Football in many places is just a Friday night when the schools best athletes go out and enable the townsfolk to get away from their week of work, meet with old pals and get their fill of booster hotdogs and hot chocolate. That would be true in many places unless you are a football fan in Texas or a fan of one of the most storied histories of high school football in the great state of NC, the Randleman Tigers. The latest installment of that history was written this past Friday night as Head Coach Shane Handy and his Tigers welcomed the Providence Patriots to Charles R. Gregory Field.
With a partisan crowd chomping at the bit, the Tiger offense sputtered for most of the first quarter. Frustrated but still focused, they were able to finally put one score on the board in the first quarter and take the lead 7-0. The offensive unit seemed to fight up and down the field but as soon as they completed a positive play they were called for a silly penalty that would bring the ball back and add more yardage to the down. It seemed late in the first quarter that they may have found a remedy to this ill as the offense started to move down the field late and put together pretty solid drive. But as they had in the first, the Tigers fell victim to the same problems in the beginning of the second quarter. Squandering two early opportunities and having to kick the ball away made for a long quarter and a half.
As the second quarter hit it's midpoint the Tiger offense was able to stay on the field and put the penalties behind them. The offense started a drive that looked to be threatened on 3rd and long until the sure hands of WR Chase Causey was able to bring in a deep offering from sophomore QB Kyle Farlow. With a 1st down the Tigers were in business and started to go to there workhorse RB T.J. Simmons. The run game wasn't in its best form but the Tigers kept pounding the ball hoping to finally break thru the Patriot defense and hit pay-dirt but the drive stalled and the ball was kicked away yet again. The Patriots offense attempted many different formations and plays to try and gain yardage but to no avail and eventually they would fumble the ball late in the quarter and the Tiger defense would recover and in the process knock the Patriot starting QB out of the game. Running their 2 minute offense the Tigers were able to put together a drive that was capped with a touchdown by another deep throw by Farlow that was caught and taken to the house with 31.6 remaining in the 1st half to build the score to 14-0.
At the half the Tigers were very loose in the locker room as each position coach continued to teach their young players and make adjustments to a half that could have been much more flawless if not for the useless penalties. The start of the 2nd half would prove that the teaching paid off as the defense held the Patriots to a quick three and out and was able to get the ball back. But as had been the earlier part of the evening, the Tiger offense continued to sputter and subsequently turned the ball over when Farlows first pass of the 2nd half was intercepted by the defense. Providence was finally able to remove the goose-egg from the scoreboard as Keyshawn Purvis punched it in from the 4 yard line for the score to close the Tiger lead to 14-6, after the missed PAT with 7:50 to go in the 3rd.
After being bottled up for most of the 1st half Tiger RB Simmons kept at it and finally was able to see the benefits of his hard work. Simmons and the Tiger offense received the ball back after another great stop by their defense and went to work. Coach Handy implored his offense to take their time and run their offense the way that they knew how, pleading to them "I don't care how THEY run the ball or how THEIR QB throws the ball!!" and his team took that to heart. Banging Simmons off the left and right sides as they drove downfield finally paid off as the young back put his head down and gave a quick Payton-like juke and found himself in the end zone 30 yards later for a 20-6 Tiger lead with 1:39 left before the end of the quarter. The fourth quarter produced the same with both teams exchanging possessions in the 4th quarter time after time with the Tiger defense holding firm, not allowing any further scores and in the midst recovering an additional fumble before it was all said and done. A FG by the Tiger offense at the 7:36 mark would close out the scoring for the night and cap a very solid defensive gem.
Randleman improved their record to 3-1 and will face the SW Randolph Cougars (3-1) at their house on Friday September 17, 2010. The game figures to be a great defensive battle as both teams boast defenses that have held their opponents to an average of 13 pts. per game. Turnovers will be key and the team that holds onto the ball will come out on top. Coach Handy preaches ball security to his team so they know how precious a commodity recovering turnovers are compared with turning it over. The Tigers have a defensive team that has an attitude of "them against the world" and it makes them a very angry bunch on the field! That attitude will be put to the test on Friday night as they suit up the "mystique" of Randleman football and take to the filed for yet another battle of pride! Game time is set at 7:30 p.m.
