Cougar offense comes alive in third period

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on August 26, 2011 1:47 PM

• Print
• Email

Goldsboro seemingly could do no wrong for seven dominating minutes Thursday evening.

Meanwhile, Eastern Wayne was left grasping for answers.

The Cougars scored 34 unanswered points in just seven minutes during the third quarter and rolled to a 58-14, non-conference win at Little Big Horn.

Goldsboro failed to convert on the game's first scoring opportunity as Alan Odom's 28-yard field goal midway through the first quarter was no good.

The Cougars and Warriors combined for 95 yards of penalties in a scoreless first quarter.

Goldsboro quarterback Julius Murphy found Sherrod Harvin in the corner of the end zone from 19 yards out early in the second quarter. Murphy's pass to Devante Harris on the two-point conversion gave the Cougars an 8-0 lead.

After Eastern Wayne failed to convert a fourth down in Goldsboro territory, Murphy's 74-yard touchdown pass to Karon Alston increased the lead to 16-0.

The Warriors stopped the Cougars' on their own 17-yard line and took over following a short punt. Shelton Pender's 17-yard touchdown run and his two-point conversion pulled Eastern Wayne to within 16-8 late in the second quarter.

Goldsboro outgained the Warriors 234-88 in the first half and the two teams were a combined 1 for 8 on third-down plays in the first two quarters.

Eastern Wayne recovered a fumble on the Cougars' 5-yard line early in the third quarter and Warriors' quarterback Avner Clark rumbled into the end zone from five yards out on the next play. Pender's two-point conversion attempt failed and Goldsboro hung on to a 16-14 lead.

Harris returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and Ricardo Woodard punched in the two-point conversion as the Cougars' lead grew to 24-14.

"That was a key moment for us," Goldsboro head coach Eric Reid said. "That really sparked us right back up and then the kids got pumped up. That was a nice momentum builder for us."

Following an Eastern Wayne punt, the Cougars needed just three plays to score as Murphy's 16-yard touchdown pass to Harvin stretched the lead to 30-14.

Rodney Cook's interception of Clark set up Harris' 3-yard touchdown run. Harris' two-point conversion pushed the lead to 38-14. Ricardo Woodard tacked on touchdown runs of 55 and eight yards as the margin swelled to 50-14.

"We went down 16-0 and we battled back," Eastern Wayne head coach Bubba Williams said. "Defensively, we played well until we folded and that's my fault. This one is on me. We keep quitting on ourselves. We've got to go back to the drawing board and keep building off of that."

Asunji Maddox added a 49-yard punt return for a touchdown in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter.

After being held to 115 yards rushing in last week's 61-12 loss to New Hanover, Goldsboro rushed for 227 yards and three touchdowns against the Warriors. Harris led the way with 89 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Murphy added 123 yards and three scores through the air.

The Cougars outgained the Warriors 350-120.

"It came to the point of us analyzing what we had to do," Reid said. "We worked on that all week and the main thing was blitz pickups. We have a scheme for our offensive linemen and if they abide by that scheme everything falls into place and tonight they showed that."

Eastern Wayne (0-2 overall) visits South Lenoir next Friday, while Goldsboro has a bye.