Monster first half propels Rocky Mount Academy past Wilson Community Christian
By By Foster Lander
Sports Writer ROCKY MOUNT TELEGRAM
Already leading by four touchdowns just prior to halftime Friday, first-year Rocky Mount Academy coach Terrell Hudgins dialed up a hook-and-lateral trick play that went for a long touchdown and gave the Eagles a 36-point lead at the break.
Hudgins turned to the sideline, smiling and as loose as he had been all night.
“I got a whole bag of tricks,” he said.
And while that may hold a measure of truth, Hudgins and Rocky Mount Academy didn’t need all that many tricks against Wilson Community Christian on a drizzly night. The Eagles rolled to 489 yards of total offense and got five touchdown passes from Kyle Holland to blow past the Cyclones, 62-26.
“That first half was the best half of football we’ve played all season,” Hudgins said. “It was the most emotion we’ve played with, and it goes to show how far that intensity and effort can get us.”
Hudgins, who will just as soon sing along to 'Twist and Shout’ during a break in play as call timeout with the sole purpose of chewing his team out, said he wants his players to have fun on the field. Of course, it’s easier to enjoy the game when up by double digits inside three minutes.
The Eagles (5-1) drove 56 yards in six plays on their opening drive, as Caleb Lambert got Rocky Mount Academy in scoring position with a 17-yard catch-and-run before Holland found Christopher Rabil for the first of Rabil’s three touchdown catches, this one a 21-yarder.
On Wilson Community Christian’s second play, in admittedly sloppy conditions, the Cyclones’ Avery Winstead fumbled, and Rocky Mount Academy’s Gage Chilton was in the right spot to fall on the loose ball.
One play later, Rabil was again in the end zone on an 11-yard pass down the seam from Holland. Only 2:48 had elapsed, but already the Eagles looked set to put the game on cruise control.
“Oh yeah, it’s always good to be out in front like that right away,” Hudgins said. “That’s a matter of being ready to play from the first snap and I thought our kids did that.” Matters would only worsen from there.
The visiting Cyclones (2-3), already scrounging for ways back in to the contest, went for it on 4th-and-2 near midfield, but the Eagles’ defensive coaches correctly expected a power run off the right tackle. Rocky Mount Academy stuffed Ricky Fuller, who proved a handful to tackle all night, for a 5-yard loss and a turnover on downs.
Rocky Mount Academy went directly back on the offensive, as a Wilson Community Christian facemask call at the end of a Lambert run moved the Eagles inside the red zone. Holland fought for 12 yards on 3rd-and-10, stiff-arming a defender to get four extra yards at the end of his run, and Jacob Braddy punched the ball in for a score from eight yards out on the next snap.
Spensir Heath got the Cyclones on the board late in the first quarter with a 65-yard touchdown catch from Grant Webb. Heath was Webb’s only threat on the perimeter, and Wilson Community Christian looked for the wide receiver often. Heath finished with five catches for 143 yards, but he could have finished with double that amount had he been able to haul in several more deep passes.
“I’d love to have that kid over here, nothing against the guys we’ve got,” Hudgins said.
For the most part, though, the Eagles held the Cyclones’ offense in check.
Wilson Community Christian managed just two first downs in the first half and 86 total yards; Fuller scored on a 77-yard kickoff return late in the first half.
Hudgins pulled several starters on defense after halftime, trying to preserve what is a banged-up group for next week’s trip to Southampton. The Cyclones took advantage of the new players in the second half, but final numbers don’t tell the full story.
“Even though we had some second-stringers there in the second half, I’m still looking for us to play a complete, four-quarter game,” Hudgins said. “We played maybe 2 1/2 tonight. They were 2 1/2 really, really good quarters, but it’s going to take four to put us back in the state title picture.”
The Eagles found another playmaker in junior running back Jared McCall, who found acres of running room in the second half on sweeps and outside runs. McCall finished with 178 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries.
