WS Chronicle

BY CRAIG T. GREENLEE

FOR THE CHRONICLE

In most instances, rivalry games tend to bring out the best in teams. Such was the case for East Forsyth in its 49-30 win over Glenn last week. The Eagles soared from the very start and finished with 350 total offensive yards and a season-high for points scored in a single game.

It didn’t take long for this annual “Battle of Kernersville” to turn into a one-sided affair. East Forsyth bolted out of the starting blocks to build a 21-6 halftime lead and never looked back.

“I’d say we had a thorough night on both sides of the ball,” said Coach Ronnie Horton of East Forsyth, whose team is 5-2 overall and 2-0 in the Piedmont Triad 4-A Conference. “We didn’t have to punt much at all and the passing game was potent.”

That’s a bit of an understatement.

Quarterback Brandon Bullins threw four touchdown passes and Jordan Barrett was on the receiving end of three of those scoring tosses. Barrett finished with four touchdowns, which included a 14-yard run, along with touchdown receptions of 65, 61 and 19 yards.

“Brandon played lights out,” said Horton. “He was really locked in. I’m very hard on him because I know what he’s capable of. Over these past few weeks, he’s beginning to meet the high expectations I have for him.”

Barrett (187 receiving yards) wasn’t the sole source of offense against Glenn. A.J. Hall caught a 20-yard pass for a score and the ground game didn’t take back seat, either. Top rusher Jalen Maxie scored on a 10-yard run and Jaelon Currence-Daniels broke free at the line of scrimmage and ran 65 yards for a touchdown. The Eagles closed with a heavy flurry by scoring 22 points in the fourth quarter.

Even though East Forsyth delivered as expected at the skill positions, it was the play of the offensive line that set the tenor. The Eagles are fairly young in the trenches, but they held up well in giving Bullins ample time to throw while handling the Bobcats defensive pressure.

As a unit, the front line of A.J. Williams, James Smith, Danny Fradenburg, Tristan Look, Van Boozer, Jesse Ross and Caleb Howell turned in their best performances of the season. Of that group, Howell, Ross and Fradenburg are freshmen.

“We have some young players up front and at times, it’s been a struggle for them,” said Horton. “But they’ve stayed the course and now they’re much better at taking care of their assignments. Looking back on how we played against Glenn, I believe our people on offense have come to understand just how good they can be.”

Defensively, the Eagles cannot be viewed as a sure-fire, lock-down unit based on their stat line. With three games left in the regular season, they’ve allowed 23.6 points per game.

While it’s clear that the defense is a work in progress, it does have some key pieces that will help East Forsyth coming down the final stretch of the season. Linebacker Nathan Dupke, defensive end Alec Neugent and cornerback D.J. Hodge are the cornerstones.

“The defense did a fine job, especially in the first half,” said Horton. “They came up with some key stops, which gave us good field position to start our drives.”