By ROBBIE FAULK
When Brad Gray was preparing for French Camp Academy last week, the coach warned his players that the longtime rival was going to bring everything they had to Wofford Field.
With that in mind, the Eagles brought the fight right back and didn’t take their opponent lightly.
Eupora used an explosive 30-0 first quarter and earned a running clock quickly on Friday on the way to a 43-6 blowout win over the Panthers.
A week after dominating Hamilton on the ground with its rushing attack, the Eagles did a lot of its work thanks to the defense. Eupora surrendered just 88 yards of total offense with 21 yards given up through the air and only 2.5 yards per carry.
The wealth was spread on that side of the ball with six different players notching four tackles or more. Duke Gary led the way with six tackles and Jayden Yates and Connor Swindle finished with a fumble recovery each.
There was also special teams rewards for the Eagles as Jai Wofford turned on the jets for a 93-yard punt return for the score. Wofford also had two rushes for 22 yards and another touchdown and had four tackles on the defensive side as he continued to make his presence known in all three phases.
The Eagle offense didn’t have to do too much in this game as the unit had just 26 plays run due to the running clock. Peyton Perkins was an efficient 6-of-8 in the passing game with 55 yards and a touchdown and rushed four times for 53 yards and another score.
Cornathan Orr had three carries for 37 yards and another score. Sophomore Sawyer Weeks had two catches for 23 yards and a receiving score.
After the 30-point shellacking in the first quarter, Eupora kept it up in the second with two more touchdowns as the clock would roll. FCA got a score in the third frame, but the game was in hand at that point.
Through two weeks, it’s been a successful beginning for the Eagles (2-0). The team has put up 40 points per game in the first two wins and now will head to the road for a two-straight weeks.
First up will be the Ethel Tigers as it is a reunion of sorts between the Eagles and former coach – the legendary Junior Graham. Since getting back into the head coaching chair, Graham has his Tigers off to a 2-0 start to the season and looking for a statement win. Game time is set for 7 p.m. on Friday in Ethel.
