By Kyle Dawson
WAGENER-SALLEY 54 , PELION 26
PELION — Wagener-Salley High School continued its torrid pace to open the 2012 season on Friday night, using a strong second half to blow out Pelion High School, 54-26, notching a win over its Class AA rival for the first time since 1995. The War Eagles have outscored their first three opponents by an average of over 36 points per game.
"One of the things we had to make a commitment to this year was playing better defense," Wagener-Salley coach Ken Tucker said. "We thought we'd be able to score, but we didn't want to get into a shootout every game."
The War Eagles got off to a blistering start, opening the game with a 10-play, 64-yard scoring drive. Malcolm Stroman extended the drive with a critical 4th down conversion inside Pelion's 30-yard line, eluding multiple defenders in the backfield en route to the Panthers' 19-yard line. Eric Corley then punctuated the series with a 15-yard touchdown scamper to give Wagener-Salley a 6-0 lead 4:16 into the game.
Pelion was quick to match the War Eagles, driving 72 yards on the ensuing sequence. Carlton Richard made his presence felt early, accounting for 59 of his 80 rushing yards on Pelion's opening drive. His last carry of the drive was a 3-yard burst into the end zone, and Sami Bullock's extra point gave Pelion the 7-6 lead with 2:02 to play in the opening stanza.
That lead would prove to be short-lived, as Wagener-Salley needed just three plays to drive 58 yards for a score. Trey Davis bulldozed multiple Panthers defenders on a 22-yard run to open the drive and again on a 16-yard jaunt into the end zone to put the War Eagles up 12-7 with just under a minute to play in the 1st quarter.
Davis would not wait long to make a return trip to the end zone. A Pelion fumble and the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that followed gave Wagener-Salley the ball on the Panthers' 7-yard line. The game's first turnover was costly, with Davis powering in for a score one play later to give the War Eagles a 19-7 lead early in the 2nd period.
After a host of early misfires, Pelion quarterback Zach Hawkins connected with Terry Davis for 42 yards to move the Panthers into Wagener-Salley's red zone. Hawkins' next completion would result in points, as he found James McFadden on a 6-yard strike to turn it into a one-possession game. Pelion's junior signal caller would end the game with 146 yards and a pair of scores.
The Panthers would find themselves with the ball just seconds later after a bizarre turn of events. A roughing the kicker penalty on Bullock's extra point and an unsportsmanlike conduct call immediately after resulted in Pelion kicking off from Wagener-Salley's 30-yard line. With practically nothing to lose, the Panthers went for the onsides kick and were successful. Richard's second touchdown of the half gave Pelion its first lead at 20-19.
Momentum would not remain in Pelion's corner for long. Stroman again exhibited his elusiveness as well as his accuracy, completing a pass near midfield to R.J. Tyler, who rumbled all the way into the end zone. A two-point conversion by Davis put Wagener-Salley back up by a touchdown at halftime.
The opening drive of the second half saw Hawkins and Terry Davis hook up for big yardage again, this time a 41-yard scoring strike. The extra point was no good, allowing Wagener-Salley to remain on top.
The War Eagles would answer the score quickly, once again taking advantage of excellent field position. This particular drive started at the 45-yard line, one of four Wagener-Salley drives that began near midfield. The War Eagles needed just seven plays to score, but matched Pelion's missed extra point with one of their own.
Wagener-Salley turned up the defensive pressure, coming up with a huge stop, forcing a turnover on downs, while clinging to a 1-point lead. The War Eagles quickly capitalized, marching 70 yards in six plays. Eric Corley's second touchdown run of the night put Wagener-Salley up 41-26 heading into the final frame. Corley would end the night with a game-high 132 yards on the ground.
The War Eagles' defense struck again on the opening play of the fourth quarter, with Trey Davis picking off a tipped Hawkins pass and returning it to Pelion's 45-yard line. Wagener-Salley continued to grow stronger as the game wore on, gashing Pelion's defense for even more yardage on the ground. Stroman's second rushing touchdown of the night, a 1-yard plunge, gave the War Eagles a commanding 21-point advantage.
"My coaches do a great job of rotating people in and out," Tucker said of his team's freshness late against a bigger, deeper opponent. "And it showed tonight when we got into the fourth quarter and were able to control the line of scrimmage for the entire quarter."
