Charles Haskins of the Vikings picks up 17 yards on the opening kickoff of the game. (Post Photo by Rickey Clardy)
Nyles Barnett avoids an Eagleville defender to pick up yardage for the Vikings. (Post Photo by Rickey Clardy)
By RICKEY CLARDY
Sports Writer
UNIONVILLE — The Community Vikings were forced to start their possessions deep in their territory as the Eagleville Eagle special teams played a key factor on kickoffs while the Eagle defense kept the Vikings at bay as Community fell 62-6 in the home football opener for the Vikings Friday night.
With the Vikings reeling from a week disrupted with players out due to the horse show break, Community began the contest on its own 26-yard line after a 17-yard kickoff return by Charles Haskins.
But a penalty and a stingy Eagle defense forced the Vikings to punt, eventually giving Eagleville possession in the Community red zone.
It took just one play as Marshall Fields ran 19 yards for the score to put the Eagles on the scoreboard.
The kick by John Thomas Parkerson put Eagleville up 7-0 with 10:19 remaining in the opening quarter.
With Parker’s kickoffs pinning the Vikings back, Community started its next four possessions inside its 25-yard line.
Community could not connect with the passing game as several throws fell to the ground off the hands of Viking receivers, forcing the Vikings to punt from the shadow of their goal post.
The Eagles responded with four more scores on a recovered fumble in the end zone by Marshall Spann, two TD runs by Kaleb Snitzer, and a touchdown pass from Benton Fox to Noah Lilly as the Eagles ended the quarter with a 34-0 lead.
“We had tough field position to get started and didn’t get it going,” Coach Chris Grooms of the Vikings said.
“We were missing a couple of linemen so we were trying to put some subs in trying to find the right combo.”
The Eagles kept up the pressure in the second quarter as a fumble return for a score and a touchdown run gave Eagleville a 48-0 halftime lead.
Another touchdown run by Snitzer, this one for 50 yards, put the Eagles up 55-0 in the third quarter.
After the Eagles scored their final touchdown in the fourth quarter to go up 62-0, the Vikings made some noise.
On second down, Isaac Jacobs found space in the Eagle secondary and avoided several Eagleville tacklers to complete a 42-yard run for the score to put Community on the scoreboard and end the scoring in the game.
“He’s a good athlete. He was here with me all week and never missed,” Grooms said.
“I said when we get to the fourth, the kids who have been here all week are going to get in and run it,” Grooms added.
Community travels down the road to Chapel Hill and will take on Forrest next Friday night for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
Eagleville 34 14 7 7 — 62
Community 0 0 0 6 — 6
First Quarter
E — Marshall Fields 19 run, (John Thomas Parkerson kick), 10:19.
E — Marshall Spann recovered fumble in end zone, (Parkerson kick), 9:10.
E — Kaleb Snitzer 7 run, (Parkerson kick,) 7:10.
E — Snitzer 8 run (kick failed) 4:05.
E — Noah Lilly 23 pass from Benton Fox, (Alex Borombozin kick), 1:39.
Second Quarter
E – Alex Bryant 22 fumble return, (Parkerson kick), 11:44.
E – Jonathan Jordan 20 run, (Borombozin kick), 0:51.
Third Quarter
E – Snitzer 50 run, (Parkerson kick), 10:51.
Fourth Quarter
E – Keontay Moore 2 run, (Borombozin kick), 9:24.
C – Isaac Jacobs 42 run, (run failed), 3:49.
