Hungry to snap a four-game skid and win its first Quad County 3A Conference game, C.B. Aycock put its best talon forward Friday evening against East Wake.
However, despite their best efforts, the Golden Falcons fell to the Warriors 28-14, but C.B. Aycock head coach Thomas Zietlow saw a lot of positive things from his squad’s performance.
“We played hard the entire game. We just missed some breaks. I think we reduced the number of self-inflicted things we had last week that really put behind the eight-ball,” C.B. Aycock head coach Thomas Zietlow said. “We had some bad breaks that kind of got us, but I think the kids played hard.”
On the opening possession of the game, Michael Perry threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Josiah Osborne, and after a successful two-point conversion, the Warriors led 8-0 less than three minutes into the game.
C.B. Aycock fumbled on its first possession but forced the Warriors to punt on their next possession, and C.B. Aycock started its second drive of the game on the Warriors’ 48-yard line.
Eight plays later, Ethan Brock threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Horton. The extra point was no good, so the Golden Falcons found themselves down 8-6 with two minutes left in the first quarter.
Daniel Frederick then made the play of the game for the Golden Falcons when on the third play of the Warriors’ ensuing drive, Frederick intercepted Perry for a 40-yard pick-six.
David Reid then burst across the goal line for a successful two-point conversion, and the Golden Falcons now led 14-8 with 34 seconds left in the first quarter.
“That was huge,” Zietlow said about Frederick’s pick-six. “Daniel stepped up and made a play there, and that’s one thing that I’ve challenged them to do. Daniel played great, and you could tell he was trying to put the team on his back. I thought entire game offensively and defensively.”
East Wake countered with an eight-play 58-yard touchdown drive, and the Warriors led 16-14 at halftime.
The Warriors scored the only touchdown of the third quarter on a trick play. Perry handed the ball to Shamar Privette, who then threw the ball to R.J. Vick for a 55-yard touchdown.
“They (East Wake) kind of punched back a little bit, and we need to learn to punch back, but it’s another growth lesson the kids can learn,” Zietlow said.
Now down 22-14, the Golden Falcon continued to play hard to regain the lead but were forced to punt on their next two possessions.
Then with 53 seconds remaining in the third quarter, the unthinkable happened. Starting at their own one-yard line, the Warriors orchestrated a 99-yard touchdown drive that took over 10 minutes.
When the Warriors finally scored on the 22nd play of the drive, there were less than two minutes left in the game.
“That was a killer,” Zietlow said. “We did a great job pinning them on the one-yard line, but they were able to get it out.”
With so little time left on the clock and facing a 28-14 hole, the Golden Falcons did not have enough time left to mount a comeback.
The Golden Falcons (0-5 overall, 0-2 QCC) continue Quad County 3A Conference play next Friday when they welcome South Johnston (4-1, 1-1) to Hardy Talton Stadium.
