Loyola outpaces Calvert Hall in 103rd Turkey Bowl

Dons respond to every Cardinal challenge in posting a 40-28 victory

With nearly 70 combined points and 803 total yards, the 2023 Turkey Bowl featured plenty of offensive highlights from both Loyola Blakefield and Calvert Hall, but no one had more than Dons junior running back Kendrick Worthington.

Worthington, showing the rare combination of speed and power, shredded the Calvert defense for 226-yards rushing and three touchdowns, leading his team to a 40-28 victory in the 103rd Turkey Bowl, Thursday morning at Towson University’s Johnny Unitas Stadium.

Loyola Blakefield head football coach Anthony Zehyou lifts the Turkey Bowl trophy up as his team gathers around, following the Dons' 40-28 victory over Calvert Hall in the 103rd Turkey Bowl, Thursday morning at Towson University's Johnny Unitas Stadium

All three of Worthington’s scores came in the second half as the teams traded scores throughout the final two quarters before Worthington put an exclamation point on Loyola’s victory with his third TD, with less than 30-seconds to play.

The effort put Worthington over 1,000-yards rushing for the season and allowed the Dons (7-4) to stretch their lead in the series to 51-44-8 while avenging last year’s 17-14 loss to the Cardinals.

Loyola jumped on top with a first quarter touchdown run by Tommy Tucker, who found the end zone twice in the contest, and led 13-7 at the half thanks to the successful execution of a trick play known as the “Philly Special.” After a double reverse the ball ended up in the hands of senior Jayden Moore who tossed it to quarterback Brad Seiss, in the flat, for an easy touchdown.

Sophomore Chris Hewitt tied the game for Calvert Hall, at 7-7, with an explosive 46-yard run in the first quarter, but Loyola gained a two score lead early in the third quarter when Worthington barreled through the line for his first TD of the game, an 8-yard run, as the Dons led 20-7.

Calvert Hall (4-7) would score touchdowns in each of its next three possessions, but Loyola answered with a TD each time to keep the Cardinals at bay. Calvert Hall’s second half touchdowns came on a 50-yard, fourth down run by quarterback Jae’oyn Williams, a 47-yard pass from Williams to senior Jackson Gister and 9-yard TD strike from backup quarterback Nick Humpf to Michael Bell.

The Bell score pulled the Cardinals within five points, at 31-28, but Calvert Hall would get no closer.