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

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