Publication:
Published: 10/13/2001
Page: P1B
Headline:
Byline: MICHAEL DAILEY
DAILY MAIL SPORTSWRITER
On paper, Friday night's matchup between
complete mismatch.
Sixth-rated
streak and with a 6-1 record, while Nitro entered on a five-game
losing streak and with a 1-6 record.
But throw in a few factors like a possible letdown by Warrior players
following last week's emotional victory over
of leading rusher Nate Wright with a strained
hamstring, a rain soaked
field and a strong-willed Wildcat team, and the mismatch appeared to
be a little more interesting.
And for two quarters, it was just that.
In the first 24 minutes, there were a pair of
goal-line defensive
stands, a pair of 30-plus yard touchdown runs, a pair of TD passes, a
fumble, an interception and a blocked kick.
When the fast and frenzied first half finally came to an end, the
heavily favored Warriors found themselves clinging to a 21-13 lead
against a determined and confident Nitro squad.
Unfortunately for the Wildcats, it didn't take
its second half muscles en route to what turned into a comfortable
56-28 win in front of an estimated 2,000 fans in the drizzle and mud
at Nitro's Underwood Field.
In just over seven minutes, the Warriors extended their lead to 42-13
with a 54-yard scoring strike from Kashif Ealey to Josh Hughes on the
first play of the second half, a 32-yard TD run by Rusty Taylor and a
2-yard run by Ealey.
"I think in the second half what you saw was a team that got chewed
out a little bit at halftime," said Nitro Coach Little Burdette.
"They
probably had to fight being flat all week after playing
last week and a 1-6 Nitro team this week.
"In the second half they just came out and turned it on. When you are
a good football team you can do that. We didn't make any adjustments
at the half because we were right with them at 21-13. Then they came
out on the first play and throw that touchdown pass ... that really
hurt us."
Nitro was able to cut the lead to 42-21 on a 21-yard touchdown pass
from Derek Midkiff to Ryan Meadows, but
scoring run just two plays later for a 49-21 lead.
Midkiff finished the game with 327 passing yards
while connecting on
23-of-50 passes and three touchdowns.
In Wright's absence, Ealey sparked the Warrior
high-octane offense
with a near perfect night.
Ealey, a 5-foot-7, 160-pound junior, finished the
night with 123
rushing yards on just eight carries, including three touchdowns, while
connecting on 11-of-13 passes for 255 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
"Probably from a stat standpoint this was his best game," said
Riverside Coach Dick Whitman. "We feel like he's coming on and in
every game is getting a little better. He's developing into a leader
on this football team."
Ealey agreed with Whitman.
"Every week I'm feeling a little better," said Ealey.
"Tonight coach
just called my number and he called plays that I like and that I'm
comfortable with."
Taylor, a 5-7, 156-pound junior, moved from fullback to tailback with
Wright sidelined and racked up 122 yards on 15 carries, including a
pair of TD runs.
"They just have too many weapons," said Burdette of the Warriors'
abundance of skill players. "They have Ealey,
Taylor and they have a
good fullback (Justin Hensley). They really have some players that
just seem to make plays when they need them to."