File:Football 2018, Layne Harich Brunswick High School Football September 8, 2018.jpg

Summary

School

Accurate-passing Snoots leads Brunswick over Blazers

   By Bill Cauley  from The Frederick News-Post, September 9, 2018

In photo: Brunswick running back Layne Harich reaches for the goal-line after a catch, scoring the Railroaders’ third touchdown early in the second quarter Saturday morning after a short pass. Brunswick’s Blake Carey, center, and Michael Souders, right, are blocking on the play. Staff photo by Bill Green

BRUNSWICK — Brady Snoots anticipated he would be moving from his previous spot as a wide receiver last year to quarterback this year for Brunswick’s football team.

The Railroaders’ senior needed to make the adjustment from taking the ball to distributing it. That’s where his hard work in the offseason came into play.

“I spent time working on my accuracy with my throws,” Snoots said. “I needed to get my timing down on the passes.”

Snoots’ accuracy on Saturday was near-flawless. He threw the ball with authority and his tosses were smooth.

Snoots went on to complete the first six passes he attempted, finishing 10-of-12 for 180 yards and four touchdowns in Brunswick’s 41-6 win over Clear Spring in its home opener.

It also marked the return of a strong Brunswick passing attack, which had been absent in recent years.

“You have to go back to around the 2012 or 2013 season,” Brunswick coach Jerry Smith said, referring to the last time the Railroaders had a substantial passing game. That was when the likes of Collin Nusbaum and Blaine Price hooked up for what were state-record numbers.

Snoots, who was 6 of 8 for 130 yards with an interception in the first half, has a good crop of receivers. His leading target was senior Jaeden Spriggs, who had three catches for 91 yards and a touchdown.

Snoots also threw TD strikes to Layne Harich, Jake Remsburg and Blake Carey. Harich’s TD catch, in the second quarter, took a bit of stretching act on his part to score.

Snoots threw a short 1-yarder to Harich, who stuck the football out far enough so the tip broke the plane of the goal-line.

“We’ve been working on our slant pass patterns in practice,” Carey said.

Saturday’s win had special meaning.

Two years ago, almost to the day, Brunswick’s football season imploded when the Railroaders, on the same field against the same opponent, were inches short of a game-winning touchdown against the Blazers. The Railroaders were stopped short of the goal-line in a heart-breaking 25-22, loss.

From there, Brunswick went on to a second straight winless season. Last season, Smith’s first year as head coach, the Railroaders bounced back and went 5-5.

“The turnaround has just been amazing,” Smith said. “We set a standard for our players last year, they set their standards a little bit higher. They bought into what we were doing. This year, we set those standards a little bit higher. They responded by raising their own standards as well. They want to succeed.”

It took just two minutes for Brunswick to get on the scoreboard, taking the opening kickoff and going 56 yards on five plays, with Harich scoring on a 7-yard run. Less than two minutes later, following the recovery of a Clear Spring fumble, the Railroaders marched 37 yards on five plays, with Snoots hitting Remsburg with an 18-yard touchdown pass.

Carey caught a 2-point conversion pass from Snoots and the Railroaders were up 14-0.

Brunswick blocked a Clear Spring field-goal attempt with 2 minutes, 10 seconds to go in the first quarter, then went 78 yards on 11 plays, with Harich leaning for his TD reception to open the second quarter. The Railroaders went on to lead 28-0 at halftime.

The game went to running time with 6:02 left in the third quarter when Spriggs caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Snoots.

The sizable lead allowed Smith to turn to his bench during the second half, giving just about everyone some playing time. Freshman Devin Phillips came off the bench to break a 71-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

“We got a lot of guys into the game today. I was very pleased with the effort,” Smith said. “We do have a few things to work on in practice, but that’s all part of the game.”

Brunswick gets its first real test Friday when the Railroaders travel to Boonsboro. The Warriors have won five straight over Brunswick.

“We have to buckle down and get ready,” Smith said.