Southern Wayne quarterback Logan Denning (with ball) gets in some pre-game work earlier this season. The signal caller threw for a career-high 121 yards in a loss against South Johnston on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
DUDLEY — Southern Wayne head football coach Matt Hine looked and acted like a proud father in the post-game huddle Friday evening.
Though the scoreboard said otherwise, he couldn’t have been more pleased with his team’s effort in a 42-20 loss to Quad County 3A foe South Johnston.
“Our most complete game we played this year,” Hine said. “Whatever the combination of things that got them there, probably the one game where we can walk off the field feeling better about ourselves.
“We showed a lot of improvements in different areas Friday night, I thought. Overall, our offense, both running and throwing looked better. A lot of that goes back to the offensive line where there was improved play.”
The Saints racked up nearly 300 yards of total offense – their best output of the season. Quarterback Logan Denning threw for a career-high 121 yards on 6 of 14 passing. He overcame a hard tackle in the opening half, sat out an offensive series and played the remainder of the game.
Jaylen Bowden accounted for 100-plus all-purpose yards. He tallied touchdowns on runs of 4 and 1 yard. A 69-yard completion from Denning to Shawn Moore set up Bowden’s second score.
“We thought he was in the end zone,” Hine said.
Naeem Longmire logged the Saints’ third touchdown — a fourth-quarter, seven-yard scamper. He concluded the night with 55 yards rushing.
Hine lauded the effort of his offensive line, which protected Denning well and opened a few lanes for the running backs.
“Defensively, we definitely did a better job of building those walls that we try to teach our defense about on the interior, force things to run sideways as opposed to north and south,” Hine said.
Still banged up, the resilient Saints competed without key starters. Hine isn’t sure who will return and when.
“I’m so proud of the guys that are playing right now, another example of a 36-man roster right now where those kids are tough as nails,” Hine said. “We had a tremendous week of preparation for the first time in at least a month. That group of kids minimized distractions that are associated with homecoming. We certainly had no discipline problems all week from them in school.
“We saw, as coaches, a nice jump froward for them in terms of how they played. Encouraged them to put three more weeks like that together and keep that memory of how we prepared during the week as their focus for the next three weeks.”
Southern Wayne (1-6 overall, 0-4 QCC) begins a two-game road swing next Friday at Smithfield-Selma. The Saints travel to Wilson Fike the following week.
You may reach sports writer Rudy Coggins at prepswriter2@gmail.com or call/text 919-709-9257.
