Never in doubt: Faith Christian fools Raleigh Grace in shutout
By PATRICK MASON
Sports Writer
Thursday, September 27, 2018
Raleigh Grace Christian looked lost.
The Faith Christian football team might as well have handed the Eagles a broken compass, a blank map and spun them around a few times.
The Patriots were in full control on Thursday as they dominated both sides of the ball in a 56-0 conference win over Raleigh Grace Christian at Faith Christian School. The game was called midway through the third quarter with lightning in the area, but there was no changing this outcome.
“We’re getting into the territory where we are becoming what I thought we could be offensively,” FCS coach Russell Weinstein said after his team produced 377 yards of offense.
The Patriots (4-1, 2-1 Big 8) have come a long way from their wide-eyed beginnings as a first-year program a season ago. On Thursday, the Patriots were able to run Weinstein’s intricate offense which was a long time in the making.
On nearly every offensive play, the Patriots would come out in a set, only to change their look before quarterback Sam Mills called for the snap. On some occasions, Mills would line up under center with a running back behind him, then trot back to a shotgun set flanked by two running backs.
Sometimes FCS would go with a heavy package with six blockers, before sending a pass catcher out wide. On each play the offense would change shape, sending the RGC defense into chaos.
“They do have to recognize what’s going on,” Weinstein said of opposing defenses who try to decipher what the Patriots will do. “Then they make their adjustments from one thing to another because they don’t know if we’re going to run a play in that first offensive set we get in. So there are some things you have to do to prepare for us.”
The different looks even caused the Eagles (1-2, 1-2 Big 8) to be one man short on defense during the Patriots’ final touchdown of the game, as the RGC coaches and players were confused as to what defense should be on the field.
“You can tell they were confused a little bit,” said FCS running back Hobart Brantley, who rushed for 199 yards and a touchdown. “But I just go off my blocks, and the o-line did great tonight. It’s easy to get into a rhythm when the defense keeps getting stops and stops and stops.”
The Patriots defense posted its first shutout of the season, and did so with the help of turnovers and a relentless pass rush. FCS recovered a fumble, forced three punts, and Garrett Pannell had two of the Patriots’ three interceptions.
Shaikey Hardy had the other interception, and also ran for 49 yards and a score. Quarterback Sam Mills ran for two touchdowns and threw for two more, and Landon Lewis scored a 19-yard rushing touchdown on his only carry.
Three things
1. FCS has been able to hit on big passing plays as the offense develops in setting up the defense. Mills attempted just six passes on Thursday and completed four for 85 yards and two touchdowns. He found Zach Warrick for a 30-yard score and Pannell for a 22-yard strike in the first half.
“We don’t pass the ball a lot,” Weinstein said, “but we’re effective when we pass.”
In the previous game, a Sept. 12 win against Rocky Mount Academy, Mills was 4-of-5 passing with four touchdowns.
2. FCS was flagged for six penalties that cost 55 yards. Four of those — and the resulting 30 yards — came on one offensive drive.
The Patriots began their second offensive series at the 50-yard line, and needed 13 plays to score when Mills ended the marathon drive with an 11-yard scramble for a touchdown. FCS was called for two holding penalties and back-to-back false starts, which at one point pushed the down-and-distance to a third-and-19.
Mills connected with Warrick, for one of his two passes that didn’t go for scores, on a 22-yard gain that set up a first down. On that drive alone, FCS converted three times on third down.
3. The Eagles didn’t have a drive end with a positive result all game.
Of the nine RGC drives, the best outcome was a trio of punts. Here’s how the nine offensive drives for the Eagles ended: lost fumble, punt, interception, interception, safety, punt, punt, interception, downs.
In all, the Patriots defense held RGC to 32 total yards of offense.
He said it
“When you have the backs that we got, and the quarterback can run the ball, it ain’t no magic. Just block a little bit and give these guys the ball and let them do their thing,” Weinstein said.
Scoring plays
First quarter
FCS — Hobart Brantley 14 run (run failed), 10:02
FCS — Sam Mills 11 run (Mills run), 3:00
FCS — Garrett Pannell 22 pass from Mills (Mills run), 1:58
FCS — Brantley 96 run (run failed), :00
Second quarter
FCS — Safety, 8:55
FCS — Zach Warrick 30 pass from Mills (run failed), 8:43
FCS — Mills 2 run (run failed), 2:20
FCS — Landon Lewis 19 run (run failed), 33.8
Third quarter
FCS — Shaikey Hardy 22 run (Hardy run), 8:10
Up next
Faith Christian travels to Southampton Academy on Oct. 5. RGC hosts Raleigh St. David’s on Oct. 5.
