STORY: Falcons overwhelm Saints

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on October 22, 2016 11:24 PM

• Print
• Email

DUDLEY -- Play like your hair is on fire.

The phrase, long a staple item in the coach speak desk reference manual, is often tossed about in locker rooms and during press obligations as a means of scaring up intensity.

Suffice to say, South Central has heard the soundbyte.

And the Falcons expressed their charm with aplomb Friday evening, scoring each of their eight touchdowns in five plays or less en route to a 59-14 thrashing of Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference foe Southern Wayne at famed Doyle Whitfield Athletic Complex.

From the outset, the maroon-and-black were incendiary.

South Central quarterback Dexter McDuffie began quickly on his team's opening possession, rushing twice in hocus-pocus rhythm for 46 hashmarks and the game's first score. A successful PAT by Matthew Tawney gave the Falcons a quick 7-0 advantage.

But Southern Wayne, playing in front of a raucous senior night audience, was quick to reply.

Following a Falcon punt, Saints quarterback Quentin Carlton methodically directed the hosts on a seven-play, 47-yard scoring drive that ended with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Will Newsome.

The subsequent PAT was blocked, and McDuffie and Co. took matters from there.

Emannuel Lewis dashed off tackle for a 61-yard paydirt token, and was followed in short order by McDuffie's 20-yard TD outburst with 9:40 remaining in the half. And following a stalled drive by Southern Wayne, the Falcons filed yet another strike -- a surface-to-air, 58-yard go route completed by McDuffie to speedster Jeremy Lewis.

Now on the edge of scramble mode, the Saints embarked on a manic, 12-play scoring drive that ended when a Carlton fumble near the goal line was recovered by tackle Donald Wilson in the end zone. After a successful 2-point conversion by Manny Walker, Southern trailed 31-14.

And when their final drive of the half -- a penalty-laden ground effort -- dissolved in a blanket of penalty flags, the writing on the scoreboard was apparent for the Southern Wayne faithful.

Falcons 31, Saints 14. Done and done.

"We weren't mentally prepared," said SW head coach Ronnie McClary. "Psychologically, we weren't here. Any time we get the ball within the 10 (and don't score)... our mind's on the other side of town."

Unfortunately, the second stanza offered more of the same fare.

The matchup evolved in the familiar cadence of a blowout, and witnessed the Falcons induce a running clock with their final touchdown of the evening -- a three yard burst from McDuffie at the 1:39 mark of the third quarter.

South Central's performance -- diverse and unrelenting -- was a bitter pill for the Saints, who wore long expressions throughout the game's closing minutes, and who then received a terse bit of counsel by their head coach, who deemed the effort unacceptable.

"Whatever's supposed to be in their mind, wasn't here... (and) if you say "if," (that means) it's already happened... it's all about heart and guts. Our heads went down," he said.

The victory moved South Central to 4-5 on the season, and 1-3 in conference play. Southern Wayne fell to 1-7 and remains winless in league contests.

OPENING CURTAIN

* South Central struck early and often Friday night, running just 14 offensive plays in the first half en route to 31 points -- compared to 71 by Southern Wayne, who managed just two scores.

MCDUFFIE'S MOMENT

* The SC junior simply did it all, rushing eight times for 113 yards and four touchdowns. He also completed 7 of 8 passes for 210 yards and three scores.

SOUTHERN FRIED

* The Saints chewed up their own scoring opportunities, stalling on quality drives via the yellow hanky... in the first half alone, SW was whistled for 13 penalties -- including three inside the seven-yard line as their final drive expired with the clock.

WHO'S GOT NEXT?

* South Central will enjoy its bye next week, and will face D.H. Conley on November 4. Southern Wayne travels to Conley on Tuesday.