Wright runs wild as Gators notch first win

Published in Sports on September 5, 2006 2:01 PM

• Print
• Email

SEVEN SPRINGS -- After beginning the year with two losses in the wing-T offense, Spring Creek coach Roy Whitfield knew he had to do something different.

The Gators came out in the I-formation and ran all over Midway -- rushing for 262 yards in a 19-7 win at "The Swamp" on Labor Day. Senior tailback Josh Wright carried the ball 32 times for 227 yards and scored all three Spring Creek touchdowns.

While the Spring Creek offense was running on all cylinders, the Gator defense came up with big play after big play allowing Midway only one touchdown.

"We had some big stops on fourth down and we did not have many penalties like we did in the first two games," Whitfield said. "Midway plays hard and they've got a lot of tradition over there. They (Midway) just came off a big win over 2-A North Brunswick.

"My hat's off to our team. They did a great job."

The two teams traded punts to begin the game before Spring Creek scored the game's first touchdown in the opening quarter. The Gators started from their own 45 and scored in just six plays. Wright ran 21 yards for a first down before finishing off the drive with a 24-yard touchdown run.

Midway took the ensuing kickoff and moved inside the Gators' 10-yard line. The Spring Creek defense rose up and stopped Midway (1-1) for no gain on a fourth-down play at the three.

Spring Creek (1-2) took over on downs again at its own 13 in the second quarter after a fourth down Raider pass fell incomplete.

Trailing 7-0 after two quarters Midway finally got into the end zone on its first drive in the third quarter. Quarterback Tyler Fann ran and passed the Raiders down the field before running back Steven Strickland rambled for a 24-yard touchdown.

The score forced a 7-7 deadlock less than three minutes into the second half.

Spring Creek answered with an 11-play drive late in the third quarter as Wright dashed nine yards to paydirt to increase the Gators' lead to 13-7.

Midway looked as if it would pull even midway through the fourth quarter. However, the Gators' defense stepped up again as Alex Dunmire intercepted an errant Midway pass inside the 20 to stop another drive in the red zone.

Wright then sealed the victory for Spring Creek with a 50-yard scamper up the middle with just over two minutes left in the game for his third touchdown of the night.

Fann had a solid game both running and passing for the Raiders as the senior quarterback led Midway in rushing with 67 yards and also passed for 158.

First year Midway coach Paul Hall had high praise for the Gators.

"Give credit to Spring Creek. They played a good football game," he said. "They played solid and ran the ball between the tackles. Their game came together and ours did not."

Spring Creek will try and make it two straight on Friday night as it travels to Lakewood in Roseboro, while Midway hosts Princeton in its home opener.