FAIRMONT – Senior Rasean McKoy keyed a 30-0 1st quarter East Bladen blitz with 3 touchdowns, and the Eagles rolled to a 50-12 Three Rivers Conference football victory over Fairmont Friday night.
McKoy rushed 14 times for 198 yards and scored on touchdown runs of 2, 50 and 48 yards. He caught a pass for 12 yards to finish with 210 total yards and also ran for a 2-point conversion.
Junior Javius Brooks gained 122 yards on 11 carries, scored on a 2-yard run and also ran for a 2-point conversion for the Eagles. His ‘little’ brother, freshman Masion Brooks, powered his way to the end zone on touchdown runs of 30 and 8 yards and finished with 61 yards on 7 rushing attempts.
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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
Coach Robby Priest’s Eagles piled up 419 rushing yards and 431 total yards in the game and enjoyed a 29-19 minute advantage in time of possession.
The Eagles covered 72 yards in only 4 plays on their initial possession. McKoy picked up 12 yards on a swing pass from senior Zach Meares. Junior Raymond Autry, Jr rammed through the line for 10 yards, and Javius Brooks popped through the left side and bolted 48 yards. McKoy plowed into the end zone from 2 yards out, and Javius Brooks carried for the 2-point conversion and an 8-0 lead at the 10:47 mark.
A high snap in punt formation by the Tornadoes led to a 24-yard loss, and Fairmont turned the ball over on downs at the Fairmont 19 yard line. McKoy picked up 7 yards, and 4 plays later, Javius Brooks went into the end zone standing up from 2 yards out. Senior Javant McDowell caught the 2-point conversion pass from Meares to boost the East Bladen lead to 16-0 with 7:19 remaining in the quarter.
Junior Tim McLean sacked the Fairmont quarterback for a 12-yard loss, after the Tornadoes had reached the Eagle 38 yard line. A 4th down pass fell incomplete, and East Bladen took over at midfield. McKoy started around the right side then cut back all the way across the field as he galloped 50 yards for the touchdown. Autry’s 2nd effort broke him free on the 2-point conversion run as the lead grew to 24-0 with 5:07 left.
After Autry recovered an onside kick at midfield, the Eagle offense sputtered, but McKoy raced around the right side on a fake punt play and charged 48 yards for the touchdown and a 30-0 East lead with 2:43 on the 1st period clock. “I hate to punt,” said Priest. It’s like quitting to me.”
East Bladen stopped the next 2 Fairmont possessions with pass interceptions. Junior Sherman Monroe picked off a long Tornado pass at the Eagle 19 yard line, and McDowell made a leaping interception at the East Bladen 3 yard line to end another Fairmont threat. However the Eagle offense was stopped on downs twice near midfield. “We went through a little lull there,” noted Priest. “I would have liked to have seen the offense keep rolling.”
Senior Jahkeem Moore hurled a 39-yard touchdown pass to Quamel Pittman to put the Tornadoes on the board 3:17 before halftime.
Back came the Eagles as Autry retreated back to the 14 yard line to field the Fairmont kickoff then sailed through the 1st wave of defenders and dashed 86 yards for a kickoff return touchdown that grew the East lead to 36-6 with 3:07 on the 1st half clock.
Freshman Christopher Harding recovered the Eagles’ onside kickoff at the Fairmont 45 yard line. McKoy battered the line for 27 yards, and Autry darted 11 yards to give East a 1st down at the Tornado 7 yard line. However a fumbled snap at the 4 yard line ended the threat.
The Eagles flew 71 yards in 3 plays on their initial possession of the 2nd half. McKoy gained 6 yards, and Javius Brooks banged through the line for 35 yards. On the next play, Masion Brooks plowed through the middle on a 30-yard touchdown run to up the count to 42-6 with 8:26 on the clock.
East Bladen drove 64 yards in 9 plays for their final touchdown. Javius Brooks reeled off runs of 7, 4 and 9 yards, but it was his younger brother, Masion, who pounded the Tornadoes for runs of 10, 5, 3, 10 then 8 yards for the touchdown with 28 seconds remaining in the period. McKoy grew the lead to 50-6 with his 2-point conversion run.
“Masion is giving us a big back inside,” said Coach Priest. “Just wait until he gets his wind up. He played in the Jr. Shrine Bowl last year, and I had coaches calling me telling me how good he was going to be.”
Moore threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Ezekiel Thompson for the final Fairmont touchdown in the final period. The fourth quarter was played with a running clock due to the score.
Moore completed 18 of 26 passes for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns to spark the Fairmont offense. He also ran for 57 yards on 9 carries. Pittman led the receivers with 5 catches for 67 yards. Derrick Baker snagged 4 passes for 38 yards.
The Eagles improve to 2-0 and will host St. Pauls Friday night.
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