Tigers ground Eagles, 48-0

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on November 2, 2012 1:48 PM

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WARSAW -- Marcelias Sutton spun away from one defender.

A second tackler couldn't wrap up his ankles.

Running with grit and determination, Sutton wiggled from another defender and raced toward the end zone for a touchdown.

Yeah, it was that kind of night for No. 2-ranked James Kenan.

Sutton rushed for a game-high 139 yards on just six carries and the unbeaten Tigers dismantled East Montgomery, 48-0, in opening-round action of the 2012 N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-AA (large-school) football playoffs on a chilly Thursday evening at Bill Taylor Field.

James Kenan, the No. 1 seed in the Mideast Region, will face either Lakewood or Union next Friday. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.

"That was pretty impressive, wasn't it?" Avent Jr. said of Sutton's second TD run. "I don't know if he's made one any better. It was freaky. We were talking about getting him out and then we decided to give him one more run.

"I reckon he heard us. I can't wait to see it on film."

Sutton's 58-yard scoring gallop personified a James Kenan offense that had its way with the eighth-seeded Eagles, the fifth-place team from the Yadkin Valley Conference. Ten different backs combined for an eye-popping 451 yards rushing on 41 attempts, and the Tigers finished with an overwhelming 485-50 advantage in total yards.

Ja'Quan Williams supplied 81 yards and a touchdown on six totes for James Kenan, which won a first-round playoff game for the 10th straight time. Dominique Barnes rushed for one touchdown and threw a 29-yard scoring strike to TJ Fullwood.

John Winston added a 55-yard scoring run and James Owens picked up a fumble, which led to an 8-yard touchdown.

"We came out from the start and played good in all three phases (of the game)," Avent Jr. said. "Our defense played great all night. You hope you come out looking sharp and we did."

Indeed.

The Tigers' defense posted its fifth shutout of the season and set the tone early when 6-foot-5 linebacker Keevon Miller battled down Avery Jackson's first pass of the game. Jackson never saw daylight against the Tigers, who pinned their ears back and played aggressive on every down.

Jackson completed three passes for 22 yards.

East Montgomery (4-8 overall) managed just seven yards rushing on 18 plays and finished 0-for-10 on third-down conversions.

"We knew we had to get pressure on the quarterback because they had a couple of receivers who could cause you trouble if you didn't," Avent Jr. said. "I'm happy with the way we played defense."