Editor’s Note: The display of poor sportsmanship by both local high school teams during Friday night’s annual football game is not detailed or elaborated on in the following story. However, due to the community discussion about the game, the Herald contacted Superintendent of Schools Dr. Donna Peters about the administration’s handling of the situation. Dr. Peters was present for the game and on the sidelines at times. The following is her response. “Last fall, West Montgomery High School was recognized by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association for being ejection free during the 2007-2008 school year, and last month East Montgomery High School was recognized for being ejection free during the 2008-2009 school year. These recognitions represent the high standard we will continue to aspire to reach. Unfortunately, emotions ran high in Friday night’s football game, especially during the first half of the game. The tone of the game improved in the second half. I realize there is an intense rivalry between EMHS and WMHS, but we will continue to have high expectations for our athletic teams at all times. I talked to both principals on Friday night and they understand the expectations.”
By James W. Houston
It was senior night at East Montgomery Friday night and there was nothing more the eight senior football players for the Eagles would love to have happen than to beat their cross-county rival West, a team they’ve never beaten on the gridiron. But the Warriors, seeking to lock down second place in the Yadkin Valley Conference, rushing attack was too much for the Eagles as they rushed for nearly 500 yards, winning the game 54-13.
West actually finished the contest with 492 yards rushing (525 total yards), the most in the 49-year series and the fifth most rushing yards in their history. With their victory, the Warriors hold a 32-17 edge in the heated rivalry and improved their conference record to 6-1 and overall record to 8-3. East falls to 3-4 in league action and 5-5-1 overall. Both teams received state playoff berths with the Warriors being a number seven seed in the West 1AA, hosting number 10 seed Bishop McGuinness Friday. The Eagles are a number nine seed in the East 1AA and will travel to number eight seed James Kenan. Both kickoffs are scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The game may have set another record with the number of penalties flagged on both teams as each team racked up 12 penalties with the Warriors being penalized 129 yards and East 125 yards.
The Warrior offense was led by sophomore quarterback Jaquil Capel and junior back Trevante Moore. Capel finished the game running for 115 yards on 16 carries and scored three touchdowns while Moore had a career-high 127 yards on eight carries and scored two touchdowns, one a 51-yard score on the game’s final play. Terry Pegues added 68 yards and a touchdown and Antwain Green had 65 yards and a score. Wide out Xavier Parter had two rushes for 51 yards and one pass reception for 24 yards. Before being injured, Jordan rushed for 36 yards and scored one touchdown.
While the Warrior offense was rolling, the West defenders held the Eagles’ offense in check with the exception of two drives. The first one was a 65-yard drive that ended with senior Mitchell Cagle catching a 6-yard touchdown pass from fellow senior Wesley Maynor with no time left on the first half clock. The second scoring drive came on East’s final possession of the game, ending with Chris Cagle racing 38 yards down the left sideline for the score with 1:07 left in the game. Chris Cagle was the Eagles’ leading rusher with 41 yards on four carries while P.J. Pratt finished with 37 yards on seven rushes.
The Eagles got off to a rocky start after receiving the opening kickoff that senior Pratt returned 16 yards to East’s 31-yard line. On their first offensive play, the Eagles fumbled the ball and West’s Landon Jordan was there to recover the ball at the Eagles’ 22-yard line. After a pair of East off side penalties and 7-yard run by Capel, Pegues ran six yards for the game’s first score with only 37 seconds gone off the clock.
The Warrior defense led by linebackers Dylan Hurley, Kelsey Atkins and Jordan, forced the Eagles to punt on their next offensive series. West coughed up the ball on the return and Maynor recovered for the Eagles at West’s 40-yard line. Another East penalty moved the ball five yards back and on second down, Maynor found Mitchell Cagle over the middle for a 38-yard pass completion down to the Warriors’ 10-yard line. Mitchell Cagle finished the game with seven receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown. Maynor connected on 11 of 24 passes during the game for 120 yards and one touchdown.
Then the Warrior defensive line of Joe Huntley, Green, Jake Gooch and Coleman Dozier put pressure on Maynor, forcing two hurried pass incompletions, forcing East to attempt a 27-yard field goal that was short and wide right.
After thawing the Eagle threat, the Warriors scored on their next four first half possession, the first on a 3-yard run by Jordan. The second touchdown came on the first of Capel’s three scoring runs, this one a 6-yard run. Moore scored the next touchdown on an 11-yard run to the corner of the south end zone. The final first half score came on a 3-yard run by Capel with 2:28 left in the half. Laquan Dennis booted the second of his four extra points for a 34-0 Warrior lead.
East trimmed the lead to 34-7 with Mitchell Cagle’s touchdown reception as the half expired.
The Warriors took the second half kickoff on their 30-yard line, drove the length of the field in five plays with Green running the final two yards for the score.
The Warriors’ offense was stopped on downs their next offensive series due to back-to-back penalties and East took over on their 40-yard line.
The Warriors’ next touchdown came on the first play of the fourth quarter when Capel scampered 20 yards to the left corner of the north end zone for his third touchdown of the game, giving West a 48-7 lead.
West had another chance to score around the six-minute mark, but fumbled the ball into the Eagles’ end zone where Pratt recovered the loose ball.
The fumble recovery gave East possession on their 20-yard line where they marched for their second score of the contest, going 80 yards in six plays with Chris Cagle going the final 38 yards.
Senior Kevin Bennett was the Eagles’ leading tackler with six tackles while sophomore Anthony Lane finished with five including a sack.
