Wayne Christian ends season with bragging rights in rout of Pungo Christian
By J. Mike Blake, HighSchoolOT Contributor
GOLDSBORO, N.C. — There was ice on the ground as Wayne Christian coach Luis Miranda addressed his football team one last time.
He had just received a Gatorade bath after a 56-12 shellacking of Pungo Christian in the season finale on Friday. The game had promised to be a showdown between the two best D2 8-man football teams in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association, and the Eagles had left no doubt.
However, Pungo Christian (3-1) will play in the NCISAA's D2 playoffs next week. Wayne Christian (3-0) will not.
By rule, having non-NCISAA athletes on a given team makes that team unable to participate in the NCISAA playoffs. Wayne Christian has had homeschool students on its team the last two seasons and has one this season.
This was always going to be it for Wayne Christian — and the Eagles went out with a bang.
Wayne Christian led 40-8 at halftime with a barrage of second-quarter touchdowns (the score was just 8-0 Eagles after the first quarter).
The Eagles scored two more touchdowns and got a safety in a second half that was played with a running clock.
Pungo Christian's two touchdowns came on a Tristan Mann to Fortino Beltran 32-yard pass in the second quarter and a Mann touchdown run late in the fourth.
For Wayne Christian, Trent Elliott had two touchdown runs, quarterback Devin Nixon had one, and Jayquan Curry ran in a 14-yard score and scored on a 61-yard punt return.
Through the air, Josh Sutton caught two touchdown passes from Nixon, from 72 and 38 yards out. Nixon also found Charles Williams on a 43-yard score for three passing touchdowns.
Wayne Christian's undefeated season may end without a trophy, but the Eagles have bragging rights after asserting their perch atop the state's D2 ranks.
With his shirt still drenched, Miranda repaid his team with a surprise of his own.
He told them that, because of their efforts, there would be a banner in the gym and championship rings to go around to commemorate their special season.
The team celebrated wildly. Then, a few minutes after when they broke down the huddle for one last time, there were tears from those too choked up to process the end of something as imperfectly perfect as a 3-0 season.
By J. Mike Blake, HighSchoolOT Contributor
GOLDSBORO, N.C. — There was ice on the ground as Wayne Christian coach Luis Miranda addressed his football team one last time.
He had just received a Gatorade bath after a 56-12 shellacking of Pungo Christian in the season finale on Friday. The game had promised to be a showdown between the two best D2 8-man football teams in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association, and the Eagles had left no doubt.
However, Pungo Christian (3-1) will play in the NCISAA's D2 playoffs next week. Wayne Christian (3-0) will not.
By rule, having non-NCISAA athletes on a given team makes that team unable to participate in the NCISAA playoffs. Wayne Christian has had homeschool students on its team the last two seasons and has one this season.
This was always going to be it for Wayne Christian — and the Eagles went out with a bang.
Wayne Christian led 40-8 at halftime with a barrage of second-quarter touchdowns (the score was just 8-0 Eagles after the first quarter).
The Eagles scored two more touchdowns and got a safety in a second half that was played with a running clock.
Pungo Christian's two touchdowns came on a Tristan Mann to Fortino Beltran 32-yard pass in the second quarter and a Mann touchdown run late in the fourth.
For Wayne Christian, Trent Elliott had two touchdown runs, quarterback Devin Nixon had one, and Jayquan Curry ran in a 14-yard score and scored on a 61-yard punt return.
Through the air, Josh Sutton caught two touchdown passes from Nixon, from 72 and 38 yards out. Nixon also found Charles Williams on a 43-yard score for three passing touchdowns.
Wayne Christian's undefeated season may end without a trophy, but the Eagles have bragging rights after asserting their perch atop the state's D2 ranks.
With his shirt still drenched, Miranda repaid his team with a surprise of his own.
He told them that, because of their efforts, there would be a banner in the gym and championship rings to go around to commemorate their special season.
The team celebrated wildly. Then, a few minutes after when they broke down the huddle for one last time, there were tears from those too choked up to process the end of something as imperfectly perfect as a 3-0 season.
