Get your own Free Home PageA pair of runningbacks and a pair of linebackers kept Smith on a roll Friday night.
Dasharn Russell and J.J. Thompson combined for 281 yards rushing, while P.J. Southerland and Shamaree Brown combined for 29 tackles as the Golden Eagles defeated Western Guilford 25-6 at WHS Stadium. The victory was BLS's third straight -- the first time it has won three in a row this season.
The win left Smith in a first-place tie with Winston-Salem Carver in the Piedmont Triad Conference.
The Golden Eagles (2-0, 5-2) will host arch-rival Dudley (0-2, 0-6) next Friday night at Manzi Stadium.
Russell continued his recent strong performances. The senior tailback ran for 169 yards on 14 carries. He also had a 15-yard touchdown run that capped the night's scoring.
While Russell gave the Hornets quickness and sudden changes of direction, Thompson simply ran up the middle, bowling over Western for 112 yards on 20 carries. The sophomore scored Smith's second touchdown, on a six-yard run in the second quarter.
"J.J. and Dasharn ran the ball well," Smith coach Tony McKee said afterwards. "We didn't throw it around that much, but we missed a couple of opportunities. We had a dropped touchdown and a misread.
"The thing I like about this team offensively is that we are able to put together drives. It runs the clock and keeps the ball out of the opponent's hands. We did that well last week and we did it well tonight."
Meanwhile, Southerland, the team's top tackler, disrupted the Hornets' attempt to achieve offensive balance all night long. Southerland finished with 15 tackles. His linebacking colleague Brown added 14 hits as BLS limited Western (0-2, 0-6) to 49 yards on 4 carries. Hornet quarterback Mickey Wellmon did complete 14 passes on 23 attempts for 151 yards; however, most came on safe possession routes and Wellmon was intercepted twice.
"Western runs a no-huddle offense that passes a lot," McKee said. "That's their game. They move the ball well; their problem has been getting the ball in the end zone."
Smith quarterback Duane Taylor struggled as a passer, turning in his worst passing night of the season. Taylor managed only one 19-yard completion to Jeremy Strayhorn in eight attempts. Taylor also threw an interception.
Yet the signal caller did not let his poor passing night affect him. He still scored two touchdowns, on runs of one and seven yards while getting 33 yards on seven carries. He led an offense that totaled 338 yards and managed two long scoring drives.
And when Western briefly got back into the game in the third quarter, Taylor marched the Golden Eagles downfield. They didn't score on that possession, which included Taylor's only completion of the night -- caught by Strayhorn, who was playing for the first time in three weeks. Yet Smith did gain the upper hand in field position and scored on its next possession.
"This team has a lot of fortitude," McKee said. "It doesn't matter if somebody comes down and scores on us. We aren't going to quit until the game is over."
Most importantly McKee's senior signal caller led Smith to a major revenge victory. The Hornets beat the Eagles 18-15 last November at Manzi Stadium and prevented BLS from making the playoffs.
"The playoffs are in the forefront as far as what we want to accomplish," McKee said. "We are going to make a run for as far as we can go."
Western tailback Courtney Taylor did not play on offense. Taylor has an ankle injury and Hornet coach Charlie Griffin chose to go with younger backs. Taylor had more than 200 yards against Smith last season.
"That's part of the game," McKee said. "Last year we played without Brandon Free in this game. We weren't able to spread the field."
Now Smith prepares for its annual backyard brawl with a winless Dudley team that has been in every game this season but has yet to find a way to win. The Panthers lost to Southwest Guilford 7-6 Friday night at Tarpley Stadium, ending the Cowboys' 14-game losing streak.
Carver (2-0, 5-2) edged Parkland 17-7 Friday. BLS had beaten the Mustangs 33-15 the previous week. The Yellowjackets outgained Parkland 277-210. CHS scored the game's first 17 points, then held on in the second half for the win.
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