Expected the unexpected when Aycock, Goldsboro battle on gridiron

By Allen Etzler
Published in Sports on September 12, 2014 1:48 PM

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aetzler@newsargus.com

PIKEVILLE -- The records can be thrown out this week.

It doesn't matter that Goldsboro is 0-3. Nor does it matter that Charles B. Aycock is 2-1 -- and should probably be 3-0.

Everyone knows it's going to be a battle when these two teams meet.

"Goldsboro's going to want to come out and beat us despite whatever their record is," CBA coach Steve Brooks said. "When you're county rivals, that's always going to be the case."

If anything, Goldsboro's record makes it a potentially more dangerous opponent. The Cougars are desperate for that first win and the players are hungry after a 22-15 loss to another county rival, Southern Wayne, last week.

To get head coach Bennett Johnson's first win as a head coach, the Cougars need their playmakers to make plays -- something they haven't done a great job of so far this season. And they'll have to do it against an improved Golden Falcons defense giving up 22.8 points per game.

A year ago CBA had a porous defense that surrendered 41.8 points per contest, but new defensive coordinator Allen Thomas has instilled a confidence and a swagger for the unheralded unit.

"They've really got these guys believing in themselves and making sure that they're all doing their jobs on each play," Brooks said. "It's a unit that's definitely gone unnoticed. Allen tells me every game just make sure we score 21 and we'll get it done."

The Cougars have noticed the improvement and understand what it will take to put points up on the board.

They can't rely on quick-strike plays.

"We're going to have to sustain drives to get down the field consistently and make things happen," Johnson said.

The offense, which has struggled to muster points for its first three games, made a tweak in the system for this week.

The Golden Falcons offense hasn't needed to make any tweaks.

"It all stops and starts with that quarterback," Johnson said.

That quarterback is TJ Morrow. The senior leads a potent Golden Falcons offense averaging 39.3 points a game. He's thrown for 628 yards and 10 touchdowns in just three games.

Both teams have had success through the air so far this season, and this game could see more passes than a college football game.

But neither coach will be totally pleased if they have to chuck the ball all over the field. They both have struggled to incorporate the run game into their respective game plans.

"I can't imagine either team just wants to drop back and throw it all game," Johnson said. "I know we're hoping to get the run game going. If we have to throw it 30 times, it usually means we're not having a great night offensively."