WINNSBORO- Thursday’s varsity football game marked a Richard Winn home victory, 36-22, over the visiting Coastal Christian Cougars of Mount Pleasant. Not only was it the first win in two outings for the Eagles, but also Coach Paul Brigman notched his first win of his inaugural season as head coach.
Zack Taylor charges past the Cougars on a QB keeper. | Photos/Martha Ladd
Both teams battled on the ground and in the air for the first quarter of action to no avail. It wasn’t until the 9:11 mark in the second period that freshman quarterback Zack Taylor hit his lucky 13 target, Jimmy McKeown, to put RWA in very close range for Taylor to take it across the goal line and put the Eagles on the scoreboard first. The PAT conversion failed and RWA jumped ahead 6-0, which was just enough to ignite the Eagle defense to pull out all stops.
After a big QB sack by senior linebacker Peyton Gilbert, the Eagles took over on downs in favorable field position. It was enough momentum for the Eagles to march down field for another scoring opportunity.
Following a long pass completion to junior Noah Edwards, freshman Taylor rushed on a QB keeper across the goal line for another Eagle score, and sophomore kicker Brandon Miller made good on the PAT attempt to put RWA up 13-0 with 6:42 left in the first half.
Taylor had his first stroke of bad luck when the Cougars got on the scoreboard after Gage Andrews intercepted Taylor’s pass and took it into the end zone with 5:19 remaining in the second quarter. Their conversion failed, but the Cougars cut the lead to 13-6.
Peyton Gilbert rushes up the middle and stuffs the cougar ball carrier. | Photos/Martha Ladd
Sophomore Brandon Miller set up the Eagles with long yardage on the kickoff return to land them inside Cougar territory. The Eagles advanced into the red zone, and seemed destined for a touchdown with a first-and-goal opportunity on the eight yard line.
However, a strong Cougar defense showed off their resiliency by hanging tough and intercepting Taylor for the second time, this time in the end zone to halt RW’s scoring drive nearing the end on the first half.
The Eagles scored a field goal in the third period off the foot of Miller, putting his team up 16-6. Later in the third, Taylor zoned in on teammate Ethan McManus for a TD pass, and the PAT kick was good, propelling RWA ahead 23-6 with 4:05 left in the third.
The Eagle defense held the Cougars scoreless throughout the third quarter, but both teams found a way to make a mark on the scoreboard in the final period. Junior Noah Edwards and senior Johnny Edenfield caught TD passes from Taylor.
The Cougars’ Ashton Wood scored on their second pick six of the night, and Taylor’s third interception of the game. Then the Cougar QB Crates scored on a QB keeper for Coastal Christian’s last score.
Edenfield, Miller, and Gilbert led the Eagle defense with 15, 11, and 9 tackles, respectively, and Edwards pulled down an interception.
Richard Winn will host Northside Christian Friday for game three of the season and hope to notch their second consecutive victory. Kickoff is set for 7:30 P.M. at Ruff Field.
