Prep notebook: Strange call negates Eastern Wayne touchdown

By Staff Reports
Published in Sports on October 27, 2014 1:48 PM

• Print
• Email

HOLLYWOOD CROSSROADS -- A strange callback.

Trailing 14-7 early in the second quarter, Eastern Wayne took over at its own 49-yard line. KK Best's 25-yard run pushed the ball inside D.H. Conley's red zone, but a fumbled pitch on the next play resulted in a 14-yard loss.

The Warriors didn't give up.

Best rolled out of the pocket and fired a 33-yard touchdown pass to Malik Richards, who leapt over his defender caught the ball in the right corner of the end zone.

But the officials threw a flag.

Eastern Wayne was called for an illegal receiver downfield.

"We run a set (play) where we cover a receiver, they said he went out for the pass and I don't think he did," Warriors head coach Bubba Williams said. "He doesn't do it at practice and hasn't done it any other time this year. I'm interested in looking at the film and seeing (the play)."

Conley took over downs and extended its lead to 21-7 six plays later.

CBA up next

HOLLYWOOD CROSSROADS -- On to season No. 3.

A difficult early-conference schedule has left Eastern Wayne with a 6-2 worksheet. The Warriors have two games left -- county rivals Charles B. Aycock and Southern Wayne.

The outcomes determine the Warriors' seeding fate in the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A playoffs.

"We've got to get after a little bit better, we've got to tackle better and take care of the ball better ... normal fundamental stuff," Williams said. "Hopefully we can get hungry again."

Aycock leads the series 8-5 since 2001.

Finally healthy

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Friday's game against Rosewood was the first time Spring Creek head coach Aaron Sanders had a fully healthy line at his disposal.

And it showed.

The Gators were able to stack the line and get three or four offensive linemen moving to one side to open holes for running backs Gary Williams and Tre Hammonds.

On the defensive side, Spring Creek drew up a scheme where the nose tackle would line up over the center, but attack the guard for on Rosewood's offensive line. When the Eagles' center snapped the ball, they would chase the nose tackle -- who was already blocked by the guard -- leaving open a hole right through the middle for linebacker Jordan Hicks to run through and get in the backield.

"This was the first time we had a healthy line since Hobbton," SC coach Aaron Sanders said. "That allowed us to do some different things with our scheme and it helped."

Oops

SEVEN SPRINGS -- On a 4th-and-9 play in the fourth quarter, Spring Creek dropped back for a last hope heave to get points on the board.

Lewis Sampson threw the ball to the end zone, but overthrew his receiver Tre Hammonds, and Nick Martin made a nice grab for the interception. But Martin would have been better off letting it drop because instead of getting the ball near their own 40, the Eagles had to start inside their own five.

When defensive back Malique Boyd came off the field, he looked at head coach Robert Britt and joked "I need to go talk to him about that."

"Good. Go do that. Maybe someone can talk some sense into him," Britt responded.