Tigers silence critics about schedule

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on December 17, 2013 1:47 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

WINSTON-SALEM -- James Kenan's coaching staff and players heard the criticism all season about their schedule.

Most said it was too weak.

Others wondered how the Tigers would react in the playoffs when they faced a strong opponent.

All those suspicions were laid to rest Saturday afternoon. James Kenan twice rallied from a seven-point deficit and hammered West Montgomery 42-14 in the 2013 N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-AA state championship game at soggy BB&T Field.

"We talked about it in practice all the time, especially during the regular season," Kenan head coach Ken Avent Jr. said. "Some teams that you think you are going to beat pretty good, you can't relax. You've got to bring it in practice and that's what they did.

"(We) got stronger every week and I think it showed in the playoffs. We were better (now) than we were early in the year."

The Tigers recorded three shutouts, held two opponents to one touchdown apiece and surrendered just two TDs the final 12 quarters of regular-season play. The lone close call was a 19-18 triumph over county archrival Wallace-Rose Hill.

Senior back Marcelias Sutton sat out a few games with a deep thigh bruise. Other players missed some contests, but James Kenan stayed focused on its ultimate goal.

"We were winning games without me," said Sutton, who was added to the N.C. Shrine Bowl roster on Sunday. "When I got back in (the lineup), I just wanted to keep everybody on track and keep going like we were going."

Kenan dismantled Union in its opening-round postseason game, and survived a second-round, turnover-filled shootout against Princeton. The defense stepped up the next two weeks, and turned in strong performances against Whiteville and Wallace-Rose Hill.

Avent Jr. felt convinced those three consecutive tests undoubtedly helped prepare the Tigers for the state final against West Montgomery. James Kenan trailed by seven points twice in the first quarter before pulling away for an impressive 28-point victory over the No. 3-ranked Warriors.

But talk of competing against a weak schedule wasn't James Kenan's lone motivation. The senior class hadn't forgotten last year's home-field loss to eventual state champion Southwest Onslow in the eastern regional championship.

"This year, we took that (loss) to heart and just weren't going to go out like that (again)," JK senior linebacker Keevon Miller said. "It feels to good to win my senior year (and) we've got a perfect record."