Sep 7, 2007 12:00 AM |
at Sanderson |
28 - 16 W |
By Edward Robinson III\nStaff writer\nRALEIGH — Athens Drive quarterback Nick DeMuro and wide receiver T.J. Kornegay were at it again — passing and catching — before Friday’s game against Sanderson.\n“As soon as we got out of school, we were down in the gym running routes,” Kornegay said. “We’re never satisfied.”\nTheir dissatisfaction spilled over into the game, where the senior duo hooked up for three late-game passing touchdowns to help the Jaguars to a 28-16 come-from-behind victory over host Sanderson.\nThe Jaguars by no means dominated the gritty, power-running Spartans, yet they were able to stay patient and rally after going down 7-0 in the first quarter and trailing 10-7 at halftime.\nShaking off a sluggish start, one made frustrating by Sanderson’s stingy defense, the Jaguars (3-0) emerged with 407 total yards of offense. They held firm to their reputation as a team that never met a passing route it didn’t like.\nDeMuro completed 16 of 32 pass attempts for 277 yards, finding Kornegay (11 receptions for 133 yards) on touchdown passes of 9, 41 and 18 yards in the fourth quarter.\nWith 11:14 remaining in the game, after the Jaguars had drove the length of the field in the last three minutes of the third quarter, DeMuro hit Kornegay on a fade route at the back of the right side of the end zone. He lofted the pass over the defender’s head where only Kornegay could reach.\nThey connected again on a 41-yard slant across the middle as Kornegay beat three defenders down field.\nKornegay, who entered the game leading all Triangle public school receivers, said the connection between DeMuro and himself comes from three years of passing and catching. \nOn Friday, all three touchdown passes came on last-minute calls made at the line of scrimmage.\n“It’s the eyes,” Kornegay said. “We just look at each other. That’s the connection.”\nSanderson, which dropped its first game of the season, did a tremendous job of deflecting passes, denying receivers and rushing early. They sacked the quarterback, recovered a fumble and forced an interception. Defensive coordinator Tony Lewis’ unit knocked DeMuro to the ground and momentarily stumped the area’s leading passer.\n“They’re a really good blitzing team,” DeMuro said. “It took me a while to find out exactly where the holes were in the zone. Once I figured that out, we were able to move the ball a lot better.”\nAthens Drive coach Jeff Smouse said his team has now learned how to win. It was the second straight game where the Jags have won after being down at half.\nHe said the defense is starting to come into its own, too.\nOffensively, Sanderson started this game with a head of steam, jumping to a first-quarter lead on a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jeff Massey to tight end Perry Simmons.\nA field goal late in the second quarter by kicker Ben Martin put the Spartans ahead 10-0, but they surrendered a touchdown on the next series and started to unravel.\n“We came out pretty hard,” Sanderson senior defensive back Delmar Taylor said. “We didn’t sustain it like we’re supposed to. ... I don’t think we broke down, we didn’t go as hard as we could.” |
Sep 17, 2007 07:00 PM |
Broughton |
35 - 10 W |
By David Justice\nRALEIGH — Athens Drive’s undefeated football team found itself being challenged in the first half by a young Broughton team Monday night.\nBut as Jaguars coach Jeff Smouse put it, “We have to play well to win and we’re learning to make plays to win.”\nAthens (4-0) pulled away from a 7-7 tie with touchdowns on its final two first half possessions and went on to post a 35-10 nonconference win. Athens is now 4-0 and hosts Apex Friday in a Tri-Seven opener.\nBroughton (2-3) hosts Millbrook Friday in a Cap Seven contest.\n“Athens is a good team and in the second half pushed us around,” Broughton coach Chris Martin said. “We’re a young team and even though we moved the ball we couldn’t sustain and finish the drives. On defense we had a pass interference that hurt, a late hit, and offsides on a fourth down that cost us.”\nBroughton’s first two drives went to the eight and 16 yard lines, but both ended with turnovers.\nThe second one, a fumble caused by Athens defensive tackle Marc Campbell and recovered by end Nathan Scott, set up a 36-yard touchdown pass from Nick DeMuro to T.J. Kornegay.\nBroughton tied the scored early in the second quarter on a three-play 80-yard drive, with Caps junior quarterback Chandler Browning connecting with junior Owen Hayden on a 54-yard touchdown pass.\nDeMuro then directed his team on an 80-yard drive. DeMuro connected with Kornegay again for a score, this time covering 10 yards for the 14-7 lead.\nAthens continued to build momentum on its next drive when punter Ross Snotherly completed a fourth down pass with just over a minute to play for a first down that led to a 5-yard touchdown run by DeMuro for the 21-7 lead with just 11 seconds left in the half.\n“I didn’t know how we’d play tonight,” said Smouse, referring to the unusual Monday game. “But we played on three Mondays last year and won all three. Broughton came in with a great game plan and executed well.”\nThe Caps execution fell off in the second half, as the quicker Athens defense began to take control.\nCampbell, a 6-2, 256-pound senior, led the charge with 10 tackles.\n“Marc Campbell is a three-year starter with 4.6 speed and is very strong. We have trouble blocking him in practice,” Smouse said. “34 [Nathan Scott], 56 [Demario Fleming], and 66 [Blake Horton] pressured the quarterback well, also.” \nAthens took control early in the third quarter. Broughton was penalized on the kickoff and the Jaguars’ Garrett Smith recovered his team’s onsides kick.\nDenardo Melendez capped a 31-yard drive with a 19-yard touchdown run for the 28-7 lead.\nBroughton responded with its final score, a 39-yard field goal by Jeremy Shelley with 5:31 left in the third quarter.\nAthens capped the scoring when DeMuro threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Phillip Barron with 3:33 left in the third. Athens kicker David Enichen then added is fifth extra point of the game.\nDeMuro threw for 230 yards. |
