FOOTBALL: Saints battle state-ranked Tigers for 4 quarters

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on August 23, 2016 1:49 PM

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DUDLEY -- Everybody's got a plan, the saying goes -- until they get punched in the mouth.

Southern Wayne skillfully expressed that prize-fighting proverb on Monday evening, stunning James Kenan with a first-quarter haymaker, then shadow-boxing the perennial 1-A powerhouse for the balance of a pulse-pounding, 28-20 loss at the Doyle Whitfield Athletic Complex.

Postponed last Friday because of inclement weather, the season-opening matchup for both teams proved worth the wait.

Southern Wayne (0-1 overall) opened quickly, marching 62 yards in 11 plays for the game's first score. Capped by Manny Walker's six-yard touchdown, the Saints promptly served notice the evening would be no casual stroll for the visiting Tigers.

"Since last season, that's what we've talked about," said newly-minted head coach Ronnie McClary, Jr.. "We've got to be mentally tough... Physically tough. Whoever we line up with, we should be able to punch in the mouth."

James Kenan responded in kind, however.

Following a dazzling display of assignment running by the electric Taquwan Henry, sophomore Donte Miller leveled matters with a six-yard touchdown burst of his own with just over two minutes remaining in the quarter.

On its next possession, a Southern Wayne fumble -- one of four on the evening -- gave the Tigers field position and allowed Henry to find paydirt at the tail end of a nine-play, 65-yard script that made the score 14-6.

"Halftime... we should've been down more than that," McClary, Jr. said. "It's the simple things -- mental mistakes, offsides, holding. Things like that... we did better in the second half."

As did the Saints' Manny Walker.

The senior was other-worldly over the final two quarters, compiling 107 hard-to-see yards on 10 bruising carries. His second touchdown made the score 14-12, and when fellow Saint DeAndre Wright crossed the goal line roughly eight minutes later, the Saints held a 20-12 advantage.

From there, however, the magic was short-lived.

A pick by Walker of second-string Kenan quarterback John Avent III was stalled by a blown snap on third and long. The subsequent turnover on downs signaled the end for Southern, which struggled to keep Henry and the Tiger rushing game at bay.

Following a 53-yard touchdown by junior Kashawn Hamilton, Henry sealed matters with an 82-yard outburst of his own -- a one-cut blur blessed in terminal velocity.

James Kenan 28, Southern Wayne 20.

""Good isn't good enough," McClary, Jr. said of the turnover-marred effort. "And we want to be great in everything we do."

ALL-PURPOSE

* The Saints' Manny Walker had quite the evening... the senior totaled 162 yards on 17 carries, filed two touchdowns, logged 50 return yards and picked off a James Kenan pass. The downside? Two fumbles.

NORTHBOUND TRAFFIC

* James Kenan's Taquwan Henry routinely got the edge and made the most of it, stock-piling a game-high 200 yards and two touchdowns on the evening. His effort translated into a 9.53 yards-per-carry average.

NO AIR SHOW

* The two teams combined for just eight pass attempts on the evening, totaling 16 yards and two interceptions.

NEXT UP

* A bye week for the Saints, who square off against county rival Goldsboro on Sept. 2. The Tigers also have a week off before visiting two-time defending 1-AA state champion Wallace-Rose Hill.å