Football -- Holloman, Briscoe run over Trojans

Published in Sports on August 22, 2004 2:01 AM

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KENLY -- The 2004 football season started off a lot like 2003 for North Johnston, except this time it wasn't even close.

The tag-team duo of quarterback Brad Holloman and tailback Adrian Briscoe combined to rush for 217 yards and three touchdowns as the Panthers literally ran South Johnston off the field in a 47-7 rout at Ben E. Strifert Stadium on Friday night.

"They (Holloman and Briscoe) played good, and they all did well tonight," said second-year North Johnston coach Ken Avent. "Our goal offensively tonight was not to have any turnovers and we didn't have any till late in the game, so we were pleased with that, it was a good showing."

Holloman finished with 131 yards total while Briscoe ran for 86 with 57 coming in the first quarter.

The beginning of year two of Avent's project included a striking ground attack that finished with a staggering 443 yards rushing with four Panther runners ending up with 50 or more yards on the night. Holloman, Briscoe, J.P. Wise and Josh Wentz all rushed for touchdowns.

The game was so lopsided that it made last year's season opener, a 36-24 win by North, seem almost like a barn burner.

North Johnston's defense tried to overshadow the offense by having its own stellar showing, only allowing 132 yards total, with the Trojans only earning 35 yards on 23 carries. It looked like just another game from 2003 for South Johnston as it continued a long losing streak with new coach Joe Salas.

"Defensively, we especially did a good job with all the trick stuff they ran," said Avent. "South Johnston did something that we haven't seen by spreading it out and throwing it. Our defense hasn't been around that, but they did a good job."

The Trojans tried to counter the Panthers' persistent running game with a short passing game that included several screen and flank passes that went for minimal gains. Scott Hockaday completed eight passes for 72 yards in the first half.

The purest display of North Johnston's dominance came in the second half when it managed a pair of touchdowns just 14 seconds apart. Holloman snuck out to the right side on a bootleg and kept it for a 36-yard scramble into the end zone.

Briscoe then returned the favor, this time on defense, when he intercepted Hockaday's pass on the following drive and took it -- oddly enough -- 36 yards into the end zone. The Panthers led 41-0 at that point.

Briscoe got the first touchdown of the game when he capped off runs of 21 yards and 11 yards to get North Johnston to the goal line with a single-yard scamper into the end zone. The touchdown occurred not long after the Panthers' Andre Oliver tackled South receiver Brandon Raines in the end zone for a safety.

The Panthers showed no signs of slowing down in their second drive of the quarter despite Holloman having a 40-yard touchdown run called back on an illegal block. The junior tailback Wise took it 12 yards into the end zone for a 15-0 Panther lead with two minutes remaining in the quarter.

North Johnston travels to Topsail next week in hopes of avenging last year's first-round playoff loss.

S. Johnston 0 0 7 0 -- 7

N. Johnston 15 13 19 0 -- 47

First quarter

NJ -- Safety, 7:00

NJ -- Briscoe 1 run (Ward kick), 5:19

NJ -- Wise 12 run (kick failed), 2:05

Second quarter

NJ -- Holloman 44 run (Stancil kick), 11:40

NJ -- Wise 1 run (kick failed), 4:04

Third quarter

NJ -- Holloman 36 run (Stancil kick), 10:05

NJ -- Briscoe 36 interception return (kick failed), 9:51

NJ -- Wentz 55 run (kick failed), 4:12

SJ -- Ruffin 5 pass from Hockaday (kick good), 0:10

SJ NJ

First downs 8 15

Rushes-yds 23-35 44-443

Passing yds 97 27

Total yards 132 470

Att.-Comp.-Int. 28-13-2 6-2-0

Fumbles-lost 4-1 2-2

Punts-avg 5-31.0 5-36.0

Penalties-yds 10-67 9-65

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- North Johnston -- Briscoe 12-86, 2 TDs; Holloman 5-131, TD; Cooper 7-54; Wentz 3-61, TD; Neal 7-38; Wise 5-27, 2 TDs; Britt 4-32. South Johnston -- Eason 13-58; Hockaday 10-(-10).

PASSING -- North Johnston -- Holloman 2-6-0 27. South Johnston -- Hockaday 13-28-2 102, TD.

RECEIVING -- North Johnston -- Holland 2-26. South Johnston -- Ruffin 6-69, TD; Eason 1-(-2); Bates 1-4; Raines 3-15.