STORY: Rams explode early, answer Golden Falcons' rally

By Ben Coley
Published in Sports on August 29, 2016 1:49 PM

• Print
• Email

By BEN COLEY

bcoley@newsargus.com

PIKEVILLE -- Charles B. Aycock wished nothing more than to avenge a 57-point, shutout loss to Greene Central a year ago.

The Rams never granted the wish.

Unique Johnson's 10-yard touchdown run and Jackson Batchelor's TD pass to Taboris Bynum which covered 91 yards gave the visitors an early 13-point lead after one quarter.

GC found the end zone six more times and handed the Golden Falcons a 52-41 defeat at Hardy Talton Stadium.

Throughout the game, the Charles B. Aycock defense -- which allowed 13 points to Rosewood a week ago -- was tortured by Johnson and fellow running back Willie Edwards. The duo combined for 352 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.

"The great thing about them is they're both so versatile," GC head coach Allen Wooten said. "A lot of teams have a thunder and lightning, or power and speed. And they're both very powerful, very fast and have great vision. So if you have all those attributes in both backs, it's really difficult."

One of the most significant plays of the game came in the second quarter after CBA running back Caleb Gough received a pass from quarterback Jake Flowers and darted 62 yards to the end zone.

Gough dove into the end zone, which resulted in an unsportsmanlike penalty and automatic ejection.

"The official on our sideline told me it was a judgment call," Brooks said. "It was a judgment call, which you hate that a kid gets ejected on a judgment call. My kid said he thought he was getting ready to get tackled. The official saw it a different way. That's his call, and that's what we have to live with."

Trailing 32-13 midway through the third quarter, the Golden Falcons managed to whittle the Rams' lead to 32-27 thanks to a 77-yard kickoff return touchdown by junior Muhammad Brooks and a 19-yard rushing touchdown by senior Tim Farmer.

As a counter move, the Rams' relied on Johnson to carry the load. The senior shredded CBA with an 82-yard touchdown reception. Two minutes later, he punched in a two-yard rushing touchdown.

The Johnson-led scoring barrage extended the Rams' lead to 45-27. When CBA scored another touchdown via a Luke Frederick touchdown reception, the Rams' Edwards responded with a 49-yard rushing touchdown just a minute later.

Brooks acknowledged the strength of Greene Central's talented backfield, but was quick to add that his Golden Falcons failed to show mental toughness most of the night. His team lost three fumbles against the Rams.

Brooks and his squad will look to eliminate those unforced errors before facing North Lenoir next week.

"We have to practice better, we have to coach better and we have to play better," Brooks said. "We've got to get rid of the stupid penalties. Turnovers and penalties will kill any football team, and it cost us tonight. I just hope it doesn't cost us our season."

EXPLODING OFFENSE

* In last year's game, the Rams tallied 604 yards of total offense. On Friday, Greene Central put up 575 yards -- 337 on the ground and 238 through the air.

CBA is averaging 50 points through its first two games of the season. They notched 354 yards of total offense against Greene Central. Flowers threw two touchdowns and added one more on the ground. He now has five passing touchdowns on the season.

UNUSUAL SUSPECTS

* Last week against Rosewood, Chandler Matthews hauled in three touchdown receptions. On Friday, he was held to just four catches for 20 yards.

In the place of the ejected Gough, junior Michael Hemmingway rushed for just over 100 yards on 14 carries.

Damien Darden -- the N.C. State commit -- was targeted a few times by Flowers, but did not record a reception.

STREAKING RAMS

* Greene Central has now won three consecutive games against CBA with two wins coming in Pikeville. The Rams have outscored the Golden Falcons 136-61 in those three games.

NEXT

* CBA travels to La Grange to play North Lenoir which has lost two tough, close games to Eastern Wayne and Farmville Central.