Eagles stumble on road, off next week

By Cody Dalton
Sports Correspondent

Riding a high off of a first week win, the Auburn Eagles were handed a huge blow on Friday by Fort Chiswell, who limited them to 17 yards of total offense in a 41-0 loss to the Pioneers.

“Fort Chiswell is a really good football team,” said Auburn coach Phil Collett. They are extremely good. They’ve got size and speed. They are tough and execute well. I’m not sure we are going to play a team better than them all season long. They are going to be a hand full for whoever they play.”

Both teams traded possessions early before Auburn made their first mistake, a Derrick Duncan interception by Fort Chiswell’s Michael Dunford. Three plays later, the Pioneers had their first score of the game on a Chris Rodriguez 21-yard touchdown run.

The Eagles looked as if they would get going, as Duncan would complete a third down pass to Zach Blankenship for a first down. Once again, the drive stalled.

Several key mistakes hurt Auburn, but helped Fort Chiswell in field positioning. The first of these mistakes happened in the first quarter, when a snapped punt flew over the head of Derrick Duncan and was illegally kicked into the end zone. With the ball placed at the four, Rodriguez ran in another score and increased the lead for the Pioneers.

Two such punts would be snapped high, ultimately costing the Eagles field position. Auburn also had issues snapping the football, causing even more fumble issues. These issues led to a 21-0 deficit at halftime.

“We made some big mistakes,” Collett said. “We’ve got to find a way not to snap the ball over the punter’s head. Silly things like that made it easy for them to score. I wouldn’t say it made that big of a difference in the score tonight, but it made it that much easier for them on special teams. We’ll work at it and get better.”

The first two possessions would essentially seal the game for Fort Chiswell. The opening drive in the second half saw a 55-yard quarterback keeper by Hody Viars, followed by another Rodriguez touchdown run.

Another fumbled snap on the following possession helped the Pioneers add a 5-yard touchdown pass from Viars to Zack Cook. Midway through the fourth, Fort Chiswell added their final score, an 11-yard run by Chris Rodriguez’s brother, Ray. A missed two point conversion left the game at 41-0, which would be the game’s final score.

The Eagle’s star halfback, Michael Spencer, was held in check all game long and was only allowed to rush for 14 yards on 12 carries.

“It’s not nearly as frustrating for me as it is for him,” Collett said. “Michael wants to run the ball hard, but you’ve got to give him a crease. Unfortunately, they were just bigger and stronger up front. We are really young on our offensive line and it really showed.”

Quarterback Derrick Duncan was also 3-for-16 for 23 yards.

The Eagles will have time to recover from this loss, as they have a bye week next, before taking on Pioneer district member James River on Sept. 18.

“I told the guys we have to get back to work,” Collett said. “It’s nothing to hang their heads on. I was proud of their effort. There is plenty to work on. There are eight more games to show our opponents what we are made of. I think we have the potential to win more games. We just have to get back to work.”


Bobcats look for first win after week off

By Cody Dalton
Sports Correspondent
After having this past week off, the Bobcats will have a chance to bounce back from their opening week loss to Pulaski. However, they will face another stiff test when they play against Hogoheegee powerhouse George Wythe.
The Bobcats won their match up with George Wythe last year, 20-13. The Maroons return two starters on offense and five on defense from a team that went to the Region C Division 2 playoffs before losing 15-14 to Floyd County.
Jacob Sheritz, the Maroons senior quarterback from last year, threw for 1,873 yard last season and 17 touchdowns through the air. With his departure, senior Nathan Kline steps into the huge shoes he left. He will have the help of fellow senior Brandon Atwell, who was Sheritz’s favorite target last year with 11 of his 17 touchdowns
“Atwell is their go to guy,” Saunders said. “He is a good looking kid. I don’t think they are as big as they have been, but it is going to be a typical Radford-George Wythe battle.”
The game will be even more important, as the Maroons are coming off of a tough 29-17 loss against Tazewell under new head coach H.S. Ingo two weeks ago. Both teams will look to capitalize and not fall behind 0-2.
“It is very important we get a win and get it early in the season,” Saunders said. “We have to come out and play. George Wythe is going to be tough. They are open the same date we are. It is very important.”
The Maroons also had a bye week last week, so both teams should be rested and ready to renew their rivalry this Friday.

Mustangs move to 2-0, face Maroon Tide next

By Cody Dalton
Sports Correspondent

Eastern Montgomery looked impressive for the second straight week and in the process avenged their 2008 four overtime loss to Narrows with a 32-3 win over the Green Wave.

Narrows would score first in the game, hitting a 36-yard field goal. However, it would be all Eastern Montgomery from there on out.

Quarterback Shawn Christian would have a huge game on both the ground and through the air for the Mustangs. He was 16-for-28 for 165 yards and two touchdowns through the air. He would also rush for 121 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Offensively, Eastern Montgomery gained 426 total yards.

While Christian would break out offensively, the Mustang defense also shined. Justin Fisher picked up two sacks, Justin Brammer had 11 tackles, and Brad Wooten had two interceptions. The Green Wave only gained 97 yards of total offense in the game.

As for the next game that the Mustangs play, it will be a tale of two teams, as Eastern Montgomery will go against the Maroon Tide of Galax. Galax has started the season 0-2. They were stunned in Week 1 by Northwood, 42-38. Last week, they lost yet again to Alleghany, out of Sparta, North Carolina, 31-12.

However, the Mustangs are feeling the exact opposite feeling by starting the season 2-0 and outscoring their opponents 84-30 in their first two contests. Last year, the Mustangs easily rolled past Galax, 44-20, at home.

(9-16-09)