Pelion would see yet another drive, and its hopes of winning, stall midway through the 4th quarter . The War Eagles' defense held strong in the red zone, forcing a turnover on downs at the 19-yard line. From there, Wagener-Salley was able to keep the ball on the ground and kill clock. A 49-yard dash by Corley took the War Eagles all the way down to the 2-yard line where Stroman would punch it in once again to cap the night's scoring.
WS 12 15 14 13 54
P 7 13 6 0 26
SCORING SUMMARY
First Quarter
WS - Eric Corley 15 run (conversion failed) 7:46
P - Carlton Richard 3 run (Sami Bullock kick) 2:02
WS - Trey Davis 16 run (conversion failed) 0:52
Second Quarter
WS - Davis 7 run (Malcolm Stroman kick) 9:39
P - Zach Hawkins 6 pass to James McFadden (Bullock kick) 4:29
P - Richard 5 run (conversion failed) 3:12
WS - Stroman 64 pass to R.J. Tyler (Davis run) 1:27
Third Quarter
P - Hawkins 41 pass to Terry Davis (kick failed) 9:49
WS - Stroman 1 run (kick failed) 5:55
WS - Corley 19 run (Stroman pass to Tyler) 0:30
Fourth Quarter
WS - Stroman 1 run (kick failed) 9:42
WS - Stroman 2 run (Stroman kick) 2:41
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
WS - Eric Corley 15-132-2, Trey Davis 12-101-2, Malcolm Stroman 11-67-3, Gregg Hicks 1-12, TOTAL 39-312-7
P - Isaiah Jenkins 12-93, Carlton Richard 15-80-2, Zach Hawkins 5-10, James McFadden 2-5, Freddie Phillips 1-(-4), TOTAL 35-184-2
PASSING
WS - Malcolm Stroman 4-6-132-1TD
P - Zach Hawkins 7-22-146-2TD-1INT
RECEIVING
WS - R.J. Tyler 1-64-1, Gregg Hicks 2-42, Kyiian Miller 1-26, TOTAL 4-132-1
P - Terry Davis 3-94-1, Freddie Phillips 3-46, James McFadden 1-6-1, TOTAL 7-146-1
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WAGENER-SALLEY 54 , PELION 26
PELION — Wagener-Salley High School continued its torrid pace to open the 2012 season on Friday night, using a strong second half to blow out Pelion High School, 54-26, notching a win over its Class AA rival for the first time since 1995. The War Eagles have outscored their first three opponents by an average of over 36 points per game.
"One of the things we had to make a commitment to this year was playing better defense," Wagener-Salley coach Ken Tucker said. "We thought we'd be able to score, but we didn't want to get into a shootout every game."
The War Eagles got off to a blistering start, opening the game with a 10-play, 64-yard scoring drive. Malcolm Stroman extended the drive with a critical 4th down conversion inside Pelion's 30-yard line, eluding multiple defenders in the backfield en route to the Panthers' 19-yard line. Eric Corley then punctuated the series with a 15-yard touchdown scamper to give Wagener-Salley a 6-0 lead 4:16 into the game.
Pelion was quick to match the War Eagles, driving 72 yards on the ensuing sequence. Carlton Richard made his presence felt early, accounting for 59 of his 80 rushing yards on Pelion's opening drive. His last carry of the drive was a 3-yard burst into the end zone, and Sami Bullock's extra point gave Pelion the 7-6 lead with 2:02 to play in the opening stanza.
That lead would prove to be short-lived, as Wagener-Salley needed just three plays to drive 58 yards for a score. Trey Davis bulldozed multiple Panthers defenders on a 22-yard run to open the drive and again on a 16-yard jaunt into the end zone to put the War Eagles up 12-7 with just under a minute to play in the 1st quarter.
Davis would not wait long to make a return trip to the end zone. A Pelion fumble and the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that followed gave Wagener-Salley the ball on the Panthers' 7-yard line. The game's first turnover was costly, with Davis powering in for a score one play later to give the War Eagles a 19-7 lead early in the 2nd period.
After a host of early misfires, Pelion quarterback Zach Hawkins connected with Terry Davis for 42 yards to move the Panthers into Wagener-Salley's red zone. Hawkins' next completion would result in points, as he found James McFadden on a 6-yard strike to turn it into a one-possession game. Pelion's junior signal caller would end the game with 146 yards and a pair of scores.
