WS Chronicle

Over the first three weeks of the season, junior varsity football has produced a mixed bag for Glenn’s Bobcats. Coach Gary Payne’s crew played sporadically in losses to West Forsyth (29–14) and Reagan (57–32).

Glenn, however, is in position to reach the break-even mark over the next five days. The Bobcats play at home tonight against Reynolds and on Sept. 16, they face Parkland in a game that was suspended at halftime on Aug. 23 because of thunder and lightning. The Glenn–Parkland match-up will resume in the third quarter with the Bobcats leading 28–0.

The Bobcats’ offense has showed the ability to move the chains and score points. It’s a different story when it comes to stopping the opposition. Glenn has been frequently torched by big plays, especially on third-down and long yardage situations. The defense has had its good moments. In the Reagan game, defensive back Rickie Counts scored on a 25-yard interception return.

“Pre-snap penalties have hurt us,” said Payne. “We have a lot of self-inflicted wounds on offense. Overall, we’re playing aggressive and that’s what we want. But because we don’t have much experience, we make a lot of mistakes. There are too many times we miss tackles and the runner finds a seam and breaks loose for long runs.”

Glenn’s offense has enough weapons to cause problems for opposing defenses. Quarterback Matthew Washington is a dual threat as a runner and passer. Joining Washington in the backfield are Kier Meredith and Rakeem Jenkins, a pair of running backs with break-away speed who do their best work in the open field.

Wide-receiver Torrance McIver has emerged as the Bobcats’ most versatile offensive piece. McIver also doubles as the team’s back-up quarterback. Against Reagan, McIver caught a two-point conversion pass from Washington and he added a 77-yard touchdown run on a quarterback keeper.

“Matthew is doing a good job at quarterback and we’re getting nice production from Kier and Rakeem,” said Payne. “Torrance is such a multi-talented athlete that we recently moved him to wide receiver just so we could get him on the field.”

Jenkins, a freshman, isn’t satisfied with Glenn’s early-season results. In spite of the slow start, he’s confident that his team will regroup in time to have a winning season. “We just have to get back to work and stay positive,” he said. “It’s all about us getting better on both sides of the ball and in every phase of the game.”