Eagles lead from start to finish
ROSS CHANDLER—ROCKY MOUNT TELEGRAM
Rocky Mount Academy dominated from the outset Friday night in a 49-2 football victory over visiting Halifax Academy. The Eagles found a more diverse offense this week, with six players accounting for the team’s seven touchdowns, head coach Terrell Hudgins said. In comparison, two players racked up three touchdowns each in the Eagles’ victory Aug. 19 over Bethel Christian Academy.
RMA wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Touchdown No. 1 came at the 9:50 mark in the first quarter when
senior Paul King pulled down a 32- yard scoring pass. Touchdown Nos. 2 and 3 came within seconds of each other only a few minutes later. First, starting from his own 31-yard line with about five minutes left in the first
period, junior Trey Smelcer pulled down a scoring pass from senior quarterback Christopher Rabil. Immediately after the Eagles recovered a Viking fumble on the first play of the next possession, Rabil hit senior
Josh Legaj for another score with about 4:20 left in the quarter.
The Eagles earned three touchdowns in the second quarter: another Smelcer reception and runs by senior Tyson Jones and sophomore Jacob Braddy.
With the clock continuously running from the start of the third quarter, RMA scored once more. Freshman Oliver Bissett sprinted into the end zone on a first-down run from the Halifax 20-yard line in the third quarter.
Halifax’s score, a safety, came in the first quarter when the Vikings sacked RMA junior Caleb Lambert.
What would have been a first-quarter Viking touchdown was nullified after on-field confusion among
game officials. Taking the kickoff after the Eagles’ third touchdown, Viking sophomore Harrison Hardee found
room along the visitors’ side of the field to dash from his own 4-yard line into the end zone with at least four Eagles defenders in close pursuit.
However, during the play, a whistle blew on the field; however, the action went on. Several Rocky Mount Academy players said they slowed up after hearing the signal. Officials initially said the whistle was inadvertently blown, but their subsequent conference near the RMA end zone ended in a decision to run the play again. This time, Halifax
senior Jarrett Smith was brought down after returning the kickoff to his own 45-yard line.
In the third quarter, tempers ran almost as high as the temperature. Hudgins went on the field more than once, loudly remonstrating with officials over what he said were late hits that went unpenalized. Equally upset that some
Eagles were doing the same, he called his team over to the sidelines at least twice.
“Stay out of their faces,” he told the players on one occasion, only to say again a few minutes later, “I just
told everybody to cut it out. When you hear the whistle, stop.”
ROSS CHANDLER—ROCKY MOUNT TELEGRAM
Rocky Mount Academy dominated from the outset Friday night in a 49-2 football victory over visiting Halifax Academy. The Eagles found a more diverse offense this week, with six players accounting for the team’s seven touchdowns, head coach Terrell Hudgins said. In comparison, two players racked up three touchdowns each in the Eagles’ victory Aug. 19 over Bethel Christian Academy.
RMA wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Touchdown No. 1 came at the 9:50 mark in the first quarter when
senior Paul King pulled down a 32- yard scoring pass. Touchdown Nos. 2 and 3 came within seconds of each other only a few minutes later. First, starting from his own 31-yard line with about five minutes left in the first
period, junior Trey Smelcer pulled down a scoring pass from senior quarterback Christopher Rabil. Immediately after the Eagles recovered a Viking fumble on the first play of the next possession, Rabil hit senior
Josh Legaj for another score with about 4:20 left in the quarter.
The Eagles earned three touchdowns in the second quarter: another Smelcer reception and runs by senior Tyson Jones and sophomore Jacob Braddy.
With the clock continuously running from the start of the third quarter, RMA scored once more. Freshman Oliver Bissett sprinted into the end zone on a first-down run from the Halifax 20-yard line in the third quarter.
Halifax’s score, a safety, came in the first quarter when the Vikings sacked RMA junior Caleb Lambert.
What would have been a first-quarter Viking touchdown was nullified after on-field confusion among
game officials. Taking the kickoff after the Eagles’ third touchdown, Viking sophomore Harrison Hardee found
room along the visitors’ side of the field to dash from his own 4-yard line into the end zone with at least four Eagles defenders in close pursuit.
However, during the play, a whistle blew on the field; however, the action went on. Several Rocky Mount Academy players said they slowed up after hearing the signal. Officials initially said the whistle was inadvertently blown, but their subsequent conference near the RMA end zone ended in a decision to run the play again. This time, Halifax
senior Jarrett Smith was brought down after returning the kickoff to his own 45-yard line.
In the third quarter, tempers ran almost as high as the temperature. Hudgins went on the field more than once, loudly remonstrating with officials over what he said were late hits that went unpenalized. Equally upset that some
Eagles were doing the same, he called his team over to the sidelines at least twice.
“Stay out of their faces,” he told the players on one occasion, only to say again a few minutes later, “I just
told everybody to cut it out. When you hear the whistle, stop.”
