RWA’s Austin Knox (10) breaks into the open. (Photo/Joe Seibles)
WINNSBORO – The Richard Winn Academy Eagles notched their third win of the 2013 season Friday night, knocking off Christian Academy 42-20 before a homecoming crowd.
Holding a narrow 14-13 lead at the half, the Eagles outscored the Saints 28-7 in the final two quarters to put the game on ice. Nic Stillwell gave the Eagles some cushion in the third quarter, returning an interception on a pitch from Saints’ quarterback Locke Wallen 46 yards for a touchdown. Mitchell Gibbons added the kick to stretch the Eagles’ lead to 21-13.
Wallen put the Saints back in the hunt moments later with a 14-yard touchdown run. Cole Gore added the point after, and the Saints were within a point, down 21-20. John Coleman and the Eagles answered, as Coleman lumbered into the end zone late in the third from 3-yards out. The Gibbons kick split the uprights to keep the Saints at arm’s distance, 28-20.
It was the fourth quarter, however, that sealed the deal for the Eagles, as their defense shut down the Christian Academy scoring while the offense tacked on two more scores. Austin Knox hammered the Saints’ defense on a 39-yard touchdown run, and the Gibbons kick extended the RWA lead to 35-20. Stillwell added the final nail in the Saints’ coffin on a 2-yard run, with Gibbons’ PAT icing the cake.
Coleman led an Eagles’ ground attack that chewed up 428 yards on the night with 201 yards on 26 carries. Knox punished the Saints’ defense with 121 yards on nine carries and put the Eagles on the board first with a 14-yard touchdown run in the opening quarter. Gibbons’ kick gave the Eagles an early 7-0 lead. The Saints tied the game in short order on a 26-yard run by Wallen and the point after by Gore. Eagles’ quarterback Matt Taylor, who tallied 107 yards on 11 carries, put the Eagles out front once more in the second quarter on a 32-yard run. Gibbons’ kick made it 14-7 Eagles, but the Saints responded with a 26-yard pass from Wallen to Drake Stone. The Eagle defense, however, blocked Gore’s point after attempt to hold the RWA lead at 14-13 going into the break.
The Eagles are now 3-3 overall and 2-2 in their region. They travel to Lake City Friday to face Carolina Academy. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
CA – 7-6-7-0 – 20
RW – 7-7-14-14 – 42
First Quarter
RW – Austin Knox 14-run. Mitchell Gibbons kick.
CA – Locke Wallen 26-run. Cole Gore kick.
Second Quarter
RW – Matt Taylor 32-run. M. Gibbons kick.
CA – Drake Stone 26-pass from L. Wallen. Kick failed.
Third Quarter
RW – Nic Stillwell 46 INT return. M. Gibbons kick.
CA – L. Wallen 14-run. C. Gore kick.
RW – John Coleman 3-run. M. Gibbons kick.
Fourth Quarter
RW – A. Knox 39-run. M. Gibbons kick.
RW – N. Stillwell 2-run. M. Gibbons kick.
RW CA
First Downs 21 10
Rushes/Yards 50-428 37-227
Passing Yards 68 85
C-A-I-TD 2-8-1-0 4-11-2-1
Fumbles/Lost 5-4 3-3
Rushing: RW – John Coleman 26-201, Matt Taylor 11-107, Austin Knox 9-121, Mitchell Gibbons 1-5, Nic Stillwell 1-2, Hunter Gibbons 1-1, Coker Gilbert 2-1. CA – Drake Stone 11-72, Colton Holt 17-39, Locke Wallen 9-87, Cody Williams 3-39.
Receiving: RW – Austin Knox 1-38, Conrad Sharpe 1-30. CA – Drake Stone 1-28, Austin Guyton 2-29, Garrett Richards 2-24.
Passing: RW – Matt Taylor 2-8, 68 yards, 1 INT. CA – Locke Wallen 4-13, 87 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT.
