PREP FOOTBALL: Cougars prevail in James' debut -- a second look

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on August 21, 2017 7:11 AM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

NEWTON GROVE -- A soft-southern wind rustled through the tree leaves, but provided little comfort in the sweltering heat Friday evening.

Elvin James stood with two assistant coaches.

They watched Goldsboro's players -- decked in tightly-fitting warm-up shirts, pad-filled pants, cleats and helmets -- go through their pre-game stretch routine.

No bulbometer was needed this day.

The forecast? Hot and sticky with no relief in sight until the blistering sun set in the west.

Cans of insect spray become a premium -- a prevention against hungry mosquitoes who thrive in the wet conditions.

Three chirps come from James' whistle.

Water break.

A squeeze of the bottle offered a short cool-tasting squirt of relief, soon to get sweated out again when station-drill work began. Beads of sweat popped out on his brow and a smile creased his lips while James walked around the rain-soaked turf that squished underneath his shoes.

He stopped momentarily to correct a technique.

On occasion, he'd glance toward the south end zone where Hobbton's players went through their customary pre-game grind.

Three more chirps.

Another water break.

The game clock dropped underneath 15 minutes before kickoff.

Goldsboro trotted toward the locker room, eager to savor some cool air until it returned to the stadium. Fans shouted their support. One exalted "Cougar Pride!" as the last player cleared the field.

Cleats scratched the concrete surface.

Still 10-plus minutes on the clock.

*

The captains meet at midfield.

The first coin toss of the season favors the Wildcats. They opt to receive the ball test the Cougars' defense.

The announcer asks everyone to stand, remove their headgear and honor a nation under current turmoil and divisiveness as the national anthem is played. Helmet in one hand and the other hand placed over their hearts, the Cougars silently stand as Old Glory lightly waves in the end zone.

Once the revered -- and difficult-to-sing-in-tune song ends -- the final seconds tick off the clock.

"Kickoff team!"

The group gathers and listens to last-minute instructions.

Seconds later, the pigskin floats end over end and Goldsboro instantly snuffs the return.

Game on.

*

For the next 24 minutes, the Cougars display a passion and determination that had disappeared over the past previous seasons. They played as one unit -- on offense and defense.

"The kids pushed beyond the heat and humidity, they were drained ... they stayed focused," James said. "We ran the ball like I felt we could and that's what I feel good about the unity of the team. They encouraged each other, they picked each other up when we had a few adversities.

"I really like the cohesiveness."

Unlike previous years, neither selfishness nor frustration reared its ugly head. Goldsboro's running backs feasted behind an offensive line that stayed in synch all evening.

The Cougars compiled nearly 400 yards of total offense and averaged 9.56 yards per down. Xzavior Bowden, Darius "Cash" Rogers and JB Rhodes combined to take the pigskin to the house on six occasions.

The impressive stat?

The defense allowed the Wildcats just 37 yards of total offense and yielded only one first down during the mercy-rule affair.

*

James received the game ball from Bowden.

The gesture surprised the head coach, whose Cougars emerged victorious in a season opener for the first time since 2008. He showered the praise on his entire staff.

That's his MO.

Individual credit holds no merit for James.

A team wins together.

A team loses together.

*

Next?

County rival Eastern Wayne.

James knows the cross-town Warriors all too well during his previous two stints as field general with the old blue-and-maize outfit housed on the corner of Beech and Herman Street.

And EW's convincing win over Hunt didn't necessarily change his posture, but it certainly stirred his competitive nature.

"It's going to be an emotional game and we've got make sure we don't get over-hyped," James said. "I know that Coach (Leander) Oates is going to be ready, going to have them prepared and it's going to be a battle until the end.

"We've got to make sure we're not our own worst enemy."

Goldsboro leads the all-time series 30-23-1 since the teams' first meeting in 1970. EW has prevailed in four of the past seven meetings since 2010.