Get your own Free Home PageCLAYTON -- Greensboro Smith's journey came to an end last Friday night as the Clayton Comets bested the Golden Eagles 21-7 in the second round of the NCHSAA 3-A playoffs.
The Comets opened this spectacle with steam, a display of fireworks and the song "Bad to the Bone" blaring from the P.A. system, and Smith was indifferent to the buzzing Clayton crowd, with a silent longing to get it on. Eventually turnovers and a lack of time defeated Smith.
In the beginning it was just another close contest that turned on field position, but later turnovers would prove crucial. For most of the first quarter each defense held the opponent's offense scoreless, until Clayton quarterback Shelton Clark scored on a one-yard run with 4:40 remaining in the period. Clark's dive completed a 56-yard drive, and, following the extra-point by Chuck Turlington, the Comets led 7-0.
The start of the second quarter marked the coming of an Eagle push in which senior quarterback Duane Taylor hit JoJo McLaughlin for a 53-yard TD reception. After Brian Woodward's PAT kick, the score was even at 7-7 with more than 11 minutes left in the half. McLauglin commented on his first post-season touchdown.
"Duane was telling me to do a choice of goal, and I hit Nate Benton up," McLaughlin said. "I did a Peter Warrick move on him, and he bit and Duane just threw it too me."
On the first play after the ensuing kickoff, senior free safety Jeremy Strayhorn recovered a Comet fumble and Lady Momentum appeared to be strolling over to Smith's side. Yet BLS (9-4) failed to capitalize on the turnover - which proved critical as the game transpired. On this possession Taylor threw two of his 12 incomplete passes in the first half. BLS failed to put together any sustained drives as the rush and the pass were a bit off kilter. According to Taylor, the reason why the offense didn't rack up its typical numbers is because it often featured a one-dimensional attack that the Comet defense keyed on.
For the next 10 minutes it was a tale of two defenses as both sides failed to score. Finally, Clayton's Daryl Mangum broke the monotony with a three-yard touch down run with just 1:40 left in the second quarter. After Turlington's PAT kick, the Comets (12-1) led 14-7, a lead that they would not relinqish for the remainder of the game. Mangum, who finished the game with 98 yards on 15 carries, menaced the Golden Eagles all night long.
"Daryl Mangum killed us on both sides of the ball with sacks, tackles and runs," said Taylor. "He is just a great athlete."
At the half the Eagles were down by only a touchdown and over the past two seasons BLS has established itself as a second-half team; thus, the game was by no means out of reach.
The third quarter can be properly titled the sequel to the tale of two defenses as neither offense set foot in the end zone. The Golden Eagle defense was led by linebacker Shamaree Brown, who broke a single-game personal high with 19 tackles, and P. J. Southerland, who turned in 15 tackles.
"It was like any other performance," Brown replied. "This game was special because it was either the last game or continue to play, and I didn't want it to be my last game, so I was determined to do all I could to help the team advance into the third round.
"I just gave it all I had. I left everything on the field. I couldn't do much more."
At the start of the final period, BLS was driving the ball downfield behind the legs of senior tailback Mike Able. Smith had pushed the ball all the way to the Clayton 48-yard line when Able fumbled with 9:32 left in the game. Linebacker Bert Mederos recovered the fumble and gave Clayton yet another chance to drive the decisive nail into the coffin, and it took full advantage of that chance by putting together a punishing drive that ended in a one-yard touchdown run by Nate Benton with 3:33 left in the game. The extra point made the score 21-7, thus putting the game nearly out of reach. The decisive play in the 54-yard drive was a third-down conversion in which Mangum sprinted 28 yards to put the ball at the Smith 28-yard line.
BLS, in hurry-up mode, made its final turnover when Taylor threw an interception into the hands of Clayton defender Trevor Forbes. Time dwindled away and Smith's first playoff sojourn in 11 years came to a tragic end. However, the story doesn't end with this defeat because this year's team affirmed the complete turnaround of the Golden Eagle football program. The 1998 and '99 football teams brought back a glory that had long been a foreign object on campus.
"As freshman when we came into Smith, we all had our minds set on changing this program and being a big part of this change," said senior linebacker Wesley Tyler. "We all had our hearts set on making it to the playoffs and we all promised each other to make it to the playoffs, and we did that. We just didn't make it to the championship."
Senior wideout Brandon Free, who had one amazing catch and interception on an otherwise below-par night, could take the long view in the Eagle locker room afterwards.
"We turned Smith football around and made it a winning thing again," said Free, who is one of perhaps as many a dozen Golden Eagles who should be all-conference. "Now it's going to be a winning tradition and I'm glad I was a part of it."
© 1999 bls@oocities.com
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