Story -- Midway at Rosewood

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on September 6, 2016 1:48 PM

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Standing under an umbrella as a light rain fell over Branch Pope Field last Thursday evening, Rosewood head football coach Robert Britt had no doubts his team could move the ball against Midway's defense.

He was right.

When the suspended game resumed play Monday evening, the Eagles polished off a textbook 54-yard drive with Tron Blue's 4-yard touchdown burst. The short run closed the gap to 18-7.

But Midway's offense was just as good.

The unbeaten Raiders responded with a four-touchdown performance over the final 31-plus minutes and cruised to a 46-13, non-conference win.

"You can't continue to blame stuff on youth. We're getting a little bit older every game, but we're still making mistakes that by now we shouldn't be making," Britt said. "Every mistake we make, I think, gets us a little bit closer to where we need to be to be a better football team. I told the guys that after the game.

"We're not far."

Rosewood's defense yielded 428 yards of total offense. Midway running backs Jake Clark and Shaking Warren combined for 264 yards and four TDs.

The unit permitted quarterback Austin Raynor to throw three fourth-down touchdown passes - one each in the first, second and third quarters. Raynor ended the night 7 of 13 for 136 yards.

"If we can get off the field those three scores, it's a much closer game," Britt said. "We were having a hard time there. The kids are still upbeat. We've just got to find a way to get better."

The Eagles (0-3 overall) turned the ball over on downs on three occasions, lost three fumbles and converted just two of nine third-down attempts. The lone returning starter in the backfield, senior quarterback Cameron Helt converted a third-and-goal situation into a 4-yard TD scramble in the second half.

Helt finished with 117 yards rushing and just 2 passing.

The Eagles (0-3 overall) continued to develop Blue, a first-year starter, in the backfield. The 170-pounder had difficulty sniffing out open real estate on some plays, but managed to churn out 76 yards on 25 totes against a gang-tackling Midway defense.

"I feel like we're a better team than what we're showing, but, on the other hand, we've got a good group of guys," Britt said. "This (start) would really be frustrating if I felt like there is a lack of effort. There are times where I see them execute things that they're taught, they've just got to get more consistent."

Oh, those growing pains.

THE NUMBERS

Midway won its fifth straight in the series and 27th overall in 38 meetings against the Eagles since 1973. The Raiders' three wins this season have come against Carolina 1-A Conference teams Hobbton, Princeton and RHS by a combined score of 134-82.

MORE NUMBERS

The Raiders averaged 7.4 yards per down, while the Eagles averaged 3.8. The teams combined to run 112 offensive plays on total of 22 possessions. The teams traded fumbles on three of the final four offensive series of the game.

APPLICATIONS BEING ACCEPTED

Britt is looking for someone to assist Blue in the backfield.

Alex Godwin had three carries against Midway, while Michael Reed had one. Reed is a key linebacker on defense.

NEXT

Lejeune (0-3) comes into Branch Pope Field on Friday, while Midway continues a stretch of three consecutive road games at Sampson County rival Lakewood.