Warriors carry balanced offense into Aycock game

By Ryan Hanchett
Published in Sports on October 11, 2012 1:48 PM

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Eastern Wayne is not what most fans would call a star-studded football team.

There is no dynamic running back capable of breaking a long run on any given snap. The passing game is good, but not exactly prolific.

Maybe that is what makes the Warriors so hard to prepare for on Friday nights. Heading into a critical Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference game against archrival Charles B. Aycock, the Warriors are working on greasing the wheels of the team's offensive machine.

"We have a talented group of guys and they all bring something to the table athletically," Eastern Wayne head coach Bubba Williams said. "We can spread the ball around and try different guys until we hit on something that works."

Eastern Wayne (3-4 overall, 1-2 ECC) has a stable of capable athletes, many similar in skills and in stature. That gives Williams and his coaches plenty of options when it comes to designing the offense.

The Warriors have been at their best when balanced.

Quarterback Mitch Pike has amassed 879 yards through the air on 48 completions, including nine touchdowns, in seven games this season. The sophomore's favorite target has been Deshawn Boudy, who has caught 14 passes for 341 yards.

In the running game, the Warriors do not boast a tailback with over 300 yards on the season, but feature a corps of backs who share the carries. The team has rushed for 878 yards. Seven different players have registered carries, with Dayshawn Pridgen leading the way with 61 totes for 286 yards.

Hard-running Craig Smith had a coming out party last week in the Warriors' 46-14 win over Southern Wayne. Smith finished with 12 carries for 59 yards and two touchdowns.

"Craig was the guy that kind of got things started for us in the second half," Williams said. "Dayshawn had some nice runs and Lavoris (Vick) also got some yards late in the game last week. A lot of guys contributed."

The Warriors will need all of that offense if they plan to beat the Golden Falcons and take a big step toward a potential playoff spot. C.B. Aycock (3-5, 1-3) has been solid on both sides of the ball, but has failed to close teams out late in games.

The Golden Falcons average 19.2 points per game on offense and allow 22.5 points per game on defense. That is a very narrow margin for a team that is two games below .500.

"It's all going to come down to execution," Williams said. "On offense we have to get guys blocked and execute the plays whether it is passing or running. On defense we know we have to swarm to the ball and tackle as a team."

Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. at Little Big Horn.