The Panthers would find themselves with the ball just seconds later after a bizarre turn of events. A roughing the kicker penalty on Bullock's extra point and an unsportsmanlike conduct call immediately after resulted in Pelion kicking off from Wagener-Salley's 30-yard line. With practically nothing to lose, the Panthers went for the onsides kick and were successful. Richard's second touchdown of the half gave Pelion its first lead at 20-19.
Momentum would not remain in Pelion's corner for long. Stroman again exhibited his elusiveness as well as his accuracy, completing a pass near midfield to R.J. Tyler, who rumbled all the way into the end zone. A two-point conversion by Davis put Wagener-Salley back up by a touchdown at halftime.
The opening drive of the second half saw Hawkins and Terry Davis hook up for big yardage again, this time a 41-yard scoring strike. The extra point was no good, allowing Wagener-Salley to remain on top.
The War Eagles would answer the score quickly, once again taking advantage of excellent field position. This particular drive started at the 45-yard line, one of four Wagener-Salley drives that began near midfield. The War Eagles needed just seven plays to score, but matched Pelion's missed extra point with one of their own.
Wagener-Salley turned up the defensive pressure, coming up with a huge stop, forcing a turnover on downs, while clinging to a 1-point lead. The War Eagles quickly capitalized, marching 70 yards in six plays. Eric Corley's second touchdown run of the night put Wagener-Salley up 41-26 heading into the final frame. Corley would end the night with a game-high 132 yards on the ground.
The War Eagles' defense struck again on the opening play of the fourth quarter, with Trey Davis picking off a tipped Hawkins pass and returning it to Pelion's 45-yard line. Wagener-Salley continued to grow stronger as the game wore on, gashing Pelion's defense for even more yardage on the ground. Stroman's second rushing touchdown of the night, a 1-yard plunge, gave the War Eagles a commanding 21-point advantage.
"My coaches do a great job of rotating people in and out," Tucker said of his team's freshness late against a bigger, deeper opponent. "And it showed tonight when we got into the fourth quarter and were able to control the line of scrimmage for the entire quarter."
Pelion would see yet another drive, and its hopes of winning, stall midway through the 4th quarter . The War Eagles' defense held strong in the red zone, forcing a turnover on downs at the 19-yard line. From there, Wagener-Salley was able to keep the ball on the ground and kill clock. A 49-yard dash by Corley took the War Eagles all the way down to the 2-yard line where Stroman would punch it in once again to cap the night's scoring.
WS 12 15 14 13 54
P 7 13 6 0 26
SCORING SUMMARY
First Quarter
WS - Eric Corley 15 run (conversion failed) 7:46
P - Carlton Richard 3 run (Sami Bullock kick) 2:02
WS - Trey Davis 16 run (conversion failed) 0:52
Second Quarter
WS - Davis 7 run (Malcolm Stroman kick) 9:39
P - Zach Hawkins 6 pass to James McFadden (Bullock kick) 4:29
P - Richard 5 run (conversion failed) 3:12
WS - Stroman 64 pass to R.J. Tyler (Davis run) 1:27
Third Quarter
P - Hawkins 41 pass to Terry Davis (kick failed) 9:49
WS - Stroman 1 run (kick failed) 5:55
WS - Corley 19 run (Stroman pass to Tyler) 0:30
Fourth Quarter
WS - Stroman 1 run (kick failed) 9:42
WS - Stroman 2 run (Stroman kick) 2:41
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
WS - Eric Corley 15-132-2, Trey Davis 12-101-2, Malcolm Stroman 11-67-3, Gregg Hicks 1-12, TOTAL 39-312-7
P - Isaiah Jenkins 12-93, Carlton Richard 15-80-2, Zach Hawkins 5-10, James McFadden 2-5, Freddie Phillips 1-(-4), TOTAL 35-184-2
PASSING
WS - Malcolm Stroman 4-6-132-1TD
P - Zach Hawkins 7-22-146-2TD-1INT
RECEIVING
WS - R.J. Tyler 1-64-1, Gregg Hicks 2-42, Kyiian Miller 1-26, TOTAL 4-132-1
P - Terry Davis 3-94-1, Freddie Phillips 3-46, James McFadden 1-6-1, TOTAL 7-146-1