HIGH POINT -- Rickey Haywood didn't play last season when Smith stunned High Point Central 40-23 at Manzi Stadium, perhaps the Golden Eagles' most significant win during a 7-4 campaign.
Haywood was suspended by his coach, Gary Whitman. The Bison coach said that his fullback had broken team rules and it was the perfect time to teach him a lesson.
That was last year.
This year Haywood been living a life or probity and opponents have been paying the price.
That was the case last Friday night at Simeon Stadium as the 6-foo-2, 205-pound Haywood was in the lineup as the Bison attempted to exacted revenge on the Golden Eagles. In fact, he was in the Eagles' defensive backfield all night long. Accordingly, he led the Black Bison to an easy 43-9 win over Smith (2-2). Haywood finished with 112 yards on 13 carries and five touchdowns.
That's right, five touchdowns.
"We just didn't tackle him," Smith coach Tony McKee said. "He's a good runner, but we made him look great because we couldn't wrap him up."
Just like Northeast in week one, Central offered the Golden Eagles an option attack that the visitors simply could not handle. And that was the difference in the game.
The Central fullback led a ground attack that finished with 285 yards on 40 carries. Halfback Chuckie Reed was not nearly as prolific as Haywood. He only carried the ball four times, but once for 75 yards before BLS's Brandon Free tracked him down at the Golden Eagle 15-yard line. Still, the combination kept Smith's defense off stride all night long.
Smith didn't do terribly on offense, finishing with 212 yards and 10 first downs. Quarterback Duane Taylor completed seven passes for 114 yards and a 10-yard touchdown to Free. However, Taylor was picked off three times. at made the margin of victory lopsided.
Meanwhile, BLS tailback Dasharn Russell, who had lost his starting job to Mike Able, seemed to get back on track with 40 yards on nine carries.
"It was good to see Dasharn to run well like that," McKee said. "That's a good sign on a tough night for us.
"I'm not going to let this one overwhelm me. We have important games coming up. Our eyes must be on getting a playoff berth in our conference. We must learn lessons from this tonight, but not dwell on the margin."
Smith opens Piedmont Triad 3-A action in two weeks at Parkland. The PTC gets three playoff spots this year.
Another bright spot on the night was the play of defensive lineman Ray Reid, who finished with 10 tackles and a fumble recovery. Linebacker P.J. Southerland had 11 tackles and a sack.
Placekicker Brian Woodward made the first field goal of his career, a 30-yarder in the fourth quarter.
Smith hosts Grimsley Friday night at 7:30 in Manzi Stadium. The Whirlies are off to a 3-0-1 start. The Eagles won 28-14 at Jamieson Stadium last season.
© 1999 bls@oocities.com
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