Not so fast: RMA wins, keeps postseason hopes alive
By PATRICK MASON
Sports Writer
Friday, October 12, 2018
Needing a win to stay in contention for a postseason berth, Rocky Mount Academy secured its most important victory of the season.
The Eagles defeated visiting Southampton Academy (Va.), 29-18, on Friday after erasing an early 6-0 deficit.
“We just knew we had to win,” RMA senior Jacob Braddy said. “We had to give it everything we had and hope for the best.”
Based on records, RMA is now tied with the Raiders in the NCISAA Big 8 standings following the victory, but own the tiebreaker, which would give the Eagles the edge should the teams finish tied in the standings.
RMA (3-3, 2-3) was in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2011, and looked shaky at the start. The Eagles collected a pair of first downs but had their first two possessions stall around midfield.
Southampton Academy (4-4, 2-3) took a quick 6-0 lead on running back Ricky Evans’ 73-yard touchdown run. Braddy and the Eagles soon reeled in the Raiders and scored the next 29 points.
Braddy caught three passes for 80 yards and added 284 rushing yards and two touchdowns. His second score came on a wild play that coach Terrell Hudgins pulled out of the back page of the playbook.
On third-and-17, quarterback Isaiah Thomas fired a 10-yard pass to Caleb Chesis. The junior, despite being short of the first down, turned around and as he was being tackled tossed the ball to Braddy who ran the rest of the 53 yards for a touchdown.
It was a classic hook-and-ladder play, and the Eagles ran it to perfection and took the lead for good at 12-6.
“It’s a play we’ve been running for years, but I never ran it before,” Chesis said. “I knew what to do, and sure enough Isaiah throws it to me. I had my back to (the defender) and he nails me in the back, and as I’m going down I tossed it off to (Braddy). Sure enough, it worked out. It felt awesome.”
The Raiders would score on another long touchdown run by Evans — this one a 76-yard rush — and would add one final rushing touchdown but it wasn’t enough to catch the Eagles, who need one more win in the final week of the regular season to secure a postseason berth.
Three things
1. Rocky Mount Academy’s pass defense was on point throughout the game. Southampton Academy quarterback Wyatt Jernigan completed just one pass out of 15 attempts. That one completion went for one yard.
Jernigan was also intercepted by Eagles defensive back Mercer Boyette in the final seconds of the first half. Boyette’s play on defense gave him a chance at scoring some points, as his interception set up a 26-yard field goal that was kicked by Boyette. He drained it with zeros showing on the clock.
2. Rocky Mount Academy called a timeout to get the play right, then Southampton Academy called one to get the proper defense on the field.
But nothing could stop this Eagles play, which ended with lineman Chandler Gazaway catching a 3-yard touchdown pass from Thomas with 1:23 remaining in the first half. RMA came out in one set, then everybody moved to a different spot before the snap.
The confusion allowed Gazaway to leak out to the corner of the end zone where Thomas found the wide open lineman as the Eagles went up 19-6.
3. Southampton Academy lined up to punt four times, but only got three off successfully.
RMA’s Daniel Cooper was the problem on the Raiders’ second punt of the game. The 5-foot-6, 125-pound linebacker burst through the Southampton protection scheme and got a hand on the kick.
His block set up the Eagles’ first touchdown of the game, as Braddy went 38 yards for a touchdown one play later.
He said it
“This week we took practice really seriously. This was it if we didn’t come out on top. And for the seniors next week, that would have been their last game if we wouldn’t have won. They helped us get pumped up all week.” -- RMA junior Calen Chesis
Scoring plays
First quarter
SA — Ricky Evans 73 run (run failed), 6:07
RMA — Jacob Braddy 38 run (kick blocked), 1:10
Second quarter
RMA — Braddy 53 run (run failed), 5:42
RMA — Chandler Gazaway 3 pass from Isaiah Thomas (Mercer Boyette kick), 1:23
RMA — Boyette 26 FG, 0:00
Third quarter
RMA — Jackson Bryant 29 pass from Thomas (Thomas Boyette kick), 7:14
SA — Evans 76 run (pass failed), 6:52
Fourth quarter
SA — Montae Barrett 19 run (pass failed), 11:12
Up next
Cary Christian at Rocky Mount Academy, 7 p.m. Oct. 19. Southampton Academy at Raleigh St. David’s, 7 p.m. Oct. 19
By PATRICK MASON
Sports Writer
Friday, October 12, 2018
Needing a win to stay in contention for a postseason berth, Rocky Mount Academy secured its most important victory of the season.
