Jyseim Wells (3) runs for South Johnston on Friday night at Western.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/John Lucas)
South Johnston opened its varsity football season by winning a 41-6 nonconference rout at Western Harnett on Friday night.
“Coming into the start of the season, when we started this thing back in May with these kids, we had a goal,” said first-year South Johnston coach Lee Webb. “To be mentally tough and be tough physically. These guys have stepped up to the challenge. The offensive line just got back from quarantine and they came in and they just picked up where they left off. Our offensive line was a big part of the game tonight.”
Western Harnett coach Zach Tenuta is also in his first year as head coach.
“For me, it was exciting to be in my first opportunity as a head coach,” Tenuta said. “Obviously, it didn’t go the way that we wanted it to go. It wasn’t close in a lot of different ways. We’ve got to go back and evaluate the film. I feel like there were some things that we did well and, obviously, there were a lot that we didn’t.
“Some of the things that we didn’t do well, I felt like we were in a decent position to be able to have success, whether it was a dropped ball or a missed tackle, things like that. You make the most improvements between game one and game two and I think as a whole right now for us, we show back up Monday and get ready for week two.”
Senior Paul Olive was 14-of-20 passing for 185 yards and four touchdowns, with no interceptions, and ran for 89 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries and senior Brayden Barefoot ran for 118 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries and had three receptions for 76 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Trojans (1-0). Barefoot also had an interception on defense.
C.J. Redmond had four receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown. Jyseim Wells ran for 62 yards on seven carries. Jaydn McNeill had four receptions for 23 yards and a touchdown. Brandon Giles ran for 16 yards on five carries. Brayden Fair had a 2-yard reception. Timothy Smith had a 10-yard reception. Angel Rodriguez was 5-for-6 kicking extra points.
Senior Elijah Bass ran for 63 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, junior Trent Botts was 5-of-16 passing for 21 yards, with one interception, and junior Ian Bristow had three receptions for 17 yards to lead the Eagles (0-1).
South scored 41 unanswered points in the game.
Bass denied the shutout by scoring on a 24-yard run on the final play of the game. There was time left on the clock when Bass scored, but play was stopped and the game was called because of lightning in the area.
South Johnston is at home against rival Triton and Western Harnett travels to West Johnston (0-1) on Friday night.
Jeremiah Steele (21) of Western breaks up a pass.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/John Lucas)
South’s Brayden Barefoot is shown on a 50-yard TD reception.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/John Lucas)
Trent Botts completed this pass for the host Eagles.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/John Lucas)
South’s C.J. Redmond looks for yards after a catch.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/John Lucas)
Elijah Bass gets into the end zone for Western on the final play.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/John Lucas)
