COLUMN
Marquee match-up highlights
third week of conference play
October 5, 2009
By Tommy Kopetskie, NorthRaleighSports.com
The first two weeks of the Cap-7 Conference football schedule have offered up a few interesting morsels.
During its opening weekend, we had Sanderson and Matt James duke it out with Wakefield and Nigel King. Plus, Broughton shocked just about everyone with a 16-7 defeat of Millbrook.
Then a week later, Leesville Road routed the Capitals, erasing its 2008 upset loss. And the Wolverines pasted the Wildcats for 59 points.
This Friday, however, the conference appears to be getting into the meat of its schedule, featuring its first marquee conference match-up — Leesville Road at Wakefield.
All due respect to Sanderson's homecoming match-up against Millbrook, but the rivalry contest doesn't carry the same weight based strictly on records.
With 7-0 Leesville Road venturing to 5-2 Wakefield Friday night, the Cap-7's only two 2-0 squads face off with the early-season lead on the line. (WF-R — which will have a say in the conference title for sure — is 1-0 because it had a bye week two weeks ago.)
Because this isn't the NFL — where division foes play each other twice — each conference match-up is crucial. And the only way to guarantee yourself the title is to win outright.
Lose, and you're left hoping not one but two other teams succeed where you've failed.
That's putting a lot of responsibility on someone else to do your dirty work.
And it makes each game essentially a playoff game for the title.
At 7-0 this season, the Leesville Road football team is right where many expected it to be. But the Pride face its stiffest test Friday night, traveling to 5-2 Wakefield.
So what about the Leesville Road/Wakefield match-up?
Well, to be honest, only one of these teams — Leesville — was picked to be playing in big games this fall. While Wakefield was expected to contend for a playoff spot, title talk for them — outside of their campus — just began.
Although their early-season predictions were different, the teams share a good deal of similarities.
Both start first-year quarterbacks (Josh Stanley and Connor Mitch), which have benefited from experienced offensive lines.
While neither team has a quote-unquote featured back, there is plenty to like about both backfields. Leesville's Dylan Edwards and Wakefield's Denzel Brown have each recorded a 100-plus-yard game in conference play. Stanley can hurt defenses with his feet as well, and the Wolverines should get a boost from the return of sophomore Courtney Crews from injury.
Defensively, the Wolverines thrive thanks to its aggressive front, led by the trio of Matt Yovanovich, Moses Ramirez and Will Butler. On the other side, Leesville Road linebackers Brad Moody, Brandon Pittman and Edwards can deliver big hits with the best of them. Pride defensive back Thurston Cox has developed into a big-time play-maker, hauling in a half-dozen picks this season.
Wakefield's Moises Ramirez (53) was all smiles after his team's win over Millbrook, compiling two sacks and a fumble recovery in the first quarter alone. The senior, along with Matt Yovanovich and Will Butler, make up Wolverines' aggressive, quick defensive front.
What's nice about this week is both teams appear to be playing their best ball right now.
That's a no-brainer when you consider Wakefield almost dropped 60 points Friday, but it's true for Leesville Road as well.
After nearly pulling off an upset at Greensboro Dudley three weeks ago, the Wolverines have strung together three nice wins.
Although Leesville has been perfect this season, their coaching staff pointed out they didn't play their best early— specifically against Panther Creek and East Wake.
But the Pride's last two victories over Enloe and Broughton leave no doubt the team is capable of reaching its lofty expectations.
Health check-up
In terms of health, with Pride safety Ryan Mangum out, the Wolverines appear to have a slight edge.
Having played without Crews for the past few games, the Wolverines are expected to have its complete backfield this week. And Yovanovich's leg injury against Millbrook likely won't keep him from playing against Leesville.
It should be noted Darien Jones played solidly as Yovo's replacement.
Wakefield offensive lineman Michael Sabb isn't likely to play against Leesville.
Best thing I saw in person this week — uncut, soccer-edition
Usually, I post this section further down in my column, but this week, I have to make an exception.
If you watched the Wakefield soccer team's 1-1 tie against Sanderson Sept. 30, you know why. (Spoiler alert: Brandon Ruthfoss' goal with 12 seconds remaining has something to do with it.)
To call the Wolverines' 1-5 start to conference play anything but disappointing would be untruthful. With its most-talented squad in recent years — led by Wake Forest-recruit Ryan Metts and Jay Williams — the program was expected to challenge for a conference title. The Wolverines were ranked in the Top 10 in the state a few weeks into the season, and that only validated the predictions.
But six games into league play, Wakefield was nearly in the conference's cellar. The only buffer between them and last place was Wake Forest-Rolesville, which pushed Wakefield in a 1-0 defeat Sept. 16.
However, against the Spartans last week, the Wolverines displayed an energy level not-existent during their first-half swoon. And even when Glenn Scott knocked in a second-half goal, giving Sanderson a 1-0 lead, Wakefield didn't deflate. It seem hell-bent on continuing to battle. The team just couldn't get on the scoreboard.
As the game reached its 79th — and final — minute, Metts later admitted he thought the game was over. It was realistic to draw that conclusion. But Ruthfoss raced into the corner off a throw-in, and played the ball across only to have it glance off a defender near post. The junior later called the goal — his first on varsity — "lucky."
