Southampton dismantles Rocky Mount Academy
By Ethan Joyce
Sports Writer ROCKY MOUNT TELEGRAM
Saturday, October 15, 2016
On Friday night, the only football game going on in the Twin Counties featured two undefeated teams fighting for midseason supremacy.
Southampton Academy visited Rocky Mount Academy with high emotions on both sidelines. But in the matchup of two teams averaging more than 40 points per game, only one offense proved its dominance.
Behind quarterback Sam Rose, Southampton bulled through the Eagles’ defense to a 64-12 victory. Rose account for six touchdowns, three passing and three rushing, to hand RMA (7-1, 3-0 CIC) its first loss.
“We missed tackles, and they outcoached us tonight,” Rocky Mount Academy coach Terrell Hudgins said. “It was simple as that.
“Your points are going to get that high when you onside kick every time but once, but it was a great win for them and they were the better team tonight, clearly.”
Southampton’s success hinged on its ability to create big plays. In their first scoring series, the team assembled a 75-yard pass play from Rose to Brooks Holland. Their next score was a 38-yard run from Rose. And their third was another Rose run, this time for 3 yards, which was set up by a 24-yard play.
The Raiders were up 30 before RMA notched its first score. Rose finished with 225 yards passing and another 191 rushing.
“Sam is just a competitor,” Southampton coach Dale Marks said. “He’s not oversized or anything, but he’s got good quickness and decent speed. But he is just a smart kid.
“He is the type of kid any coach would want to have at quarterback.”
Southampton killed with efficiency in the second half. The Raiders snapped the ball 14 times in the final two quarters and scored four touchdowns. A 75-yard run kicked off the third on Southampton’s second play from scrimmage, and the following drive consisted of one play, 84-yard drive on another Rose touchdown.
Marks motivated his team all week with reminders of how a matchup like this could benefit the players in the playoffs. The fact the Raiders could potentially steal a homecoming win made them even more focused.
“I have always said to let me have everyone of my away games on someone’s homecoming,” Marks said. “I love playing on other peoples’ homecoming.
“You know how 16-, 17- and 18-year-old boys are: they have everything on their mind except for the football game. We just happened to fall on their homecoming, and that favored us.”
By Ethan Joyce
Sports Writer ROCKY MOUNT TELEGRAM
Saturday, October 15, 2016
On Friday night, the only football game going on in the Twin Counties featured two undefeated teams fighting for midseason supremacy.
Southampton Academy visited Rocky Mount Academy with high emotions on both sidelines. But in the matchup of two teams averaging more than 40 points per game, only one offense proved its dominance.
Behind quarterback Sam Rose, Southampton bulled through the Eagles’ defense to a 64-12 victory. Rose account for six touchdowns, three passing and three rushing, to hand RMA (7-1, 3-0 CIC) its first loss.
“We missed tackles, and they outcoached us tonight,” Rocky Mount Academy coach Terrell Hudgins said. “It was simple as that.
“Your points are going to get that high when you onside kick every time but once, but it was a great win for them and they were the better team tonight, clearly.”
Southampton’s success hinged on its ability to create big plays. In their first scoring series, the team assembled a 75-yard pass play from Rose to Brooks Holland. Their next score was a 38-yard run from Rose. And their third was another Rose run, this time for 3 yards, which was set up by a 24-yard play.
The Raiders were up 30 before RMA notched its first score. Rose finished with 225 yards passing and another 191 rushing.
“Sam is just a competitor,” Southampton coach Dale Marks said. “He’s not oversized or anything, but he’s got good quickness and decent speed. But he is just a smart kid.
“He is the type of kid any coach would want to have at quarterback.”
Southampton killed with efficiency in the second half. The Raiders snapped the ball 14 times in the final two quarters and scored four touchdowns. A 75-yard run kicked off the third on Southampton’s second play from scrimmage, and the following drive consisted of one play, 84-yard drive on another Rose touchdown.
Marks motivated his team all week with reminders of how a matchup like this could benefit the players in the playoffs. The fact the Raiders could potentially steal a homecoming win made them even more focused.
“I have always said to let me have everyone of my away games on someone’s homecoming,” Marks said. “I love playing on other peoples’ homecoming.
“You know how 16-, 17- and 18-year-old boys are: they have everything on their mind except for the football game. We just happened to fall on their homecoming, and that favored us.”
