SPIVEY’S CORNER — James Kenan erupted for 21 fourth-quarter points and defeated Midway, 41-6, in non-conference play Friday evening.
An early-evening thunderstorm accompanied by dangerous lightning swept through Sampson County. The weather forced officials to send both teams to the gym.
Once the lightning ceased, the two teams played.
“Got off to a rocky start as could be expected,” JK head coach Tim Grady said. “It felt like playing in a monsoon. We dropped the ball a few times, some we recovered, others we didn’t. It looked like a scene from a movie.
“We rolled the dice on a few pass plays and it seemed to open things up. Later, we jumped in our spread package and realized we were able to hit big plays faster, so we stuck with it a series or two.”
The Tigers entered halftime up 12-0 and led 20-6 after three quarters.
“I’m very proud of the fight in our kids,” Grady said. “We have preached for them to roll with the punches, and don’t get up or down when things don’t work out. They did.
“Our defense has continued to play at a high level. They are playing extremely physically and they flow to the point of attack swiftly.
James Kenan claimed its second straight win over Midway and holds a 13-4 advantage in the series since 2004.
The Tigers (2-0 overall) play their home opener Friday against Whiteville. Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Bill Taylor Field in Warsaw.
“We have our work cut out for us this week, but we will not harp on who we are playing or what the past has been like,” Grady said. “We will focus on James Kenan and continue to get better. I love this team and love the buy-in [attitude] they have presented to our staff.”
Gators, Devilpups suspended
CAMP LEJEUNE — Spring Creek grabbed an early one-touchdown lead before Mother Nature intervened Friday evening.
A strong thunderstorm blew through Onslow County and suspended the non-conference contest three minutes after kickoff.
Play will resume Sept. 22.
Spring Creek (0-1 overall) will take an unusual two-week break before its home opener Sept. 13 against Hobbton. The non-conference matchup launches a string of three games within a nine-day stretch that also includes a home battle with Union and a second trip to Lejeune.
