Cougars' Jones picks up for absent teammate
By Ryan Hanchett
Published in Sports on November 14, 2010 1:51 AM
Goldsboro head football coach Eric Reid put his arsenal on display without his biggest gun Friday evening.
Freddie Jones broke loose for 220 yards and four touchdowns as Goldsboro routed Midway 44-0 in the opening round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1-AA Mideast playoffs at Cougar Stadium. Jones more than made up for the absence of backfield mate Andre Montgomery, who missed the game with post-concussion symptoms.
"Tuesday at practice we worked a lot on throwing the ball and afterward coach told me that (Montgomery) was going to be out," said Jones. "I knew I was going to get the ball a lot and I had to make up the difference."
With a stable of healthy backs in the mix, the decision to sit Montgomery for the opening-round game was easy for Reid.
"It was a win-win situation for me because our other guys really stepped up," said Reid. "Plus next week I get Andre back 100 percent healthy and ready to go."
The Raider defense provided little opposition early in the game as the Cougars (9-3 overall) drove the ball on each of their first three possessions. Jones broke a 30-yard scoring run on the opening drive and Darius Currie followed with an 11-yard scamper on the team's next series.
Jones capped the first quarter with a 16-yard burst as time expired. After a drive by the Midway offense provided no points, it was Jones again who broke free ... this time for a 90-yard touchdown.
"The big thing for us at that we didn't let up after we built the early lead," said Reid. "I didn't want the guys to get complacent and start to lose their focus."
Leading 27-0 at halftime, the Cougar offense provided the knockout punch on the first possession of the second half. Currie capped a five-play, 80-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown. Jones added a five-yard scoring run late in the quarter.
Alan Odom completed the scoring with 19-yard field goal in the final period.
The Cougars finished the game with 365 yards on the ground. Jones tallied 220 yards on 12 totes, while Currie added 115 on 11 carries. Corteiz Sprangle completed two passes for 77 yards.
Chad Allen led the Midway offense with 60 yards on 14 carries. Quarterback Barrett Sloan tallied 44 yards on six completions. The Raiders finished the game with 178 yards of total offense.
Goldsboro entertains James Kenan in second-round play Friday. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.
"I am excited to get up tomorrow, and look at the game tape and start breaking things down," said Reid. "We still have a long way to go to reach our goals and we know that each week it is going to get a little tougher."