RWA juniors John Sandifer, John Coleman and B. Walters team tackle the Raider ball carrier. The Eagle defense stifled Jefferson Davis Friday, holding the Raiders to 5 first downs, 65 yards rushing and 17 yards through the air. (Photo/Martha Ladd)
WINNSBORO – The Eagles of Richard Winn Academy continued to roll high during homecoming Friday night, blanking the Raiders of Jefferson Davis Academy from Blackville, 49-0.
It was the third shutout of the season for the state’s top-ranked 8-man team, as the Eagles ran their record to a perfect 6-0. RWA has outscored opponents 362-80 over the first half of the 2014 season, averaging better than 60 points a game, while holding opponents to an average of 13.3 per game.
The Eagles took command of the game from the opening possession with a 56-yard pass from Matt Taylor to John Coleman to put the Eagles on the board. The 2-point conversion failed, but the Eagles had a quick 6-0 lead at the 11:10 mark of the first quarter.
The Eagle defense kept the Raiders out of the end zone on their ensuing possession, harassing the quarterback, hemming in the running game and setting the tone for the rest of the game. RWA’s defense held Jeff Davis to just five first downs and 82 total offensive yards on the night.
On the Eagles’ next position, Taylor struck again, connecting with Webb Yongue on a 26-yard TD pass. Mitchell Gibbons pulled a fake on the extra point and hit a wide-open Taylor in the end zone for 2, putting the Eagles up 14-0 with 10:31 left in the first.
While the Raider offense continued to sputter, the Eagle offense continued their rapid-fire attack. Taylor once again led RWA down field, capping the drive with a 14-yard scoring scamper with 7:31 left in the opening frame. Gibbons booted in the extra point, and just like that, the Eagles led 21-0.
Taylor and Coleman would link up two more times in the first quarter, once when Taylor found Coleman all alone down field for a 45-yard touchdown pass to go up 28-0 with just under 4 minutes to go, and again on a 57-yarder with 60 seconds left on the clock and a 35-0 advantage.
Taylor finished the night with 245 yards in the air, making good on 11 of his 12 passing attempts with 6 touchdowns.
The Eagles added 14 more points in the second quarter, with Taylor feeding Yongue on a pair of TD passes, the first from 43-yards out and the last a 4-yard toss. The lopsided 49-0 lead would stick through a second half running clock giving the Eagles a homecoming victory.
The Eagles host Carolina Academy this Friday at Ruff Field.
JDA: 0-0-0-0 – 0
RWA: 35-14-0-0 – 49
First Quarter
RW – John Coleman 56 pass from Matt Taylor (PAT failed) 11:10
RW – Webb Yongue 26 pass from M. Taylor (M. Taylor 3 pass from Mitchell Gibbons) 10:31
RW – M. Taylor 14 run (M. Gibbons kick) 7:31
RW – J. Coleman 45 pass from M. Taylor (M. Gibbons kick) 3:56
RW – J. Coleman 57 pass from M. Taylor (M. Gibbons kick) 1:00
Second Quarter
RW – W. Yongue 43 pass from M. Taylor (M. Gibbons kick) 9:45
RW – W. Yongue 4 pass from M. Taylor (M. Gibbons kick) 1:10
JDA RWA
First Downs 5 10
Rushes/Yards 29-65 15-78
Passing Yards 17 245
C-A-INT 2-7-0 11-12-0
Fumbles/Lost 2-1 0-0
RUSHING: RW – John Coleman 2-6, Matt Taylor 9-71, Webb Yongue 2-1, Gunnar Hensley 2-12.
RECEIVING: RW – Blake Pauley 1-4, John Coleman 4-162, Hunter Gibbons 1-1, Conrad Sharpe 1-3, Webb Yongue 4-79.
PASSING: RW – Matt Taylor 11-12, 235 yards, 6 TDs.