Wakefield football
Wolverines let one slip away
The Wakefield football team came out firing at the start of both halves Friday night, but could not overcome a determined Holly Springs squad and a rainfall which alternated between steady and heavy for most of the night.
In the end, the Wolverines lost 28-14, and fell victim to sloppy play and soggy conditions.
On its first possession, Wakefield jumped out to a 7-0 lead as junior quarterback Patrick Johnstone hooked up with senior Mychal Jones for a 40-yard touchdown strike.
After the defense forced Holly Springs to punt from their own 20-yard line, Wakefield took over with excellent field position at midfield. But the Wolverines quickly fumbled, and the Golden Hawks didn't waste time cashing in on the mistake.
Holly Springs running back K.J. Herndon took a toss at the 50-yard line and raced down to the 5-yard line, where he was pushed out of bounds.
The Wakefield defense, led by Darius Brown, Will Butler and Josh Winstead, managed to hold the Golden Hawks to a field goal, but it was the start of 20 unanswered points by Holly Springs.
Throughout the game, both squads struggled to hang onto the football. Though Wakefield committed five turnovers, Tye Smith's interception of Holly Springs QB Mike Roach keep the Golden Hawks' lead from growing any larger.
But overall, it was Holly Springs which capitalized on the turnovers.
After one mishandled punt, Wakefield head coach J.D. Dinwiddie turned to the bench and said, “When it rains it pours.”
Heading into intermission, Holly Springs led 20- 7.
Wakefield kicked off to start the third quarter and appeared to be reenergized.
The rain had slowed to a drizzle during halftime, and the wet, but loyal, Wakefield fans were eager for something to cheer about. Lem Darrell obliged with a big hit on the Holly Springs kick returner at the 15-yard line.
Two plays later, defensive end Matt Yovanovich forced a Holly Springs fumble, which was recovered by teammate Moises Ramirez.
Courtney Crews gained a few hard-fought yards on the ground, and Holly Springs' offside penalty helped the Wolverines get in scoring position. Connor Mitch, who replaced Patrick Johnstone at quarterback at the end of the first half, hit a leaping Alex Starnes on a play-action pass for a touchdown.
Wakefield had a few more chances to score in the second half, but the team’s momentum seemed to disappear as the rain returned. Holly Springs kept the ball on the ground and continued to play opportunistic defense.
In his post-game speech, Dinwiddie didn’t sugarcoat his disappointment, but he was more than willing to share the blame with his players, saying “We were out-coached and out-played.”
Most of his comments were focused on the upcoming week of practice, and he promised “changes on Monday”, warning both the offensive and defensive lines to be prepared for an hour on the blocking sleds.
When asked to expand on the changes he might make, Dinwiddie said “I don’t know, we might put three backs in the backfield and play smash mouth football.”
He made it clear that running the football and stopping the run would become his team’s top priorities.
If there was ever a night that called for smash mouth football, it was Friday night.
Wakefield hosts Knightdale Friday at 7 p.m. The Knights lost to Millbrook 20-14 Aug. 28.