By PATRICK MASON
Sports Writer
Thursday, September 27, 2018
Raleigh Grace Christian looked lost.
The Faith Christian football team might as well have handed the Eagles a broken compass, a blank map and spun them around a few times.
The Patriots were in full control on Thursday as they dominated both sides of the ball in a 56-0 conference win over Raleigh Grace Christian at Faith Christian School. The game was called midway through the third quarter with lightning in the area, but there was no changing this outcome.
“We’re getting into the territory where we are becoming what I thought we could be offensively,” FCS coach Russell Weinstein said after his team produced 377 yards of offense.
The Patriots (4-1, 2-1 Big 8) have come a long way from their wide-eyed beginnings as a first-year program a season ago. On Thursday, the Patriots were able to run Weinstein’s intricate offense which was a long time in the making.
On nearly every offensive play, the Patriots would come out in a set, only to change their look before quarterback Sam Mills called for the snap. On some occasions, Mills would line up under center with a running back behind him, then trot back to a shotgun set flanked by two running backs.
Sometimes FCS would go with a heavy package with six blockers, before sending a pass catcher out wide. On each play the offense would change shape, sending the RGC defense into chaos.
“They do have to recognize what’s going on,” Weinstein said of opposing defenses who try to decipher what the Patriots will do. “Then they make their adjustments from one thing to another because they don’t know if we’re going to run a play in that first offensive set we get in. So there are some things you have to do to prepare for us.”
The different looks even caused the Eagles (1-2, 1-2 Big 8) to be one man short on defense during the Patriots’ final touchdown of the game, as the RGC coaches and players were confused as to what defense should be on the field.
“You can tell they were confused a little bit,” said FCS running back Hobart Brantley, who rushed for 199 yards and a touchdown. “But I just go off my blocks, and the o-line did great tonight. It’s easy to get into a rhythm when the defense keeps getting stops and stops and stops.”
The Patriots defense posted its first shutout of the season, and did so with the help of turnovers and a relentless pass rush. FCS recovered a fumble, forced three punts, and Garrett Pannell had two of the Patriots’ three interceptions.
Shaikey Hardy had the other interception, and also ran for 49 yards and a score. Quarterback Sam Mills ran for two touchdowns and threw for two more, and Landon Lewis scored a 19-yard rushing touchdown on his only carry.
Three things
1. FCS has been able to hit on big passing plays as the offense develops in setting up the defense. Mills attempted just six passes on Thursday and completed four for 85 yards and two touchdowns. He found Zach Warrick for a 30-yard score and Pannell for a 22-yard strike in the first half.
“We don’t pass the ball a lot,” Weinstein said, “but we’re effective when we pass.”
In the previous game, a Sept. 12 win against Rocky Mount Academy, Mills was 4-of-5 passing with four touchdowns.
2. FCS was flagged for six penalties that cost 55 yards. Four of those — and the resulting 30 yards — came on one offensive drive.
The Patriots began their second offensive series at the 50-yard line, and needed 13 plays to score when Mills ended the marathon drive with an 11-yard scramble for a touchdown. FCS was called for two holding penalties and back-to-back false starts, which at one point pushed the down-and-distance to a third-and-19.
Mills connected with Warrick, for one of his two passes that didn’t go for scores, on a 22-yard gain that set up a first down. On that drive alone, FCS converted three times on third down.
3. The Eagles didn’t have a drive end with a positive result all game.
Of the nine RGC drives, the best outcome was a trio of punts. Here’s how the nine offensive drives for the Eagles ended: lost fumble, punt, interception, interception, safety, punt, punt, interception, downs.
In all, the Patriots defense held RGC to 32 total yards of offense.
He said it
“When you have the backs that we got, and the quarterback can run the ball, it ain’t no magic. Just block a little bit and give these guys the ball and let them do their thing,” Weinstein said.
Scoring plays
First quarter
FCS — Hobart Brantley 14 run (run failed), 10:02
FCS — Sam Mills 11 run (Mills run), 3:00
FCS — Garrett Pannell 22 pass from Mills (Mills run), 1:58
FCS — Brantley 96 run (run failed), :00
Second quarter
FCS — Safety, 8:55
FCS — Zach Warrick 30 pass from Mills (run failed), 8:43
FCS — Mills 2 run (run failed), 2:20
FCS — Landon Lewis 19 run (run failed), 33.8
Third quarter
FCS — Shaikey Hardy 22 run (Hardy run), 8:10
Up next
Faith Christian travels to Southampton Academy on Oct. 5. RGC hosts Raleigh St. David’s on Oct. 5.
