Austin Knox (10) breaks free for one of his three touchdowns on the night.
Six Richard Winn Eagles got in on the scoring action Friday night, but it was junior Austin Knox once again leading the pack. Knox racked up a whopping 222 yards on nine carries and scored three touchdowns en route to helping his team capture a 43-8 victory over the Andrew Jackson Academy Confederates in Ehrhardt. The Eagle road victory is their second win of the season.
The Confederates received the opening kickoff but failed to move the chains and turned the ball over to the visitors on the Eagles own 41-yard line. On RWA’s first play from scrimmage, Knox rushed 59 yards up the middle to put a quick six on the scoreboard. Running a fake PAT kick play, Mason Gibbons found receiver Reid Johnson in the end zone for a 2-point pass completion.
Logan Gibbons’ kick into the end zone resulted in a touchback, and the Confederates started their second possession on the 20-yard line. The Confederate offense, however, was non-productive and punted it away. Both teams exchanged possessions before any further scoring took place.
During their third possession, the Eagle offensive gears engaged once again, and they successfully moved the ball down the field. With 4:20 remaining in the opening quarter, the RWA offensive line opened up a hole for Knox to make another touchdown run up the middle. The touchdown was followed by Sidney Edenfield’s rush into the end zone for the 2-point conversion.
The Confederates only managed to pick up one first down in the opening period while the visiting Eagles posted 16 points. The offensive struggles for the Andrew Jackson team continued throughout the remainder of the game. However, just before time expired in the first half, Confederates receiver Zach Bolton scored on a pass completion from quarterback Joseph Stanfield. The 2-point conversion was good, too, to give the home team their first and only points on the scoreboard for the remainder of the game.
While the Eagle defense held like a stone wall for the majority of the game, the Eagle offense scored twice more in the second quarter and again two more times in the third period. Logan Gibbons and Edenfield scored both touchdowns in the second quarter. John Coleman added a 2-point conversion run, and RWA led 30-8 at the half.
With 9:22 remaining in the third quarter, Knox rushed across the goal line for his third touchdown, but the PAT was unsuccessful, boosting the RWA total to 36. Johnson’s 30-yard TD run with 2:47 left in the third period and Mason Gibbons’ PAT kick gave the Eagles their final margin of victory, 43-8.
In addition to Knox’s offensive stats, Edenfield carried the ball eight times for 55 yards, scoring one TD and a 2-point conversion. Logan Gibbons had two carries for 18 yards and one touchdown. Johnson added 30 rushing yards on two attempts to pick up an Eagle touchdown while also hauling in two receptions for 38 yards. Corey Davis completed two of three passes for 38 yards, and Coleman rushed for a 2-point PAT.
The Eagle defense had a busy night as well with Logan Gibbons leading the defensive stats with 10 tackles, three for total losses of 14 yards, two assists and he caused the opponents to fumble. Coleman had nine tackles and one assist in addition to picking off a pass that he returned for 63 yards. Johnson is credited with seven tackles, three of them for losses of 27 yards. Edenfield had seven tackles and five assists while teammates Alex Scott and Davis had five tackles apiece. Scott also had 10 assists, and Davis made one assist in addition to a fumble recovery and broke up a Confederate pass.
The Eagles will be seeking to build on the momentum from this recent win as they host the Wardlaw Patriots on Oct. 12 for their final home game of the season. Senior football players and cheerleaders, along with their parents, will be recognized during the Senior Night festivities. Kickoff will be at 7:30 p.m.
