expanding the Crown lead to 16-6. With six minutes left in the fourth, first-year Janaire Smith's first touchdown as a Storm receiver on a 26-yard toss from sophomore quarterback Jared Gilmore iced the game in the Storm's favor.
"Hard work, dedication. It started at practice this week. We talked about the intensity at practice and not just walking through things," said the leading rusher Avory Caruthers, ecstatic about his first win. "This week we were winning at practice and it came onto the field. We picked ourselves up and we stayed as a family. Shout out to the lineman!"
Defensively for the Storm, first-year Junior Doe, senior Cody Ricketts, and junior Corey Huard joined Alvarado with interceptions. Senior Micah Moyer had the Storm's lone sack of the contest, and Doe led the team in tackles with nine.
The Storm out-gained the Buccaneers on the ground by an enormous amount, 301 Crown yards to only 35 Beloit yards. The Storm amassed a total of 23 first downs to the Bucs 10, and held Beloit to only 133 total yards of offense, with 374 yards of their own.
"Teamwork. Teamwork makes the dream work. You just [have to] follow behind each other, [because] we have good leaders here," said first-year back Ameer Lee, who had his second straight week of 100 yards rushing. "Stick together, it's family."
The Storm are now knotted up with a 1-1 record, as they begin UMAC play next week. The Storm are slotted with a matchup against the St. Scholastica Saints at 6 pm under the lights in Duluth a week from their victory Saturday.
