Wednesday, Sep. 01, 2010

Cleveland tops Corinth

The Rams down the Pirates, 41-20, in the two programs' debut on the gridiron.

Coach Marc Morris convened the first workout for the Cleveland football team in mid-June. For the incoming freshman and sophomores who now constitute the school's inaugural gridiron squad, it seemed like eons would pass before they'd play a meaningful game.

The last nine weeks have been, "the longest time," said linebacker Jared Thomas, one of the Rams' four captains. "Just [Friday] felt like forever. We've been waiting so long to play this game."

'This' game was the very first game in Rams' history, and Friday's showdown between they and fellow Johnston County newbie Corinth Holders meant one team was going to be able to say that they won the first game in their school's history.

What was shaping up to be an instant classic evolved into a dream scenario for Cleveland and a forgettable night for the Pirates. A 19-point third-quarter outburst allowed the Rams to run out to a 41-20 victory.

"The kids have done a great job," Morris said. "They bought in to everything since June 16 when we started. We're happy not only for our kids, but our community and the new Cleveland High School. This is something they've been wanting and deserving.

"We're trying to build a good solid program here. Wins will come, losses are going to come, too, but we're focused on building a good program. And it starts with everybody."

After an even first half that saw Cleveland take a 16-14 lead at halftime, the Pirates couldn't catch a break in the second half, and Cleveland capitalized at every opportunity.

Corinth Holders lost the services of tailback Tori Carmichael to an ankle injury on the final play of the first half. His presence in the backfield surely would have made a difference. The 5-foot-8, 135-pound freshman served notice that he's going to cause nightmares for area defensive coordinators for the next four years.

Carmichael tallied 126 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries in the first half, accounting for all but 18 yards of the Pirates' first-half offensive output. In the second half, they matched him with 126 yards of total offense.

"We had an injury that obviously affected us," said Corinth Holders coach Barry Honeycutt. "We should have been better prepared to handle that. That's my fault. The last thing you think is a player going down on the last play of the half."

With Carmichael out, the Cleveland defense stymied Corinth's offense. The Rams didn't allow a first down during any of Corinth's first three offensive possessions of the second half and gave up just 13 total yards during that time. A trio of Rams hounded Corinth Holders into a fumble midway through the third quarter that Brandon Cooley recovered and nearly returned to the end zone. When Corinth Holders finally found some offensive rhythm - a 14-play drive that swallowed 8:28 of clock - the Rams squashed the drive by forcing a goal-line fumble.

Offensively, Cleveland quarterback Tre Joyner and tailback Isaac Martin did as they pleased. Martin had touchdown runs of 30 and 17 yards and finished the night with 71 yards on 10 carries and four touchdowns. Joyner guided Morris' no-huddle spread offense masterfully, running for 38 yards and a touchdown on seven carries and completing 6-of-9 passes for 228 yards and another TD.

"It turned out pretty good," Morris said. "I wish we could have started off better, but the kids definitely played better in the second half. There's a lot to build on."

Not only will the Rams always be able to claim victory in their first-ever game, they also set a record that can only be broken if the football gods decide to lengthen the field. Backed up to their own 1-yard line midway through the fourth quarter, Joyner lofted a pass into the arms of Andrew Daughtry, who hauled it in around the 30-yard line and took it all the way for a 99-yard score.

"We had to call a timeout, and when we were in the huddle [Morris] said, 'Most coaches would never do this, but I'm going to do it. You're going to throw it deep. We're going to run the same play but you're going to keep it and it's going to be play-action.' So I did that," Joyner said. "Andrew was wide open. I threw it and just prayed while the ball was in the air."

While Cleveland got the upper hand on Corinth Holders, the Pirates can shoot for replicating part of what Cleveland did last Friday when they meet Franklinton next Friday - they can christen their stadium with a victory in their home debut.

"That'll be a better situation," Honeycutt said. "They'll be excited again. Young kids bounce back. They'll be excited about playing at home, and we'll go out there and give our best."

The two schools meet again on Oct. 29.