Reade’s big game keeps Tam unbeaten in MCAL

Tam High receiver Sam Reade is easy to spot on the football field — at five-foot, four-inches tall, he’s the smallest player out there.

The Hawks’ top receiver is easy to notice for another reason, too: He catches lots of passes.

Reade hauled in three of sophomore quarterback Braden Young’s four touchdown tosses to spearhead Tam’s resounding 40-6 victory over host Archie Williams on a gray and drizzly Saturday in San Anselmo.

With the win, Tam (6-2, 5-0) finds itself alone atop the MCAL standings after San Marin suffered its first league loss Saturday at the hands of Marin Catholic.

Tam faces San Marin on Saturday in a game that certainly figures to have title implications.

“If we beat San Marin, even if Marin Catholic goes undefeated in MCAL and gets the title, I’ll print my own championship banner for the public school championship,” Tam coach Matthew LemMon said.

The Red-tailed Hawks played championship-caliber football against Archie Williams, despite a scoreless stalemate at the end of the first quarter.

After the opening kickoff, the Peregrine Falcons marched 61 yards to the Tam 15-yard-line and chipped more than seven minutes off the clock. Two dropped passes in the end zone, however, spoiled the opening drive.

“We have four sophomores starting on defense and I don’t think the focus was there on that opening drive,” LemMon said. “But give Archie Williams some credit. They have a strong quarterback who can also run and a couple of good receivers. They’re tough to stop at times.”

Tam, on the other hand, was unstoppable on its opening drive.

The Hawks powered 85 yards on 12 plays, capped by Young’s one-yard touchdown pass to Reade. The key plays on the drive were a third-down, 25yard scramble by Young and a 33-yard catch-andrun by Reade, who keenly reversed field and turned a short pass into a long gain.

A holding penalty stalled the Peregrine Falcons’ next drive, and Young and the Hawks went right back to work.

Big Tam tight end Billy Kuhns caught two passes for a combined 30 yards to set up the second touchdown.

On first down from the Falcons’ 29-yard-line, Young escaped pressure and heaved a pass into a crowd in the end zone. Reade came down with the catch and a touchdown.

“I just wanted to make that catch so my quarterback keeps his confidence in me,” Reade said. “Braden and I have developed and are still developing a really good chemistry. He’s young but he’s already turning into a good leader. I tell him it’s his offense and he’s got to be the leader.”

In the second half Young added a third touchdown pass to Reade and another to Kuhns as the Hawks pulled away late in the game.

Tam’s potent passing attack accounted for 299 of its 446 yards from scrimmage.

Young was spot on, connecting on 20-of-28 passes with no interceptions. Reade hauled in nine passes for 110 yards and Kuhns caught another six for 104 yards.

Tam’s defense kept Archie Williams quarterback Zachary Atkinson (17-for-37 passing, 187 yards) mostly in check by consistently bringing heat on the pass rush. Will Brunz accounted for two of Tam’s four sacks.

Archie Williams defensive tackle Angel Amador had a nice game, tackling running backs twice for losses and recovering a fumble.