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Vols pull off big plays, but drop to 0-5 |
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Saturday, 19 September 2009 |
From Staff Reports
JACKSON — Starkville Academy had flashes of brilliance against Jackson Academy Friday night, but the Raiders proved too much for the Volunteers in a 63-14 win for JA.
The Vols got a 75-yard touchdown run from senior quarterback Will Goodwin in the first quarter, and Ben Thebaud returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.
But JA’s dominance on defense and its depth forced mistakes and overmatched a young Vols’ squad that features a large number of sophomore starters.
Starkville Academy (0-5) head coach Brian Sims said the Raiders’ depth just wore on his young squad.
“The depth factor wears on you when guys can two-platoon you,” Sims said. “It’s just hard to maintain that same level when you have a lot of guys playing both ways.”
Still, with two explosive plays going for scores in the first half Sims said the energy level of his team was raised. But misfortune struck soon after the pair of big plays to send SA into the locker room down at the break down 48-14.
“We went and picked up a first down on the next drive, then the ball got tipped at the line of scrimmage and they ran it back for a touchdown,” Sims said. “That kind of let some of the wind out of the sails.”
Sims admitted that the first five games of the schedule have been challenging for his squad, but he doesn’t think the losses are starting to take its toll on the team’s desire to win.
“We’re young and we’ve got some seniors that are out there making plays, but the majority of our team is in our sophomore class,” Sims said. “A lot of those guys are in starting roles and they’re getting better, too. They did a lot better job tonight defensively, and I know it’s hard to say that with 62 points.”
Sims also added that JA was the best football team his squad has faced this season, but in that same vein he believes his defense had its best performance thus far.
The team hosts Winston Academy next week, and after last year’s game featured five-plus turnovers in a tighter game than the score indicated, Sims believes the team will be hungry in its return home.
“I think we have a bunch of guys who are hungry for a win,” Sims said. “I think they’ll play hard, and I’m counting on them to do what we’re asking them to do.
“We’ve had a rough five games to open the season, but we aren’t giving up on these kids. We’re believing in them and working hard to get better every week.”
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 20 September 2009 )
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