Friday football: Oscar Smith 34, King's Fork 0

By Chic Riebel

The Virginian-Pilot

CHESAPEAKE

Dominique Patterson did about all he could Friday night against Oscar Smith.

The King’s Fork senior, who has committed to Virginia Tech, intercepted two passes, sacked Tigers quarterback Phillip Sims once, made another tackle for a loss that stalled an Oscar Smith drive, returned kicks and blocked his butt off trying to protect his own quarterback.

But as is the case with most Southeastern District teams, it wasn’t nearly enough as the top-ranked Tigers pounded the Bulldogs 34-0 to extend their Southeastern District winning streak to 21 games and their regular-season win streak to 24.

“When you play Oscar Smith, it’s like playing a college team, they have so many Division I prospects,” Patterson said. “They have so many offensive weapons and they are so disciplined on defense. You’ve got to play your best.”

On this night, the Tigers (3-0 overall, 2-0 district) weren’t at their best.

The Alabama-bound Sims passed for 219 yards and a touchdown, and R.C. Coleman, a sophomore transfer from King’s Fork, ran for 90 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries. But Sims was intercepted twice, could have suffered another pick, and was sacked four times by the Bulldogs (0-3, 0-2).

“We didn’t play well offensively,” said Oscar Smith coach Rich Morgan. “It was a combination of a lot of things … pass protection breaking down, receivers running wrong routes, a couple of poor passes.”

There was nothing wrong with the Tigers’ defense, however. Oscar Smith held the Bulldogs to 65 yards in total offense and forced three turnovers. The visitors managed only two plays longer than nine yards.

Coleman’s former teammates were clearly fired up about playing against him, but he proved too fast and too elusive, racing into the end zone from 9, 10 and 15 yards out.

“I knew it would be a tough, physical game,” said Coleman, who fractured his pelvis while scoring a touchdown in his first varsity game at King’s Fork last year and was sidelined for the rest of the season.

“I’ve got to give it to my line, though. They opened great holes. I just had to hit them hard and run through them.”

Notable stats KF –Tyrelle Shepherd, 5-25 receiving. OS – Sims 17-27-2 219 yards 1 TD passing; Funderburk 5-90 receiving; Ricks 7-72 receiving.

Chic Riebel, (757) 446-2367, chic.riebel@pilotonline.com