Published: 01:09 AM, Sun Aug 19, 2012
Lumberton tops Cape Fear 27-3 in delayed opener
By Thomas Pope
Sports editor
Mike Brill looked more gassed than his Lumberton High School football players mid-day Saturday - but with good reason.
After the Pirates' game with Cape Fear was suspended Friday night by weather and the players were safely home, Brill went back to work.
"We changed everything we've been doing," he said. "I worked 'til 2:30, quarter to 3 this morning, changing the whole gameplan. I saw what they were doing to our motion - which people never do; we do that to other people - and at 8:15, we were on the field. We went through everything brand new, and they did it. I've got to give it to the kids."
Lumberton finished what it started, taking Friday night's 7-0, second-quarter lead and collecting a 27-3 victory on the Colts' very soggy field. Daniel Robinson scored all four touchdowns on his way to a 265-yard performance.
"I was kinda sore this morning when I woke up," Robinson said. "I wanted to finish playing last night, but I had to do what I had to do to help my team get this W.
"My line, they just got in there and blocked. We struggled a bit last night, but we came out strong and focused today. Plus, it was kind of slippery today and we had to pound it. It was way worse out here today than it was last night."
Cape Fear struck first Saturday, with quarterback Spencer Faircloth hooking up with Tarje Robinson for 45 yards on the first snap and the Colts gaining an extra 15 yards for a horse-collar tackle. Cape Fear eventually had to settle for a 27-yard field goal by Jordan Jacob on the last play of the first half.
Lumberton stretched its lead to 13-3 on Robinson's 1-yard run at 8:29 of the third, and then gave the Colts two golden opportunities. But Cape Fear couldn't convert on a Lumberton fumble inside the Pirates 30, or on the ensuing possession after Brill's fake-punt call at his own 25 backfired.
The latter chance ended when Faircloth threw incomplete on fourth-and-3 at the 18, and after a 3-yard gain by Allen Thompson, Robinson broke loose for a 79-yard score. Cape Fear's Kentrell Worley coughed up the football on the next possession, and Robinson scored again, this time from the 9, to ice the victory.
"Early on, the guys were here, they were awake and they were ready to go," Colts coach Brian Till said.
"But as the game went on, we continued to make more and more mental errors, and I think that may have been where you saw the fatigue in the turnaround from last night. We had chances to make some plays and we got guys making some mental errors we really don't expect them to make."
Brill's shirt was soaked, his face was covered in rivulets of sweat and he had a wet rag wrapped around his neck. Normally, he'd spend his Saturday swapping game video with his next opponent, then beginning to analyze his foe - but not this time.
"I'm taking the rest of the day off," he said. "I'm tired."
Lumberton 27, Cape Fear 3
L - Daniel Robinson 48 run (Jace Ward kick)
CF - FG Jordan Jacob 27
L - Robinson 1 run (kick blocked)
L - Robinson 79 run (Ward kick)
L - Robinson 9 run (Ward kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing: L - Robinson 25-265, Jazreelite Deese 4-6, Allen Thompson 6-46, Demetri Sheridan 5-34, Frank Dickerson 3-(-8), Ahmad Smith 2-(-4). CF - Adrian Jones 2-4, Elliott Peters 8-20, Josh McCoy 1-12, Myles Forde 1-10, Spencer Faircloth 12-3, Kentrell Worley 6-(-1), Marquise Whitted 1-1, Adrian Williams 1-(-5).
Passing: L - Deese 1-3-0 49. CF - Faircloth 11-28-2 132. Jacob 1-1-0, 8.
Receiving: L - Thompson 1-49. CF - Tarje Robinson 1-45, Dylan Horne 3-23, Adrian Williams 2-6, Worley 1-4, Forde 1-10, Cole Humphrey 3-39.
Records: Lumberton 1-0, Cape Fear 0-1
Next game: Lumberton at Jack Britt, Cape Fear at Westover
Sports editor Thomas Pope can be reached at popet@fayobserver.com or 486-3520.