49-6

I'm not going to hype the East Forsyth football team.  Nope.  If you came here hoping for a glowing game report recapping their 49-6 decimation of R.J. Reynolds tonight, you are going to be disappointed.  I'm not going to hype them.

Let someone else do it.

Lets' face it:  someone will.  LOTS of folks already are.  Have I seen a better team this year?  No.  Oh, heck no.  If I must, let me give you a quick game breakdown:

1. The highly regarded East rushing attack began their first offensive series with a halfback pass that went for a touchdown.
2. Shortly thereafter, highly mobile quarterback Garrison Duncan dropped back and threw another bomb for a touchdown.
3. The Eagles had 180 passing yards at half.
4. They scored five more touchdowns.
5. Total yards- a lot
6. Margin of victory- a lot
7. Defensive presence- oh, my

There you go.  Happy?

I stopped tracking plays after touchdown number four.  I became far more interested in the crazy student section and began to wonder just what kind of guys are on this East Forsyth team. I was fortunate enough to chat with Garrison Duncan after the game.  He helped enlighten me on some of the things that make these Eagles fly.  Here's some of what he had to say:

• On his reaction when the coaches put the halfback pass in the game plan:  "I liked it.  The receivers were excited, I was excited...we had a good week of practice coming in."
• On the closeness of the team:   "We just have a bunch of seniors.  All the seniors are friends and close friends...I see these guys every day of the week.  I've seen some of these guys 21, 28 days straight. "
• On confidence gained from winning big without the dominant running attack: "I liked it.  I didn't have to run that much, the running backs certainly didn't have to run that much.  Some of the receivers figured out some of the stuff they didn't know they could do."
• On the vocal student section: "They ARE our 12th man...I know multiple games they had rosters for the other teams, calling people by name.  They're really prepared this year."

Overall, a great night for football at Deaton-Thompson.  I really, really wanted to get some interaction with the Reynolds Rowdies, but the first play of the game pretty much jacked those plans up.  Also, I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much Coach Mike Muse is helping me, whether it's getting me more Twitter followers or printing me stat trackers.  Much like his students and athletes, I get better each time I interact with him.  I'm very grateful.

Have a great weekend, everyone!
John

Superfans!

I wrote a little about them a couple of weeks ago, when I was at Mount Tabor, but tonight they put on a show.  I'm not talking about Lavaughnte' Smith and Garrison Duncan (although they didn't do to shabby), I'm talking about the East Forsyth student section.  THIS is what I'm talking about.  They make the place FEEL like football. 

And they were the visitors tonight.  Yikes.

Meet my new friends:

Eagles are Flying

I'm looking forward to my first RJR game this year.  I've been in Deaton-Thompson stadium quite a few times, all to watch Parkland.  So, I'm pumped to see if the Reynolds Rowdies bring it to football like they do in basketball.  They're going to need to create all the energy they can, because word is starting to spread about the #5 East Forsyth Eagles.

According to the stats on www.maxpreps.com, the Eagles are averaging 338 rushing yards per game.  For the football novices, that's the equivalent to "a lot", or "a whole lot".  Tailback DeAnthony Neal is averaging over 80 yards per game, while his counterpart Lavaughnte' Smith is at a cool 122.  Even quarterback Garrison Duncan is running for over 80 yards per game.  Now, in order to dominate on the ground you obviously need a stout offensive line.  Thankfully, Coach Mike Muse keeps stats on "pancake blocks".  The Eagles' O-Line has delivered 26 pancakes over the last two games, which helps explain the rushing dominance.

How do you stop it? And if you do, what do you do about Duncan's throwing arm, which has been good for 187 yards per game so far this season? 

I'm anxious to see how Coach Hall and the Demons try to attack this athletic Eagles team.  Reynolds has to be brimming with confidence after their own 3-0 start to the season.  These are the games that make football great, for me.  If East wins, nobody will be surprised.  If Reynolds wins?

Well, that means I just covered the upset of the year in the Triad.  Not a bad gig, huh?

John



 

Two Weeks In

I'm two weeks into this grand social media experiment, and now that this blog thingy is in somewhat readable format I want to share some observations with you.  First, let me reiterate that I am no football analyst.  My football playing experience involved flags and the word "Intramural".  I never played a down of tackle football at any level, nor have I participated in any coaching seminars.  I just see what I see.

First, some full disclosure:  my stepson is starting school on Monday at Reynolds.  He'll be a Junior, coming to Winston from a small, small school in Rocky Mount.  He doesn't play football, basketball or baseball.  So, I am NOT a Reynolds homer.  There's no cheering in the press box, but since I don't sit in the press box, I can cheer for both teams.  I don't care who wins.  However, if the Chucktacular One decides to run track or some such thing, I will be a Reynolds homer and won't cover that particular sport.  So there.

On to the football:

Quarterbacks
The winning teams in both games covered so far have one thing in common...a capable senior quarterback.  Reagan's JaShawn Joyner and East Forsyth's Garrison Duncan each commanded the offense with smarts and a touch of flair.  Joyner showed off an impressive arm along with general athletic ability.  I sat in front of a Reagan basketball coach, and he can't wait for him to get back on the court.  Duncan has quick feet along with his quick football instincts and rushed for over 100 yards, despite the fact that his starting tailback had over 100 of his own.

Atmosphere
This is what I care about most.  The football experience for this blogger is diminished if the energy isn't there.  The kids take care of the football energy almost every time, but I want to FEEL like I'm at a football game when I get to my parking spot.  I wasn't disappointed, although I WAS almost left out of the Reagan experience because I showed up 15 minutes before the Star Spangled Banner.  Note to fans:  get to Reagan early.  The Raiders even have a cool way of taking the field, although it does seem eerily reminiscent of West Forsyth's.  I'll have to get to Clemmons and see for myself.  Anyway, Reagan was great!  No unruly parents, and a spirited group of students. 

The walk to Mount Tabor's field was reminiscent of the walk through Clemson's campus to get to Death Valley, minus the tailgating and great unwashed.  It was cool to walk between building until it opens up into the athletic fields.  Mount Tabor has a great sounding marching band (as does Reagan), but I thought their student support was just outstanding.  Even as they were getting eviscerated by Lavaughnte' "L-Train" Smith, the students and the support squads were energetic throughout.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Mount Tabor.

Odds and Ends
Uniforms- Reagan and East have great helmets.  This is important.  Ask my friends.
Mike Muse- Longtime educator, coach, Wake Forest staffer, and now head Eagle basketball coach was working stats for the football team.  Of course he was.  He probably lines the football field and sweeps the court...at away games.  He was very helpful with game stats the other night.  Give him a Twitter follow at @coachmuse.
Uniforms II- Tabor head coach Laymarr Marshall was ejected for two illegal equipment infractions.  Apparently, if a player is wearing an elbow sleeve there needs to be an elbow pad in there.  I agree with this rule.  I still don't understand why coach Marshall had to be ejected.  Can't they just hold the perpetrator out for a quarter? 
Parents- There are a LOT of parent volunteers at these football games.  What a cool way to get involved with your kid!  Hats off to the parents manning booster club tables and concession stands.