The Eagles defeated visiting Southampton Academy (Va.), 29-18, on Friday after erasing an early 6-0 deficit.
“We just knew we had to win,” RMA senior Jacob Braddy said. “We had to give it everything we had and hope for the best.”
Based on records, RMA is now tied with the Raiders in the NCISAA Big 8 standings following the victory, but own the tiebreaker, which would give the Eagles the edge should the teams finish tied in the standings.
RMA (3-3, 2-3) was in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2011, and looked shaky at the start. The Eagles collected a pair of first downs but had their first two possessions stall around midfield.
Southampton Academy (4-4, 2-3) took a quick 6-0 lead on running back Ricky Evans’ 73-yard touchdown run. Braddy and the Eagles soon reeled in the Raiders and scored the next 29 points.
Braddy caught three passes for 80 yards and added 284 rushing yards and two touchdowns. His second score came on a wild play that coach Terrell Hudgins pulled out of the back page of the playbook.
On third-and-17, quarterback Isaiah Thomas fired a 10-yard pass to Caleb Chesis. The junior, despite being short of the first down, turned around and as he was being tackled tossed the ball to Braddy who ran the rest of the 53 yards for a touchdown.
It was a classic hook-and-ladder play, and the Eagles ran it to perfection and took the lead for good at 12-6.
“It’s a play we’ve been running for years, but I never ran it before,” Chesis said. “I knew what to do, and sure enough Isaiah throws it to me. I had my back to (the defender) and he nails me in the back, and as I’m going down I tossed it off to (Braddy). Sure enough, it worked out. It felt awesome.”
The Raiders would score on another long touchdown run by Evans — this one a 76-yard rush — and would add one final rushing touchdown but it wasn’t enough to catch the Eagles, who need one more win in the final week of the regular season to secure a postseason berth.
Three things
1. Rocky Mount Academy’s pass defense was on point throughout the game. Southampton Academy quarterback Wyatt Jernigan completed just one pass out of 15 attempts. That one completion went for one yard.
Jernigan was also intercepted by Eagles defensive back Mercer Boyette in the final seconds of the first half. Boyette’s play on defense gave him a chance at scoring some points, as his interception set up a 26-yard field goal that was kicked by Boyette. He drained it with zeros showing on the clock.
2. Rocky Mount Academy called a timeout to get the play right, then Southampton Academy called one to get the proper defense on the field.
But nothing could stop this Eagles play, which ended with lineman Chandler Gazaway catching a 3-yard touchdown pass from Thomas with 1:23 remaining in the first half. RMA came out in one set, then everybody moved to a different spot before the snap.
The confusion allowed Gazaway to leak out to the corner of the end zone where Thomas found the wide open lineman as the Eagles went up 19-6.
3. Southampton Academy lined up to punt four times, but only got three off successfully.
RMA’s Daniel Cooper was the problem on the Raiders’ second punt of the game. The 5-foot-6, 125-pound linebacker burst through the Southampton protection scheme and got a hand on the kick.
His block set up the Eagles’ first touchdown of the game, as Braddy went 38 yards for a touchdown one play later.
He said it
“This week we took practice really seriously. This was it if we didn’t come out on top. And for the seniors next week, that would have been their last game if we wouldn’t have won. They helped us get pumped up all week.” -- RMA junior Calen Chesis
Scoring plays
First quarter
SA — Ricky Evans 73 run (run failed), 6:07
RMA — Jacob Braddy 38 run (kick blocked), 1:10
Second quarter
RMA — Braddy 53 run (run failed), 5:42
RMA — Chandler Gazaway 3 pass from Isaiah Thomas (Mercer Boyette kick), 1:23
RMA — Boyette 26 FG, 0:00
Third quarter
RMA — Jackson Bryant 29 pass from Thomas (Thomas Boyette kick), 7:14
SA — Evans 76 run (pass failed), 6:52
Fourth quarter
SA — Montae Barrett 19 run (pass failed), 11:12
Up next
Cary Christian at Rocky Mount Academy, 7 p.m. Oct. 19. Southampton Academy at Raleigh St. David’s, 7 p.m. Oct. 19
