Auburndale wallops Lake Region on Monday night

The Bloodhounds score five defensive touchdowns to outscore their own offense

AUBURNDALE, FLORIDA – It’s not everyday a team’s defense outscores its offense, especially in a running-clock game.

But that’s exactly what happened Monday at Bruce Canova Stadium as Auburndale’s defense scored five touchdowns off of turnovers and routed Lake Region 60-0 in a 3S District 8 game.

Auburndale returned four Thunder fumbles and one interception for touchdowns in the game and held a 54-0 halftime lead.

Amari Turner (10) and Tahjae Mcqueen air-bump celebrating an 18-yard touchdown reception by Mcqueen in the second quarter, which gave Auburndale a 48-0 lead over Lake Region Monday at Bruce Canova Stadium / Photo by Bill Kemp

“It’s an interesting stat. Defense is always the fun part of football to me and for us,” Auburndale coach Kyle Sasser said. “We try to put our play-makers on defense and kind of spell them on offense. Defense is a priority for us. Though it is very odd, I am not mad about our defense outscoring our offense.”

The Bloodhounds (4-2, 2-0) scored seven of their nine touchdowns in the second quarter, and never scored in the fourth.

The defensive onslaught began at the 6-minute mark of the first quarter when Keon Young intercepted a Kalvin Johnson pass and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 first-quarter lead.

In the second quarter, Auburndale scored offensive touchdowns on a 12-yard touchdown run by Robbie Gaskin, a 29-yard pass reception by Jameson Young, an 18-yard reception by Tahjae Mcqueen and an 11-yard touchdown run by Dayrel Glover.

The Bloodhounds scored defensive touchdowns in the second quarter on a 75-yard fumble recovery by Elijah Dias, a 7-yard fumble recovery by Nate Gabriel, and a fumble recovery by Jaques Henry.

“It definitely makes our offense feel more comfortable to know we have confidence in our defense that way,” Sasser said.

In the third quarter, Auburndale’s defense capped the scoring with a 77-yard fumble recovery by Elishja Armstead.

It was the second game in a three-game, 8-day stint for Auburndale, which will travel to Davenport on Friday for another district match-up before its huge district game Oct. 28 with Lake Wales.

“By Week 7 we had only played four games,” Sasser said. “We had a Week 1 bye, which was an oddity, and then lightning games and then the hurricane. So even though it was three games in eight days, I am just glad the kids are getting to play.”

Lake Region fell to 2-4 and will host Kissimmee Gateway in a non-district affair on Friday, its third game in eight days.

Auburndale running back Dayrel Glover (4) fights for yardage as Lake Region’s Quan’tavious Callaway moves in for a tackle on Monday at Bruce Canova Stadium in Auburndale / Photo by Bill Kemp