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| Titan defensive back Kale Jeffords returns an interception for big yardage. |
With yards and touchdowns accumulating at warp speed, the West Forsyth varsity football team cranked out its first win of 2006 in dominant fashion last week. Their 67-12 romp over the visiting East Forsyth Eagles was one-sided from the outset and produced a series of eye-popping offensive numbers.
In addition to setting a school record for most points scored in a game, the Titans also ran for 339 yards, passed for 175 more and owned a 28-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
West was led by an offensive line that dominated the line of scrimmage and did not allow a sack. Running backs Jeff Gonza (three touchdowns, 139 yards rushing) and Brad Brower (two TDs, 62 yards on six carries) spearheaded a Titan ground game that churned out an average of 7.9 yards per carry. In the air, quarterback Maurice Hughes (9-13 for 175 yards) averaged nearly 20 yards pass per completion and fired a 34-yard TD pass to Andrew Bodenheimer. Also producing touchdowns for West were Austin Walker with a four-yard run and Bobby Scriven with a one-yard plunge.
Obviously pleased with those statistics, West head coach Chip Petree said the offensive outburst was just what the Titans needed.
“We were looking for a big night from our offense but I have to be honest, I never expected anything like this,” he said. “We were all anxious to get back on the field after the (14-13) loss to Parkland (in week one). It was nice to see us take a step forward.”
Offensive tackle Darren Webber agreed.
“Because of the Parkland loss, we had a sense of urgency going into this game,” he explained later. “Coach (Grant) Cann and coach (Randy) Pope made sure we had a great week of practice and everything just clicked.”
Webber added that the 500-plus yardage total was the best West has had in his prep career. He was also quick to credit fellow senior linemen Zach Sharron, Christian Dial, Jacob Mueller and tight end Brooks Ore. “We’ve worked hard to prepare for this season so it means a lot to experience a game like this.”
Defensively, West was also dominant, blanking East in the first half and allowing only 173 yards. The Titans also forced four turnovers, including an interception by Keieam Downs that resulted in a 32-yard TD.
Now 1-1 overall, West will hit the road for the first time this season when they travel to Carver on Friday. The Jackets ripped Atkins 59-6 last week.
“We’ve been looking at Carver on film and they are very impressive,” added Petree. “Our goal is simple — stay focused and maintain the momentum.”