Ben L. Smith's football team downed E.E. Smith of Fayetteville 21-14 Aug. 14 in the Southeast Guilford football jamboree.
Quarterback Duane Taylor found wideout Brandon Free for two touchdown passes and fullback J.J. Thompson pounded his way into the end zone for the third score.
Smith lost the second game against Page 21-14 only because the coach entered the second unit. Taylor found Free for another touchdown pass and Wesley Tyler ran an interception all the way back for the other score in that scrimmage.
"I was pleased that we could hold our own against two 4-A schools," Smith coach Tony McKee said.
The jamboree culminated the first two weeks of preseason practice. Smith opens the season Aug. 20 at Northeast Guilford.
Top returning players for the Golden Eagles (7-4 last season) are senior tailback Dasharn Russell (1,075 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior) and Taylor (1,014 yards and 13 TDS passing). Other outstanding returnees include sophomore fullback Thompson, senior wideout Jeremy Strayhorn, senior linebacker Shamaree Brown, senior linebacker P.J. Southerland, senior wideout Free, junior center Brent Wilson, senior linebacker Wesley Tyler and senior defensive back Brandon Summers.
Key graduation losses include all-conference wideout Tony Price and center Jesse Louis, as well as lineman Dwayne Wilson and Adam Johnson, blocking back Saxton Zachery and defensive back-kicker James Cole.
Smith, picked to finish last in the Piedmont Triad 3-A last season, opened 5-1 and was ranked third in the region by the Greensboro News & Record before finishing fourth in the league. After his first two teams went a combined 2-20, McKee was named the Guilford County coach of the year by the News & Record.
Smith just missed the state playoffs last season, losing 18-15 in the regular-season finale against Western Guilford.
"Our motto for the season is, 'We're moving on up,' said Russell. "We showed we belonged last season and got some payback for those previous two seasons. Now we want to contend for the conference title."
The Golden Eagles only lost 26-21 to eventual state 3-A champion Carver last season in Winston-Salem. Smith drove as far the the Yellowjackets' 14-yard line in the game's closing minute before being stopped on downs.
"We are way ahead of schedule offensively this August as compared to last August," McKee said after a recent practice. "We have lots of depth at the skill positions and our defense is quick enough to the ball to play with anybody."
Smith has also added a potentially dependable kicking game with the addition of all-conference soccer player Brian Woodward. The school's single-season record holder in goals scored will handle the place-kicking duties in football. Taylor returns as punter.
The Golden Eagles will hold their annual photo day Tuesday Aug. 17 at 5:30 p.m. The session will start in the lobby of the gym.
© 1999 bls@oocities.com
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