Foster Lander can be
By By Foster Lander
Sports Writer ROCKY MOUNT TELEGRAM
Already leading by four touchdowns just prior to halftime Friday, first-year Rocky Mount Academy coach Terrell Hudgins dialed up a hook-and-lateral trick play that went for a long touchdown and gave the Eagles a 36-point lead at the break.
Hudgins turned to the sideline, smiling and as loose as he had been all night.
“I got a whole bag of tricks,” he said.
And while that may hold a measure of truth, Hudgins and Rocky Mount Academy didn’t need all that many tricks against Wilson Community Christian on a drizzly night. The Eagles rolled to 489 yards of total offense and got five touchdown passes from Kyle Holland to blow past the Cyclones, 62-26.
“That first half was the best half of football we’ve played all season,” Hudgins said. “It was the most emotion we’ve played with, and it goes to show how far that intensity and effort can get us.”
Hudgins, who will just as soon sing along to 'Twist and Shout’ during a break in play as call timeout with the sole purpose of chewing his team out, said he wants his players to have fun on the field. Of course, it’s easier to enjoy the game when up by double digits inside three minutes.
The Eagles (5-1) drove 56 yards in six plays on their opening drive, as Caleb Lambert got Rocky Mount Academy in scoring position with a 17-yard catch-and-run before Holland found Christopher Rabil for the first of Rabil’s three touchdown catches, this one a 21-yarder.
On Wilson Community Christian’s second play, in admittedly sloppy conditions, the Cyclones’ Avery Winstead fumbled, and Rocky Mount Academy’s Gage Chilton was in the right spot to fall on the loose ball.
One play later, Rabil was again in the end zone on an 11-yard pass down the seam from Holland. Only 2:48 had elapsed, but already the Eagles looked set to put the game on cruise control.
“Oh yeah, it’s always good to be out in front like that right away,” Hudgins said. “That’s a matter of being ready to play from the first snap and I thought our kids did that.” Matters would only worsen from there.
The visiting Cyclones (2-3), already scrounging for ways back in to the contest, went for it on 4th-and-2 near midfield, but the Eagles’ defensive coaches correctly expected a power run off the right tackle. Rocky Mount Academy stuffed Ricky Fuller, who proved a handful to tackle all night, for a 5-yard loss and a turnover on downs.
Rocky Mount Academy went directly back on the offensive, as a Wilson Community Christian facemask call at the end of a Lambert run moved the Eagles inside the red zone. Holland fought for 12 yards on 3rd-and-10, stiff-arming a defender to get four extra yards at the end of his run, and Jacob Braddy punched the ball in for a score from eight yards out on the next snap.
Spensir Heath got the Cyclones on the board late in the first quarter with a 65-yard touchdown catch from Grant Webb. Heath was Webb’s only threat on the perimeter, and Wilson Community Christian looked for the wide receiver often. Heath finished with five catches for 143 yards, but he could have finished with double that amount had he been able to haul in several more deep passes.
“I’d love to have that kid over here, nothing against the guys we’ve got,” Hudgins said.
For the most part, though, the Eagles held the Cyclones’ offense in check.
Wilson Community Christian managed just two first downs in the first half and 86 total yards; Fuller scored on a 77-yard kickoff return late in the first half.
Hudgins pulled several starters on defense after halftime, trying to preserve what is a banged-up group for next week’s trip to Southampton. The Cyclones took advantage of the new players in the second half, but final numbers don’t tell the full story.
“Even though we had some second-stringers there in the second half, I’m still looking for us to play a complete, four-quarter game,” Hudgins said. “We played maybe 2 1/2 tonight. They were 2 1/2 really, really good quarters, but it’s going to take four to put us back in the state title picture.”
The Eagles found another playmaker in junior running back Jared McCall, who found acres of running room in the second half on sweeps and outside runs. McCall finished with 178 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries.
Foster Lander can be
