Bulldogs dominate Tigers

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on November 7, 2004 2:02 AM

• Print
• Email

TEACHEY -- The highly-anticipated matchup between Class 1-A Super Six heavyweights Wallace-Rose Hill and James Kenan never materialized before a standing-room-only crowd of 1,500-plus fans at Thell B. Overman Field.

In fact, you could say the championship tilt went to the Dogs -- literally.

The host Bulldogs (9-2) converted five of seven turnovers into five touchdowns and dealt the Tigers an embarrassing 63-0 defeat in the 49th installment of their annual rivalry. Wallace-Rose Hill seized its fourth straight Super Six title and either a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the east for the N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs.

Just seconds before James Kenan headed back onto the field to start the fourth quarter, coach Kevin Motsinger encouraged his team to fight hard.

"This ain't been our night, but we're going to see this through," he said. "Our offense is too dad-gum good to leave a zero up there (on the scoreboard)."

But the Tigers did.

They fumbled away their two best scoring opportunities in the second half and each led to a Wallace-Rose Hill touchdown. The Bulldog defense preserved its fourth consecutive shutout in Super Six play and dropped its league-leading scoring defensive average to 4.25 points per game.

Motsinger had no answer. He shook his head in bewilderment when asked where the Tigers were who had won five straight games and come from behind twice in the last two weeks against Hobbton and Union, respectively.

"I was hoping you knew," he said. "I have no idea."

James Kenan managed a season-low 101 yards rushing and finished with 159 yards overall. The Tigers (9-2, 4-1 Super Six) entered the contest averaging better than 300 yards total offense. Nine players carried the ball at least one time with Brandon Satchell emerging the top rusher with 47 yards on 13 carries.

Motsinger's team ran 23 more offensive plays than the Bulldogs, who claimed their sixth straight victory in the series and fourth straight shutout against the Tigers at home. However, James Kenan averaged just 2.4 yards per play and successfully converted four third-down conversions in 12 attempts.

"I've never seen anything like this in my life," Motsinger said. "We had some bad things happen there at the beginning. We had chances and the ball didn't bounce our way. We kind of just said 'here it goes again.' When that happened, it snowballed on us.

"You can't make mistakes against any team in a championship game. When you play one as good and as fast as they are ..."

Wallace-Rose Hill forced punts on James Kenan's first two possessions. The Bulldogs took advantage of short-field situations, starting one scoring drive at the Tiger 33-yard line and the other at the 44-yard line. Less than six minutes into the game, Wallace-Rose Hill had run just six offensive plays and owned a 12-0 lead.

The teams traded turnovers before a crucial fumble gave the Bulldogs, ranked No. 7 in the latest Associated Press prep poll, considerable momentum. Tiger quarterback Kelvin Miller received the snap and it bounced off his foot into the waiting hands of Nathaniel Irving. Irving scooped up the ball and scampered 21 yards to the end zone.

The turnover ignited a 26-point, second-quarter outburst for the Bulldogs.

"It just wasn't our night," Motsinger said.

James Kenan, ranked No. 5 in the AP prep poll, finished the game without Miller and Ronnie Williams. Miller sustained a severe neck injury that required a precautionary trip to the hospital. Williams sustained a severe ankle injury in the opening quarter, and did not return. The Duplin County EMS transferred a third Tiger player to the hospital after the game, but Motsinger had no initial report on the injury.

James Kenan 0 0 0 0 -- 0

Wallace-RH 12 26 13 12 -- 63

First quarter

WRH -- Coston 10 run (kick failed), 8:05

WRH -- Carr 44 run (pass failed), 6:32

Second quarter

WRH -- Irving 21 fumble return (run failed), 9:33

WRH -- Edwards 29 run (Edwards run), 5:40

WRH -- Irving 98 interception return (run failed), 2:38

WRH -- Coston 12 run (run failed), 1:43

Third quarter

WRH -- Coston 1 run (kick blocked), 6:27

WRH -- Cavenaugh 23 pass from And. Bowden (Bradshaw kick), 0:12.0

Fourth quarter

WRH -- M. Evans 15 run (kick failed), 5:54

WRH -- Kornegay 62 fumble return (kick failed), 1:38

JK WRH

First downs 13 15

Rushes-yds 44-101 39-274

Passing yds 58 37

Total yards 159 314

Att.-Comp.-Int. 21-8-2 3-2-0

Fumbles-lost 6-5 2-1

Punts-avg. 5-27.4 3-26.7

Penalties-yds 4-23 7-55

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- James Kenan -- Merriman 2-5; R. Williams 2-5; Benson 2-(-6); Flores 2-6; Miller 9-21; Satchell 13-47; Glaspie 9-45; Kennion 4-(-5); Bass 1-(-17). Wallace-Rose Hill -- Coston 13-64, 3 TDs; Edwards 9-54, TD; Carr 2-52, TD; Hall 4-25; And. Bowden 1-(-4); J. Evans 4-51; M. Evans 5-29, TD; Kornegay 1-3.

PASSING -- James Kenan -- Miller 4-12-2 36; Bass 1-3-0 4; Kennion 3-6-0 18. Wallace-Rose Hill -- Andrew Bowden 2-3-0 37, TD.

RECEIVING -- James Kenan -- Sutton 1-7; Kennion 2-13; Satchell 3-38; Glaspie 1-2; Benson 1-(-2). Wallace-Rose Hill -- Cavenaugh 1-23, TD; Edwards 1-14.