PREP FOOTBALL: Wayne County Classic -- Cougars eager to take trophy away from crosstown rival

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on August 24, 2018 5:51 AM

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By RUDY COGGINS

rcoggins@newsargus.com

Xzavior Bowden vs. Marcus Rouse -- Part II.

Or how about a possible subplot with a plethora of understudies who could easily steal the spotlight?

Play in the trenches may determine the outcome.

However you break down tonight's third installment of the Wayne County Classic, be assured of one thing -- Goldsboro wants that trophy that has been gathering dust at Eastern Wayne over the past year.

"Some of my former players when we won the [middle school] championship at Dillard, they always talk about they're going to get that trophy back their senior year," Eastern Wayne head coach Leander Oates said. "We've got to make sure we play the game, understand it's a friendly rivalry and that there's going to be some talking out there [on the field].

"We have to make sure we that we don't start off slow, execute on things we know we can do best [and] get in the win column."

The Warriors have recently piled up plenty of wins in this 48-year-old crosstown series -- two straight over the Cougars, four of the last five and nine of 14 since 2004.

A year ago, Eastern Wayne smacked Goldsboro 34-12 on the strength of big plays in the opening half at New Hope. Quarterback Zeke Best carved up the Cougars' secondary, and connected regularly with Alex Sharpless and Marcus Rouse (32-yard TD pass).

On the opposite side, Bowden churned out a hard-earned 100 yards and a score.

Now seniors and each a heralded Division I recruit, the Rouse and Bowden are sure to draw plenty of attention on both sides of the ball.

"They have some good talent over there," Goldsboro head coach Timothy Ray said. "A lot of their scores [against Hunt] came from long runs and long catches, so they have good speed which is our strength as well. It's going to be who run the game [better], I believe."

Goldsboro generated considerable yardage out of its spread scheme against Hobbton.

Quarterback Brody Morton completed all 10 of his passes for 252 yards and three TDs. His two top targets were Terrell Valentine and Jykeis McLean, who combined for more than 200 yards receiving.

JB Rhodes and Isaiah Gray complimented Bowden in the backfield.

"Last year, a lot of our success was Bowden," Ray said. "This year, we've got guys who are confident in their game, they know the scheme. When we play alignment, assignment football, you can play with some confidence and can do the job well.

"We're confident this year on all levels."

The Cougars face a big, strong interior defensive line that had trouble stopping the run against Hunt, which racked up 367 yards rushing.

Oates pointed out tackling as the team's Achilles heel in its season-opening loss.

He added that everyone has to be accountable on every snap.

"With the athleticism [of the team] and the big back, that's one person you definitely can't hand tackle, can't arm tackle," Oates said of Bowden. "He wants his yards. We have to make sure we meet him at full contact. We have to finish the play, complete our tackles."

Rouse and Tyson caught Ray's eye on film.

The Cougars' secondary can't allow those play makers to break past the second level of defense. Ray thinks his defensive backs can use their speed to counter Rouse's height and keep the lanky receiver hemmed up on deep throws.

The margin of error is minimal for both teams.

"That's one thing about Eastern Wayne," Ray said. "If you make mistakes, they will capitalize on those mistakes. We have to stay focused on our gameplan, know what our jobs are and really be disciplined.

"With rivalry games, it's easy to get caught up in the hype and it's easy to get lost in what's going on."