Claremont
His command of the offense has become second nature, his confidence under center solidified. The junior’s play at quarterback now gives the Stevens High football team another dimension behind shifty junior running back Keaghan McAllister.
The Cardinals flexed their offensive muscles in Friday night’s season opener against Epping-Newmarket, scoring six touchdowns in a 41-0 victory at Barnes Park.
McAllister led the way with 102 yards on 19 carries and two rushing touchdowns. Bicknell added two more touchdowns, one in the air and another on the ground, and finished the game 7-for-11 throwing for 87 yards.
“Last year, I was really nervous,” Bicknell said. “In this game, I felt so much better, so relaxed and composed. That helped me out a lot. I was able to throw the ball, get balls off. I thought it went well.
“It’s pretty hard, because you have a lot of pressure on you (as a quarterback),” he added. “I’ve been working out as much as I can, because I don’t want to let the team down. I’m trying to do the best I can for them so we can win games.”
It was the kind of offensive showing senior wide receiver Baylor Rozzell had been waiting for.
Rozzell missed last year’s 33-0 loss to Campbell in the NHIAA Division III semifinals after getting six stitches in his right ankle. The Cardinals were 6-4 last fall thanks in large part to McAllister, who finished the season with 1,085 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns.
One year later, Rozzell said, Stevens’ offense feels like it has more options. It also has something to play for after falling short of its goals last season.
“Quentin, his first year was tough,” he said. “He’s getting a lot better. We’re out there working … he’s got a lot of vision. He looks around, gets guys open always. He’s out there making sure everyone is out there doing their job.
“We’re way better,” he added. “We took a big step this year.”
McAllister got Stevens on the board early in the first quarter, finishing off the Cardinals’ initial drive with a nine-yard power move over an Epping-Newmarket defender. Stevens marched 54 yards on nine plays in its opening drive and never looked back, leading 6-0 after the first quarter after a missed 2-point conversion.
“I’m pretty proud of these guys; they worked hard,” Stevens head coach Paul Silva said. “It was 90 degrees on Tuesday; it was 90 degrees on Wednesday. Not only did we practice, we practiced for over two hours, and we practiced with enthusiasm and energy. I think you saw that tonight.”
Bicknell put more points on the board in the second quarter, finding junior Alex Taylor in the back of the end zone from 10 yards out a on fourth-and-goal TD pass.
“Keaghan did a great job running the ball, but we’ve got other running backs — Baylor (Rozzell), Damon (Roy), I can do stuff, too,” Bicknell said. “We’re a threat on the offensive side because we have so many ball carriers and receivers that can do stuff. I think we’re going to be a powerful threat.”
McAllister scored again with 55.7 seconds left before halftime, capping another extended drive for the Cardinals. Stevens led, 20-0, at half. Epping-Newmarket managed just 20 yards on 10 plays in the second quarter.
Roy, Bicknell and Gabe Spaulding all scored on three straight Stevens possessions in the second half, putting the game away. McAllister also had an interception off Epping-Newmarket quarterback Shane Moore in the third quarter.
“We have some experience in the backfield,” Silva said. “I thought our young line played really well tonight. We moved them off the ball; we held our ground defensively with some young guys.”
For Bicknell, even his inexperienced offensive line has made strides in his team’s first few weeks of preseason after last season’s graduation losses. It’s helped his team gain confidence early, Bicknell said.
It’s also made the Cardinals offense a group with potential.
“The offensive line did a superb job,” Bicknell said. “We had struggles in the beginning, but after that our line stepped it up perfectly. In that situation, we can run the ball, we can pass the ball, we can do whatever. That’s what happened tonight.”
Notes: Fans at Barnes Park held a moment of silence for Eli Smith, a Claremont native who died from cancer last spring. Stevens’ captains carried Smith’s No. 87 jersey out with them to meet the officials for the coin toss. Stevens will once again participate in Touchdowns Against Cancer, a fundraiser to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital during the season. The team hopes to raise at least $500 for the cause; those interested can donate at https://pledgeit.org/tac18-claremont-nh-stevens-cardinals. … The Cardinals (1-0) host Newport (0-1) next Saturday.
Josh Weinreb can be reached at jweinreb@vnews.com or 603-727-3306.