Goldsboro holds off C.B. Aycock

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on September 8, 2012 11:29 PM

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PIKEVILLE -- A pair of turnovers left Charles B. Aycock walking wounded on Friday night.

The third giveaway put the nail in the coffin.

Goldsboro took advantage of three Golden Falcons' turnovers and survived for a 14-7 victory at Hardy Talton Stadium.

Aycock took the game's opening drive and marched 77 yards in 11 plays. Austin Snowden's 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end A.J. Mundle put the Golden Falcons in front 7-0.

The Cougars (2-1 overall) recovered an Aycock fumble on the Golden Falcons' 29-yard line midway through the second quarter. Goldsboro cashed in the turnover when Julius Murphy hit Rasheed Malette on a screen pass and Malette raced 29 yards to the end zone.

Malette added 146 yards on the ground on 18 carries.

"We made a challenge to our guys to establish a running game tonight and I think we did," Cougars' head coach Eric Reid said. "I'm proud of them. I think our running game opened up in the second half because Aycock knew that they had to defend against our passing game."

Murphy capped a 90-yard drive with a 32-yard touchdown pass to James Clyde on fourth down from the Golden Falcons' 6-yard line just before halftime. Murphy finished 13 for 32 passing for 162 yards and two touchdowns.

"I have to compliment my receivers because they were catching the ball and working with me," Murphy said. "My offensive line was giving me time to pass. The touchdown pass on fourth down, that was just our line and our receivers knowing what we are going to do together as a team."

Aycock (2-2) drove to the Goldsboro 37-yard line midway through the fourth quarter before Snowden threw a costly interception. The Golden Falcons' final possession started at their own 15-yard line with fewer than three minutes to play. Aycock reached its own 36-yard line before the Cougars recovered a fumble that sealed the ballgame.

Goldsboro outgained the Golden Falcons 363-193 despite converting just 3 of 10 third-down attempts.

"When two good football teams get together and one team turns the ball over and the other doesn't that is going to spell your demise every time," Aycock head coach Randy Pinkowski said. "We just turned the ball over at some of the most inopportune times."