Wakefield coach Scott Sloan pointed out it wasn't so much luck, but the culmination of hard work, explaining Ruthfoss had pressed the Sanderson defense all game. And the reason there was a defender there to deflect the ball was to stop his attack.
"If we weren't making those strong runs, those defenders don't drop back that far," the coach said.
The Wolverines then mobbed each other in celebration, unleashing half-a-season's worth of frustration.
See video and article here — http://northraleighsports.com/articles/whs/whssoccer10109.html.
Well, the Wolverines and Spartans eventually played to a draw. And while ties aren't supposed to be victories, watching the Wolverines congratulate each other for going punch-for-punch with Sanderson — one of the best teams in the state — it certainly felt like a win.
Post-game, Sloan summed it up best saying "This is a game — scoring a goal to tie the No. 2 team in the state with 12 seconds to go — these guys are going to remember for the rest of their lives."
But why the Wakefield turnaround?
Who can say exactly why the Wolverines regrouped against Sanderson? But pride was definitely on the line.
And an emotional locker room discussion two days prior — during a rain-shortened match against Durham Jordan — might deserve credit, too.
Sloan admitted he took his team to task during the meeting, questioning their drive and their heart.
The Wolverines answered back two days later with likely its most important performance of the year.
Here are a few things which caught my eye in the past week...
1. Seven painful seconds
That's the amount of time between Wakefield's first and second touchdowns against Millbrook Friday night. (It should be noted both came less than two minutes into the game.) And its speaks to the Wildcats' biggest obstacle this season: an inability to hold onto the ball.
In three consecutive weeks Millbrook has derailed itself because of its turnovers.
Friday night alone the Wildcats' first five possessions ended in an INT, lost fumble recovered for TD, punt, lost fumble and failed field-goal try because — why else — a fumble.
Following the game, Millbrook coach Clarence Inscore explained his team's most prominent issue is its repetitive mistakes.
"There is no such thing as a bad mistake until you keep making it. And that's what we are doing right now," he said.
And the offense's ball-control miscues have put unneeded pressure on its defense, which played better than the 59-point tally against them might lead you to believe.
2. Way to rebound, Ravens
Following last week thumping at Charlotte Country Day, Ravenscroft Ned Gonet said the contest would be easy to forget because the Ravens "were never really in the game."
After Friday's 55-3 drubbing of Fayetteville Christian, the Warriors know the feeling.
The Ravens scored touchdowns on its first seven possessions of the ball game, with several highlight reel plays, kicked off by Temple Sloan's 70-yard TD run in the first quarter.
Ravenscroft also amassed 261 total rushing yards against Fayetteville.
I guess this proves its good to have a short memory.
3. Denzel runs hard
The Wakefield football team should thank Leesville Friday for Denzel Brown, who transferred between schools this summer.
The junior has helped jumpstart the Wolverines' offense, giving them a threat on the ground to match Nigel King in the air.
Brown is relentless in his attack of the goal line, and his hard running has Wakefield's offense humming.
Best play I saw in person this week — football-oriented
I saw 11 touchdowns scored Friday between Wakefield and Millbrook, so there is plenty to choose from. My favorite was Brown's 33-yard TD run in the second quarter. The running back hit the line, appeared stuck, moved this feet again and again, and busted outside and streaked to the end zone. The play look to be stopped, but no to Brown.
If you want to switch in Terrance Scott's 54-yard fake-punt run or Millbrook's Lucas Forner blocking a Wakefield punt and teammate John Cervera's recovery in the end zone, I can't blame you though.
Quote of the Week
"He was cutting through that line like swiss cheese."
— said Wakefield defensive lineman Moises Ramirez of teammate Denzel Brown, who reached the end zone three times Friday against Millbrook.
Best thing I heard on the sidelines
Following the Wakefield girls golf team's sixth consecutive victory at Hedingham Golf Club last week, Wakefield golfer Katie Yelle pleaded with coach Rick Riggleman to allow the Lady Wolverines to wear tie-dye at a match.
The argument lasted a good three or four minutes, with the duo agreeing to disagree on the uniform change. Wakefield has played so well this season wearing their black shirts, opponents might welcome the switch.
What I'm looking forward to this week
During the Leesville Road/Wakefield volleyball match Thursday, Oct. 7, the Lady Wolverines will be host a "Think Pink" event, promoting breast cancer awareness. So, bring your pink shirts, and make it out for the 6 p.m. start.
Random thought
I only watch one show on MTV anymore — Real World/Road Rules Challenge — and it has to be my biggest guilty pleasure.
But there is only one way to view it, so follow closely:
First DVR the episode. Then watch it with your significant other, judging and criticizing the contestants as if the show has actual importance.
Make sure your critiques are backed up by "evidence" — which is usually what you vaguely remember from an episode three or four years prior. Embellishing is allowed, and encouraged.
Finally, use your DVR pause or slow-mo button to investigate the previews for next week. Repeat this step until your viewing partner yells at you to stop wasting time.
E-mail your thoughts to tommy@northraleighsports.com.
