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9/3/05-Football
Siller leads St. Mary's past Country Day
Orchard Lake St. Mary's 34, Detroit Country Day 21
By Tim Twentyman / The Detroit News
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BIRMINGHAM -- Before Friday night's matchup, Detroit Country Day coach Dan MacLean said he was most afraid of Orchard Lake St. Mary's speed. As it turns out, MacLean's fears were justified. The St. Mary's quarterback-receiver combination of Justin Siller and Taurian Washington connected for two long touchdowns (69 and 55 yards) and the Eaglets won, 34-21, Friday night in the annual contest for the Gridiron Trophy.
"I don't know if anyone is going to have a group of skill-position kids like they have," MacLean said. "One mistake and you miss. We almost had a sack one time and their kid comes out of it and throws a deep pass for a touchdown."
At times, Siller and Washington, who both transferred from Detroit De Porres, looked like a couple of kids practicing go routes in the backyard. The pair hooked up three times for 135 yards and two scores.
Siller went 7-for-9 passing for 163 yards and three touchdowns. His second touchdown to Washington was a bit of magic. He avoided a sack, scrambled to his right and threw a 55-yard strike off his back foot to Washington.
"Taurian and I go back a long way and all the receivers do a great job of finding open area on the field," Siller said.
St. Mary's (2-0) scored first after Country Day fumbled a punt snap at its own 15-yard line. Siller scored on a quarterback keeper from the one-yard line five plays later.
Country Day came right back, though, riding the legs of sophomore Jonas Gray. Gray racked up carries of 34 and 10 yards and a 15-yard touchdown run with 4:43 left in the first quarter to even the score at seven. Washington put St. Mary's up for good just two plays later. Siller found him down the far sideline for a 69-yard score with 3:43 left in the quarter.
"Siller is big and tall back there and he can see over the top and he finds his receivers very, very well," St. Mary's coach George Porritt said. "He is very good at looking off and finding people and he has great feet also. He made a heck of a play on the second touchdown to Washington just to spin out and avoid the sack and find him downfield."
Siller connected with junior Dionte Allen for a 13-yard strike at the end of the third quarter and sophomore Dominique White added a diving 4-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to give St. Mary's a 21-point lead.
Country Day (1-1) mounted a bit of a comeback in the fourth quarter as quarterback Nick Potter threw a pair of 33-yard touchdown passes to Tom Rooke and David Middleton.
Senior running back Aaron Gant led the Eagles on the ground, mounting 105 yards on 20 carries.
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