Tight games had been the norm the last few times the Liberty District rivals Yorktown Patriots and Langley Saxons met in high-school football action.
What a difference in 2024. Host Langley won big, 48-14, having taken control right from the start.
Yorktown fell to 5-3 overall and 2-2 in the district as its two-game winning streak was snapped. Langley improved to 7-1, 3-1 with its second win in a row.
The Saxons rolled up 400 total yards (averaging 8.6 yards per running attempt) and moved the ball running and passing from the very beginning when Langley took the opening kickoff and scored on its opening drive.
After Yorktown lost a fumble on its first offensive play, Langley took a 14-0 lead, and was ahead 35-7 at halftime.
“We had one offensive play and we are already down 14 points before we even get our offense going,” Yorktown coach Bruce Hanson said. “They schemed us up very good. Their quarterback was fast and running all over the place. He’s the reason they won. We hadn’t seen anything like that on film from their other games this season.”
Langley quarterback Cole Samburg and runningback Robert Roncskevitz led the Langley offense. Roncskevitz was productive running and catching the ball. He scored four touchdowns.
“We couldn’t stop them. That was the big thing,” Hanson said.
Yorktown eventually got its offense going, but was hurt by one other turnover, an interception deep in Langley territory. Langley gained 300 total yards.
The Patriots also had an early-game kickoff return for a touchdown nullified because of a penalty.
“Without the mistakes, the game might have been closer,” Hanson said.
Yorktown scored touchdowns in each half. Drew Morgan threw to Brady Owens for 13 yards for the first TD, then Max Troiano ran 26 yards for a third-quarter score. Max Yoon kicked two extra points.
Morgan was 13 of 22 passing for 181 yards. Finn Luca caught four passes for 78 yards and Sammy Keiser four for 75. Owens and Coby Casalengo each caught two. Troiano was Yorktown’s leading rusher with 48 yards, Alex Hans had 34, Nate Randles 17, Casalengo 15 and Luca 14.
