Cyclones overcome themselves, Cary Christian
By Tim Candon
Correspondent
CARY
Community Christian’s night could not have started much worse, but considering where it ended, the Cyclones will take it.
Community Christian rallied to defeat Cary Christian 54-24 in Friday’s 8-man football showdown to earn its first win off the season. The Cyclones (1-3) faced a 16-point deficit after just 89 seconds. Their first three series ended with turnovers, and by the end of the first quarter, they had eight penalties.
But the Cyclones regrouped and chipped away at the deficit. Behind the running of quarterback Grant Webb and running back Avery Winstead, Community trailed the Knights 24-22 by halftime. Jordan Allen took the second half’s opening kickoff back 67 yards for a touchdown for the Cyclones’ first lead of the night, 30-24. They never looked back, rattling of 46 unanswered points by night’s end.
“After we got past that, it was nothing but good,” Webb said of his team’s sluggish start. “We started running the ball, and started to get a few touchdowns, and it just went all good from there.”
Despite leading 24-8 with 10 minutes to play in the second quarter, Cary Christian (1-3) was undone by their lack of numbers. They started the evening with just 12 players in uniform and finished with 10.
“Our kids showed a lot of heart,” said Cary Christian coach Jeff Bates. “The first 12 minutes, we were ahead, but the last three quarters showed there’s no doubt in these kids’ hearts. They played their hearts out, with all kinds of nicks and dings.”
TURNING POINT
Trailing 24-8 with 4:58 remaining in the first half, the Cyclones took possession from their own 25. Webb guided the Cyclones down the field in just seven plays, capping the drive with a 24-yard touchdown pass over the middle to Bryson Scott. Webb ran in the two-point conversion, cutting their deficit to 24-22 with 2:04 remaining in the first half. They Cyclones knew they’d get the ballot is tart the second half, and Allen’s touchdown return kept the momentum going Community’s way and bury the Knights. In the space of 2:19 of clock, the Cyclones went from down eight to up eight.
THREE TO KNOW
Grant Webb, Community Christian: The quarterback threw for 179 yards, ran for 103, and had five touchdowns and four two-point conversions.
Anderson Brewer, Cary Christian: On one sequence in the first quarter, the senior WR/DB intercepted a pass, then caught a 30-yard touchdown pass, then ran in a two-point conversion. He finished the night with three catches for 89 yards.
Dominique Evans, Community Christian: The junior speedster caught two passes for 70 yards, and had an interception as a cornerback. He also covered Cary Christian’s Brewer 1-on-1 all night, breaking up three passes and drawing three pass interference penalties.
BY THE NUMBERS
16: Plays Community Christian had of 10 yards or more
2: Total punts, field goal, PAT tries in the game. Cary Christian’s Luke McDonald punted twice. Neither team attempted a field goal or extra point after any of the game’s 10 touchdowns
2: Touchdowns for Cary Christian’s Joel Green. He scored on a 52-yard run not he game’s first play from scrimmage, then caught a 37-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.
By Tim Candon
Correspondent
CARY
Community Christian’s night could not have started much worse, but considering where it ended, the Cyclones will take it.
Community Christian rallied to defeat Cary Christian 54-24 in Friday’s 8-man football showdown to earn its first win off the season. The Cyclones (1-3) faced a 16-point deficit after just 89 seconds. Their first three series ended with turnovers, and by the end of the first quarter, they had eight penalties.
But the Cyclones regrouped and chipped away at the deficit. Behind the running of quarterback Grant Webb and running back Avery Winstead, Community trailed the Knights 24-22 by halftime. Jordan Allen took the second half’s opening kickoff back 67 yards for a touchdown for the Cyclones’ first lead of the night, 30-24. They never looked back, rattling of 46 unanswered points by night’s end.
“After we got past that, it was nothing but good,” Webb said of his team’s sluggish start. “We started running the ball, and started to get a few touchdowns, and it just went all good from there.”
Despite leading 24-8 with 10 minutes to play in the second quarter, Cary Christian (1-3) was undone by their lack of numbers. They started the evening with just 12 players in uniform and finished with 10.
“Our kids showed a lot of heart,” said Cary Christian coach Jeff Bates. “The first 12 minutes, we were ahead, but the last three quarters showed there’s no doubt in these kids’ hearts. They played their hearts out, with all kinds of nicks and dings.”
TURNING POINT
Trailing 24-8 with 4:58 remaining in the first half, the Cyclones took possession from their own 25. Webb guided the Cyclones down the field in just seven plays, capping the drive with a 24-yard touchdown pass over the middle to Bryson Scott. Webb ran in the two-point conversion, cutting their deficit to 24-22 with 2:04 remaining in the first half. They Cyclones knew they’d get the ballot is tart the second half, and Allen’s touchdown return kept the momentum going Community’s way and bury the Knights. In the space of 2:19 of clock, the Cyclones went from down eight to up eight.
THREE TO KNOW
Grant Webb, Community Christian: The quarterback threw for 179 yards, ran for 103, and had five touchdowns and four two-point conversions.
Anderson Brewer, Cary Christian: On one sequence in the first quarter, the senior WR/DB intercepted a pass, then caught a 30-yard touchdown pass, then ran in a two-point conversion. He finished the night with three catches for 89 yards.
Dominique Evans, Community Christian: The junior speedster caught two passes for 70 yards, and had an interception as a cornerback. He also covered Cary Christian’s Brewer 1-on-1 all night, breaking up three passes and drawing three pass interference penalties.
BY THE NUMBERS
16: Plays Community Christian had of 10 yards or more
2: Total punts, field goal, PAT tries in the game. Cary Christian’s Luke McDonald punted twice. Neither team attempted a field goal or extra point after any of the game’s 10 touchdowns
2: Touchdowns for Cary Christian’s Joel Green. He scored on a 52-yard run not he game’s first play from scrimmage, then caught a 37-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.
