Oct 13, 2008
WAKE FOREST —Wake Forest-Rolesville defensive end Jake Kahut said the Cougars pride themselves on being the hardest hitting team around.
After Kahut and the Cougars’ defensive effort on Friday, Broughton would have a hard time arguing.
The Cougars held Broughton to116 total yards, including just two rushing, and Wake Forest-Rolesville picked up a 24-7 win to move into first place in the Cap 7 all by itself, thanks to Wakefield’s 24-6 loss to Leesville Road.
“This is right where we want to be,” said Kahut, who in addition to being a defensive menace also caught a 15-yard touchdown pass. “We planned to be here all season. So it’s good to actually be there.”
While the Cougars’ defense dominated Broughton, WF-R didn’t exactly dazzle offensively, either. Quarterback Tim Hartman was 5-of-9 for 106 yards and two touchdowns, both on third and long, and Trea Jones led all rushers with 14 carries and 90 yards. Brexton Young chipped in 49.
But for their lack of offensive flair, the Cougars made up for it on special teams and defense. Linebacker Terrell Hartsfield blocked a punt and fell on the ball in the end zone for a touchdown, and Logan Welsh blocked a field goal.
WF-R’s defense set the tone early. On the second play from scrimmage, defensive end Keaton Epps sacked Broughton’s Chandler Browning for a nine-yard loss. On the next play, Epps got to Browning again, this time for minus-6 yards. The Cougars also knocked down three of Browning’s passes at the line. of scrimmage. Then late in the half, they knocked him out of the game. Kahut and Brandon Reynolds pulled down Browning midway through the third quarter, and he didn’t take another snap.
After its first two drives went nowhere, WF-R started moving the ball late in the first quarter. Behind the running of James Harris, Jones and Young, the Cougars churned their way to the Broughton 13-yard line before the drive stalled out and Torrey White kicked a 30-yard field goal.
“Our starting field position was pretty bad, and I thought we worked our way out of that, played great defense and then got ourselves out in good field position to get our first score,” said WF-R coach Earl Smith.
Broughton had a chance to tie the game on its next possession, but WF-R’s Welsh blocked Caps kicker Jeremy Shelley’s 44-yard attempt.
The Cougars turned around and struck big. On third and 12, Hartman hit White streaking down the sideline for a 58-yard pass and catch and a 10-0 WF-R lead with 7:10 to play in the first half.
After a three-and-out on Broughton’s next series, Hartsfield burst through the line, blocked Shelley’s punt and then recovered the loose ball in the end zone for a 17-0 WF-R lead.
“I was supposed to do an X with Taylor Jenks but the guy kept stepping at me, so I told Jenks to pull him in so I could get free,” said Hartsfield, who also blocked a punt last week against Enloe “When I blocked it, I didn’t know where it was. I saw it bounce in the end zone, so I just ran and jumped on it.”
The Cougars got their final score just before halftime. With 1:09 to go, Hartman hooked up with Kahut for a 15-yard touchdown pass.
“The first half was all their way,” said Broughton coach Chris Martin. “We settled down a little bit, but they play great defense and we couldn’t capitalize.”
With Browning out, Will Turner took over the offense, and the Caps shifted from their usual spread formation to the I. Sean Sheppard, a wide receiver in the spread, became the primary ball carrier, and he finished the game with a respectable 37 yards on 12 carries.
The Caps got on the board early in the third quarter. After Broughton’s Marvin Green recovered a fumble, at the WF-R 30, Sheppard scored on a 5-yard run six plays later.
Contact Tim Candon at 821-8697 or tcandon@wral.com.
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