Eagles seek to maintain streak at struggling Western

For the second time this season, Smith is on a two-game winning streak.

Earlier, the Golden Eagles beat Southeast Guilford and High Point Andrews consecutively. Sandwiched around those victories were losses at Northeast Guilford and High Point Central.

If Smith (1-0, 4-2) is going to make the playoffs, it must get on a roll at this critical stretch in the season. Tonight BLS travels to winless Western Guilford, the team that knocked it from the playoffs a year ago with an 18-15 win at Manzi Stadium in a contest that was decided on the very last play. The Golden Eagles, after allowing a 36-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-one call with a minute left, drove down the field and on the last play of the game had the ball at the Hornets' 5-yard line. But Western stopped that pass from Duane Taylor to Tony Price -- after Smith coach Tony McKee had decided not to kick a field goal and force an overtime.

But all of that is history and what has been on McKee's mind this week is getting his troops focused on exacting revenge on the struggling Hornets.

"There's a payback factor for this game," he said. "We have to stop Courtney Taylor. He's big like (Brandon) Isaiah (of Parkland), but he's a more versatile runner. He's shifty and harder to get at to tackle."

Taylor had 236 yards on 35 carries in that game, a contest Smith seemed to control but could not put away.

But Western has had trouble scoring and stopping the opposition. Last week Carver opened its Piedmont Triad campaign with a 34-0 win over the Hornets.

Lashun Peoples, Carver's dynamo, had 143 yards on 11 carries and returned a second-quarter punt 68 yards for a touchdown as the Yellowjackets sprinted to a 28-0 lead at the half.

Meanwhile, Smith is coming off a somewhat surprisingly easy 33-15 win over Parkland, one of four teams expected to fight for the PTC's three playoff berths. In that game Duane Taylor threw for a career-high 194 yards on a 9-of-14 passing night. He now has 2,823 yards passing, a BLS career aerial record.

Meanwhile, Dasharn Russell had 66 yards rushing and returned the game's opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. Fullback J.J. Thompson had 87 yards and scored two touchdowns, while linebacker P.J. Southerland had 16 tackles.

"We don't want to just win," Russell said of tonight's game. "We want to blow them out."

McKee, though, will take a one-point win. As long as it is a win.

Game time is 7:30 at Western (0-1, 0-5). The NCHSAA is asking fans to bring canned food items to the game for flood relief.

Smith host arch-rival Dudley next week.

© 1999 bls@oocities.com

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