These keep getting later and later, don’t they? I’d promise improvement, but let’s be realistic here, shall we?
Speaking of trends and growth areas, let’s look back at Week 3.
Scoreboard
Cleveland 46, West Johnston 0 (JoCo Sports Game of the Week archive broadcast)
Clayton 45, Wakefield 7
Midway 40, North Johnston 36
South Johnston 28, Corinth Holders 12
Princeton 41, Rosewood 34
And still…
Every now and then, I say something smart off microphone that turns out to be spot on later in the broadcast. Justin asked me during a commercial break in the pregame show how I thought the Cleveland/West Johnston game would play out, and I said something to the effect that this seems like a spot for Jackson Byrd to have a big night statistically.
The junior did exactly that, going 28-for-34 for 250 yards and three scores — and by my recollection, three of those incompletions were drops.
And as good as Byrd and the Cleveland offense was, the defense was even better. They held the Wildcats to minus 6 yards passing and 67 on the ground. Aiden Stephenson (8), Zach Hulbert (8), Landon Inscoe (6), Markice Rawls (5) and Cameron Melvin (5) led the way in tackles, but the entire unit was stout Friday night.
This just in. Cleveland is still good. West Johnston didn’t look particularly good in this contest, but the Wildcats will still have plenty to say about who the eventual champion in the Quad County 3A winds up being.
Shaking it off
Fresh off a come-from-ahead loss to Holly Springs, I thought Clayton might take out its frustrations on a middling Wakefield side.
After a 45-7 result, I’d say they did just that.
I’m a big fan of Montague, and he continues to put up video game numbers for the Comets.
A statement of intent
Some people will say that there is no such thing as a moral victory. Me? I tend to think there can be value in a loss, and that’s how I feel about North Johnston’s near miss against Midway.
After a 2-0 start, the Panthers made the trip to face a high-powered offense that, in recent years, might have delivered a sound thrashing on our local team.
This year’s North Johnston squad is a little older, a little wiser and, most importantly, tougher than that.
North ran for 331 yards at 7.2 yards per clip and stood toe-to-toe with the Raiders for four quarters. It’s not a win, but it’s a result that the Panthers can build on.
Taking care of business
South Johnston was its own worst enemy in Week 1 against Princeton, as mental errors and miscues ultimately proved too costly to overcome.
All the Trojans have done since is win, claiming back-to-back victories at Triton and Corinth Holders. Stopping the run was an issue for the first two games, but even that was improved in Week 3, as the Trojans held Corinth Holders to just 85 yards on 27 carries.
Quarterback Riley Adams accounted for all four scores, throwing one and rushing for three more in the win.
For the Pirates, Camden Minter threw for a score and added another on the ground. But four turnovers and an aggressive South Johnston pass rush (one sack, nine hurries) hindered their efforts.
Next man up
When Kadyn Haire suffered a season-ending injury on his first carry of Week 2 for Princeton, that could have been an ill omen for things to come.
Instead, it provided an opportunity.
Lewallen has been the workhorse for the Bulldogs, helping them edge Rosewood last time out. He’s got 530 yards and nine scores already, and with Princeton’s offense, there’s no telling how silly his final numbers might be.