JK wins at Raiders’ homecoming

by John Lucas | Oct 6, 2018 | Midway

Midway quarterback Carson Calcutt scores on a 1-yard keeper.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/John Lucas)

After struggling in the first half, Midway’s varsity football team battled back in the second half, but came up short in a 47-34 loss to visiting East Central 2-A Conference opponent James Kenan on the Raiders’ Homecoming on Friday night.

“We missed some opportunities in the first half,” said Midway coach Cory Barnes. “We let some plays get away from us. But we came back in the second half and responded defensively and offensively. We didn’t quit. We just played with a good football team. We didn’t have enough attention to detail and didn’t play every play like we should have. We had some busted coverages. They put a few balls on the ground that we didn’t get on. We’ve got to capitalize on those things. We’ve got to keep working on putting a full game together and I think we can and I think it’s coming.”

Barnes praised the effort and leadership of Midway (2-4, 0-2 ECC) senior Carsse Lucas, who had four receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown and a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown.

“Carsse Lucas had a heck of a game,” Barnes said. “He catches a fly route down their sideline, gets us back in the game and then takes a 100-yard pick six. He can barely walk right now, he’s cramping up so bad. He’s a senior leader and I told him in practice yesterday, ‘You’re one of our best players. Start acting like it.’ And he met the challenge tonight. He did all he could do. He left it all out on the field. He did what a senior should do and showed up in a big game.”

Senior Carson Calcutt completed 14-of-41 passes for 254 yards and a touchdown, with three interceptions, and ran for 52 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. Junior Deantae Byrd ran for 113 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries for the Raiders.

Cameron Barefoot had six catches for 48 yards. Jaden Covington had three receptions for 42 yards and Dante Blue had a 15-yard reception.

Senior quarterback John Thomas Avent led the Tigers (3-2, 2-0) with 13-of-19 passing for 201 yards and a touchdown and 12 carries for 82 yards. Senior Tyquan Henry ran for 193 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries.

“They’ve got a quarterback like we do,” Barnes said. “Carson can run around and make some plays and (Avent) can run around and make some plays. He’s pretty good. You can see it on film.”

The scoring started on the defensive side, with a 77-yard pick six from Kenan’s Carlton Peterson. The extra point was no good.

Midway responded with Calcutt scoring on a one-yard run. The extra point missed, leaving the score tied 6-6 at the end of the first.

A pair of touchdown runs from Henry, a three-yarder and a 27-yarder), followed by a pair of extra points gave the Tigers a lead they held the rest of the way.

Calcutt scored again on a 13-yard run (conversion was stopped), but Peterson ran for a two-yard touchdown, followed by an extra point, to give the Tigers one more score before the half.

Early in the third, Avent recovered a fumbled snap and threw to Deoveon Harris for a 32-yard touchdown, with the extra point pushing the lead to 34-12.

Late in the third Calcutt connected with Lucas in stride on a 73-yard touchdown and threw to Barefoot for two.

Kenan answered 20 seconds later on a 71-yard Henry run, followed by the extra point.

Kenan looked to take advantage of a fumble on the ensuing kick return, but Lucas made an interception at the goal line and took it the length of the field to the end zone. Calcutt threw to Barefoot for two.

After a 14-yard Peterson run made it a three-score game again, a 13-yard Byrd run cut the lead to 13 with 9:34 remaining in the fourth, but Midway was unable to find the end zone again.

Midway will face another tall task Friday, traveling to reigning 2-A state champion Wallace-Rose Hill (3-2, 1-0).

“I just told the guys, ‘It’s going to be a tall mountain to climb, but we just showed that we can play with a good team,” Barnes said. “We keep building and building and we’re laying the foundation right now for what we want to do and what we want this program to be. And it starts with those senior captains leading the way. With that type of leadership laying the foundation, we’re progressing the program to where we want it to be.”