By By BRIAN HAINES, Sports Writer
WILLIAMSTON — Williamston’s Cedric Moody made his case for the title of the area’s most exciting player as the do-it-all senior tailback rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another one to lead the Tigers to a 26-20 win over Perquimans on Friday night.
Moody was the cog that kick started the machine known as the Williamston offense as dashed for TD runs of 11 and 91 yards, while his TD toss was good for 79 yards.
Williamston ran effectively all night long as it posted 311 yards, with Moody accounting for the lion’s share of those rushing yards.
While Moody got most of the Tigers’ highlight plays, it was junior quarterback Luke Mathews who had a hand in the game-winner, as he connected with wide receiver K.J. Brown on a 35-yard streak route down the left sideline for what would prove to be the clincher with 6:24 left in the third quarter.
The Tigers’ offense looked fluid all game long, but struggled inside the red zone. Twice in the first quarter Williamston (5-2, 2-1) had possessions deep inside the Pirates’ 20, but could not cash in.
“I thought it was a good game, but if you watched the whole game we just didn’t finish,” Williamston coach Asim McGill said. “We played well from 20 to 20, but when we got inside the red zone we just kind of turned the ball over on downs. Hats off to Perquimans, but we also shot our selves in the foot a few times.”
The Pirates (2-5 (2-1) took advantage of their Four Rivers Conference foes red zone woes early. After their second red zone stop game Perquimans the ball at their own 11, it strung together an 89-yard drive which was highlighted by a A.J. Naranjo 70-yard run. A Nate Downing 8-yard run capped off the drive and gave the Pirates a 7-0 lead.
Naranjo was a factor all game, and ran hard up the middle for several big plays to help Perquimans gain 381 yards on the ground and take a 7-0 first quarter lead.
It would be the last time it was ahead all game.
The Tigers came out swinging in the second quarter and scored on their ensuing possession, as Moody’s 11-yard run tied the game at 7.
A Quenton Lawrence interception of a Cody Saunders pass at the Tigers own 10-yard line not only stalled a Perquimans’ potential scoring drive, but set up Moody for his amazing 91-yarder.
Williamston’s defense was the origin for its third score of the quarter as it recovered a Pirates’ fumble at their own 20. Two plays later, Moody found K.J. Brown for a 79-yard TD pass and 20-7 lead.
There was an unusual amount of fumbles considering the dry weather, as both teams combined for 12 miscues.
Unable to run out the clock late in the second quarter and refusing to punt, the Tigers’ turned the ball over on downs at the Pirates’ 44. Perquimans rushed the ball down the field on the strength of Downing and Naranjo, then scored on a 16-yard TD pass from Saunders to WR Marcori Ingram.
Ingram was well-covered by the Tigers’ defense, but made a spectacular grab leaping over a cornerback in the back of the end zone while managing to stay in bounds.
The score made it 20-14 going into the break.
Mathews’ TD pass to Brown in the third quarter gave Williamston a 26-cushion in the third quarter.
In the fourth, the Pirates made a run at Williamston and cut the lead to 26-20 after Michael Frierson’s 45-yard TD dash.
However, the Tigers’ defense came up clutch late in the fourth quarter and ended a Pirates’ drive that had reached the Tigers’ 29-yard line with under 20 seconds left in the game.
Williamston will be back in action next week when it plays at Plymouth.
Perquimans Williamston
20 First Downs 12
50-381 Rushes-Yards 44-311
16 Passing Yards 172
1-9-3 Pass-Comp-Int 5-13-1
3-28 Punting 36
5-3 Fumbles-Lost 7-3
2-15 Penalties 8-45
Perquimans 7 7 0 6 — 20
Williamston 0 20 6 0 — 26
Scoring Summary
P — Nate Downing 8 run (Mark Hickman kick), 23.5, 1st.
W — Cedric Moody 11 run (Moody kick), 10:26, 2nd.
W — Moody 91 run (Cash Green kick), 4:33, 2nd.
W — K.J. Brown 79 pass from Moody (kick failed), 2:02, 2nd.
P — Marcori Ingram 16 pass from Cody Saunders, :02 2nd.
W — Brown 35 pass from Luke Mathews (two points failed), 6:24, 3rd.
P — Michael Frierson 45 run (kick failed) 6:58.