IMG Academy football shuts out Long Beach Poly
After a defensive battle in the first half, IMG Academy pulled away in the second to beat Long Beach Poly, 34-0, in Long Beach, Calif., on Friday night.
The Ascenders, who are ranked second in national polls, broke the scoreless tie when kicker Cooper Graham converted a 30-yard field goal try with 3 minutes, 46 seconds left in the first quarter.
Quarterback Kellen Mond opened some breathing room by scoring from four yards out with 4 seconds left in the second quarter to take a 10-0 lead into the break.
IMG (8-0) owed that lead to its defense, which twice forced Long Beach Poly to turn the ball over on downs deep in Ascenders territory and thwarted a third possession that began near midfield.
IMG doubled its lead in the third quarter on a 46-yarder by Graham and Mond’s second rushing touchdown, a 13-yard effort. Mond’s two rushing touchdowns increased his total to 13, three shy of the program’s single-season record of 16 set by current Alabama running back Bo Scarbrough in 2013.
Long Beach Poly (6-3) never threatened.
Sophomore Trey Sanders who rushed for a season-high 203 yards, including 103 in the first half, scored in the fourth as did John Marcus Carruthers.
The Ascenders head across Florida looking to extend their 26-game regular season winning streak on Saturday, Nov. 5 against Chaminade Madonna (7-2) in Hollywood. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
IMG Academy 24, Long Beach Poly 0
IMG Academy | 3 | 7 | 10 | 14 | — | 34 |
Long Beach Poly | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
First Quarter
IMG – Cooper Graham 30 FG, 3:46
Second Quarter
IMG – Kellen Mond 4 run (Cooper Graham kick), 0:04
Third Quarter
IMG – Cooper Graham 46 FG, 9:08
IMG – Kellen Mond 13 run (Cooper Graham kick), 3:33
Fourth Quarter
IMG – Trey Sanders 42 run (Cooper Graham kick), 6:59
IMG – John Marcus Carruthers 5 run (Cooper Graham), 1:59
This story was originally published October 29, 2016 at 1:19 AM with the headline "IMG Academy football shuts out Long Beach Poly."