Chaminade Gets Knocked Flat, 72-14

WEST HILLS — Well, at least there was no running clock.

That’s about all Chaminade High could stop from running in a 72-14 nonleague loss to Bloomington on Friday night.

But then, who has been able to stop Don Markham’s punch-in-the-jaw, double-wing attack that has run over five opponents by a combined score of 352-45?

“That is the worst loss I have ever experienced--period,” Chaminade Coach Rich Lawson said.

How bad was it? Bloomington, spreading the carries among seven backs, rushed for 302 yards and eight touchdowns, running a play-action attack to near-perfection. The Bruins were marching for another score when reserve quarterback Chuck Webb fumbled the ball away with six minutes left.

Not counting the drive that was halted by halftime, it was the only possession in which Bloomington did not reach the end zone.

Chaminade (3-2), which shut out its first two opponents and yielded minus-eight yards rushing in its first three games, did not throw Bloomington for a loss until late in the third quarter.

For a measure of balance, quarterback Jason Buell completed all three of his passes for 162 yards. Completions of 56 and 67 yards went for touchdowns.

Bloomington outgained the Eagles, 464 yards to 100, and sacked quarterback Jason Zdenek six times.

“They’re awesome,” said Jason Giovannettone, who scored both Chaminade touchdowns but took them as a defensive back. “They had great play action. We couldn’t see who had the ball until they were past the line.”

The result should come as no surprise. Since the arrival this season of Markham, who has run his old-fashioned, run-oriented offense during coaching stints all over Southern California and in Oregon, Bloomington (1-9 last season) has been recording such lopsided victories that opposing coaches have charged Markham with piling on the points.

Two of Bloomington’s games were played with a running clock in the second half to provide a quicker finish. But Lawson would have no mercy rules.

“Why run the clock?” Lawson said. “There are things we need to work on. I’m not going to be a crybaby about it. They came out and played football and took it right to us.

“The only thing that bothered me is, they were rushing our punter right ‘til the end.”

Said Markham: “This is a practice game. We need to work on things.”

Bloomington’s Cheyane Caldwell gained 159 yards in 13 carries and scored two touchdowns. Greg Oliver had 77 yards and three touchdowns in eight carries.