Golden Eagles win football opener

The first game of any team’s new season is bound to come with early jitters and kinks. The key to winning that first contest is who can work them out first.

This past Friday night at Lon M. Spivey Field in Mullins, it took Pee Dee Academy and Richard Winn 21 minutes to dent the scoreboard. But, once the action started, it came hot and heavy as Pee Dee took home the 35-6 victory to open the season.

The Eagles of Richard Winn took the opening kickoff and held the pigskin for only two plays before Pee Dee senior, Matthew Snipes, jarred the ball loose. Andrew Gunn was there for the recovery.

Pee Dee would carry that momentum for a first and goal inside the redzone before being stopped three yards short of a score. And, that theme carried the ball game for the next 15 minutes.

On Winn’s next drive, they were held to a fourth and eight inside the thirty-yard line. The receiver broke open near the sideline, but the quarterback’s throw was high, giving the ball back to Pee Dee.

A questionable call on the next drive stalled the Golden Eagle’s progress and again Richard Winn took over. But, the Golden Eagles defense held, forcing a punt. On the attempt, Snipes came up with another big play, getting the block and recovery.

This time, Pee Dee would cash in. A 25-yard halfback pass by Brian Davis to Bruce Baker put the ball at the six. There, on third down, Bradley George would find some running room on the left side. As he neared the goal line, he would lose the ball, but found it on the ground in the end zone for the score. The failed PAT made it 6-0 PDA with 3:07 to go in the half.

Now ignited by the score and the crowd, the defense made another big play on Richard Winn’s attempt to answer. Kevin Driggers hauled in an interception and returned it nine yards.

The first two plays of the Golden Eagles drive also netted 18-yards and on the third play, Storm Page ran the keeper up the gut. Page would got some sensational blocks upfield, would made one cut right and followed it up the sideline for a 40-yard score just before the half. George’s 2-pointer made it 14-0 at the break in favor of the home team.

Page would add another score on a 10-yard run midway through the third and then Kevin Driggers would get his first score of the year in resounding fashion.

Driggers returned the Eagles’ punt 15 yards, then Will Daniels ran for nine yards on the right side and Page added 12 more up the middle.

On the next play, Driggers would take the ball on the left side and would meet a defender at the ten. Driggers did not think the field had enough decoration on it, so he firmly planted the defender into the grass and left him there while he ran the final ten yards for the score, making it 28-0 after three quarters.

Richard Winn would get on the board in the fourth as Jonathan Love ran the ball in from six yards away. But, Pee Dee would get the final score of the night as the drove back down field deep into Eagle territory. Here, Keith Brown would get in for his first score on a one-yard run.

That, plus Driggers PAT kick finished off the 35-6 rout of Richard Winn, moving the Golden Eagles to 1-0 on the year.

Leading the ground game for Pee Dee on the night was Page with 98 yards on 12 carries with two scores. Bradley George would finish with 78 yards and one touchdown. Cole McClam and Will Daniels finished with 38 yards and 32 yards respectively while Kevin Driggers finished with 27 yards on just two carries with a score.

McClam and Page both led the defensive effort with eight tackles apiece, Bruce Baker tallied six from his safety spot and George and Daniels both finished with five apiece.

Matthew Snipes came up big with a forced fumble and a blocked punt. And, Driggers also made the plays on the defensive side of the ball, recovering a fumble and picking off the Richard Winn quarterback in the second quarter.

This Friday, the Golden Eagles travel to Dillon for a contest with the Warriors. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.