WS Chronicle

Tristan Look (with ball) is a key contributor on East Forsyth’s offensive line. (Photo by Craig T. Green)

The strength of East Forsyth’s junior varsity is its high-octane offense. The Eagles have no problems putting points on the scoreboard. So far, they’re averaging 34.5 points per game.

Defensively, it’s been a mixed bag.

East Forsyth held steady in beating Reynolds 36-12 in the season opener two weeks ago. But the end result was very different in a 41-33 loss to West Forsyth last week.

“There are some areas we have to get straightened out,” said Coach Ron Horton of East Forsyth, whose team is now 1-1. “Against West Forsyth, we didn’t take advantage of all the opportunities we had on offense. Our defense was in position to make plays, but didn’t.

“We just couldn’t come up with stops when we really needed to – especially against the run. I give West Forsyth the credit. They made more plays than we did. But I’m confident that we’ll show improvement over the course of the season.”

Linebackers Jomaad Cater and Nathan Dupke are the key figures on a defense that figures to raise its level of play as they get more playing time as a unit.
The Eagles offense operates efficiently thanks to a relatively young offensive line. Sophomores Van Boozer and Tristan Look, along with freshmen Caleb Howell and Jesse Ross have played well up front during the early weeks of the season.

At the skill positions, East Forsyth is in good shape. Brandon Bullins and Jordan Barrett showed signs of emerging as a lethal pass-and-catch combination against the Titans. Bullins threw a pair of scoring passes of 50 and 40 yards to Barrett.

Jaelon Maxie and Christian Grubbs, who rushed for one touchdown apiece, could rank among the area’s most productive running back tandems by season’s end.
Bullins, however, was forced to leave the West Forsyth game because of an injury he suffered in the fourth quarter. Barrett stepped in as Bullins’ replacement and kept the flow of the offense going. Barrett threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Jarel Henry and ran for a two-point conversion.

Trailing 34-33 in the fourth, the Eagles put together a promising scoring drive. But all thoughts of a late-game comeback ended when East Forsyth failed to convert on fourth down at the West Forsyth 40-yard line.

The combination of penalties and missed assignments on crucial downs, proved to be too much for the Eagles to overcome.
 “This was a back-and-forth game,” said Horton. “Effort-wise, I’m pleased with what I’m seeing. But we have to get better at executing what we do. We have to be more consistent on both sides of the football.”