James Kenan improves to 4-0

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on September 10, 2006 2:20 AM

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ROCKY POINT -- After three tense victories over Class 2-A teams to open the season, James Kenan's football team might have expected the usual breather against fellow 1-A member Heide Trask.

But the Tigers, ranked No. 5 in the latest AP poll, had to work for everything they got Friday night in a 20-0 triumph. It was their first shutout of the season but third straight blanking of Trask, whom they had outscored 148-6 the three previous seasons.

James Kenan is 4-0 for the first time since 1995, when it started 5-0. Trask is 1-1, including Monday night's win over Dixon.

The Tigers had a touchdown nullified on a penalty early in the second quarter and didn't put points on the board until there was 1:40 left in the first half.

Sophomore quarterback Alex Monk capped a 32-yard drive with a one-yard sneak, and Adin Del Cid booted the first of his two conversions to make it 7-0.

Kenan roared out of the gate in the second half when Stedman Mathis turned right end on the second play from scrimmage and went 59 yards to make it 14-0.

Jimmie Glaspie sparked a 74-yard drive late in the third quarter with runs of 10, 17 and 25 yards -- the latter for a touchdown with 55 seconds to go in the period.

The Tigers' inconsistent offense supported a stout defense -- the story of their first four games. JK allowed only 109 yards rushing and 185 in total offense.

Mathis led the Tigers in rushing with 104 yards on eight carries, Brandon Satchell had 93 yards on 11 attempts, and Glaspie netted 60 yards on six carries.

Monk averaged 43.5 yards on his four punts.

The Tigers have an open date next Friday and host Greene Central -- another tough 2-A team -- on Sept. 29 at Bill Taylor Field.