Deerfield, Kinslow straight ‘money’ in win vs. Stratford

ALBANY — Last week, The Herald dubbed the Deerfield-Windsor football team’s offensive line “Thunder and Lightning.”

This week, it’s all about “Money.”

Because that’s what quarterback Banks Kinslow was Friday — money.

Kinslow completed 6 of 8 passes for 149 yards and four touchdowns — all in the first quarter — as the Knights (2-0) defeated Stratford Academy, 42-10, on Friday at home.

“We could not have done that without our offensive line,” Kinslow said. “Every time I dropped back, (it was) perfect. I had all day. My receivers ran great routs and hard cuts. They just got wide open for me and all I had to do was toss it up.”

And that he did.

Kinslow’s first touchdown came at the end of the Knight’s game-opening 80-yard drive when he hit Gaughf Ivey for a 29-yard pass for a touchdown.

He followed that up with two TD passes to Michael Laslie, the first for 46 yards and the second for 34 yards.

“Banks put the ball on the money every time he threw it,” head coach Allen Lowe said. “We had some guys make some good catches, but it has to get there first.”

Kinslow made it look all too easy on one play at the end of the first quarter, rolling to his left after the snap, taking his time and setting his feet as he threw to a wide-open J.D. Cook in the end zone for a 20-yard completion.

Kinslow didn’t attempt a single pass after that — but he didn’t need to, either.

“It was (a great first quarter),” Lowe said. “Somehow we jumped out of the gates in a hurry, they turned it over a few times and we cashed in every chance we got.”

Deerfield started off the second quarter with a 25-yard rushing touchdown from tight end Quentin Heard and a 56-yard TD run from Davis Moore, who finished with 90 rushing yards on only five attempts.

“We could not have done it (Friday night) without our offensive line,” Kinslow repeated. “Even on our running plays, the holes were wide open and it was (pretty easy) to get the job done.”

That made the game 42-0, at which that point the Deerfield cheerleading squad — which does a “kicking line” after every Knight score — was getting pretty tired, even resting on their knees and drinking heavily from their water bottles.

“(We were all) getting after it, having fun out there, playing with a bunch of emotion and fire,” Kinslow said. “Just like our whole defense was, we were just all getting after it and (working hard).”

Stratford (1-1) and running back Marquez Lemon — who finished with 82 rushing yards on 18 attempts — finally got on the board when Lemon scored on a 3-yard run with 2:39 left in the first half.

Kicker Ryan Ridley set the game’s final score, kicking a 45-yard field goal as time expired.

“If you had to describe a perfect game, that’s how it would be,” Kinslow said. “Jump out to a big lead, (which) gets the other team down. … Once you create that fatigue, you can run your offense so much more easily.”

Despite the huge win, Deerfield is already focusing on it’s next game against Bethesda Day next week in Savannah.

“We still have other games to play, so you have to get game ready,” Lowe said. “There’s not any bad win, (but) I’m sure once we get the film, there will be plenty of things to work on. We’re a long way from being a final product, I hope.”

Added Kinslow: “We’re going to come to practice Monday, work hard, get after it, work our butts off and prepare for the next game. … It’s one game at a time.”