Offenses fuel Wilson, Hartsville

The Hartsville Red Foxes have rolled over opponents in their first three football games, outscoring them by an average of 40-24.

The Wilson Tigers held off South Florence in a 40-30 shootout last Friday.

So it will be no surprise if another high-scoring game materializes when the two squads hook up tonight at Memorial Stadium in the Morning News Game of the Week.

On paper, one might think the defenses should take the night off with all of the offensive firepower both teams possess. Don’t be so sure, according to the Tigers and Red Foxes.

“It’s going to be a good, hard-hitting football game. It’s going to be a physical football game,” Red Foxes coach Jeff Calabrese said. “Whoever makes the most plays will win.”

“I don’t think it will be that type of game,” Wilson senior defensive back Jeremiah Gandy said. “Sometime during the game, one of these defenses has to make a play. We just have to do what we need to do to get a win.”

Hartsville knows its secondary will be under pressure against Wilson’s receiving corps.

“This is the most experienced secondary we’ve had in three years,” Red Foxes senior safety Adam Peterson said. “We can handle (Wilson’s offense) if we maintain our pieces and stay disciplined.”

“There’s no question that we have to play good defense,” Calabrese said. “It’s almost a typical Darryl Page team. They have an athletic quarterback, a great running back and a great receiver.

“We have to get some stops if we can.”

The Tigers allowed 30 points and more than 400 yards to the Bruins, so Wilson coach Darryl Page said his defense will be under pressure against Hartsville.

But, he said, Wilson has the capability to make huge plays by forcing turnovers and givinv their offense a short field to work with.

“We can correct (the problems defensively against South). We have to get back to fundamentals like tackling and maintaining assignments,” said Page, whose squad forced four turnovers against the Bruins. “Nobody cares about what we did against South Florence last week.

“It may come down to where the defense controls the outcome of the game. I can’t really say.”

Over the last few years under Calabrese, Hartsville (3-0) has been an offensive dynamo — and this season’s no different in the early going. Quarterback Shawn Smith has thrown for 554 yards and five touchdowns while completing 74.3 percent of his passes. He also has rushed for 224 yards and four scores.

Smith’s favorite receiver is Brandon Beans. In his first season of prep football, the senior has already racked up 331 yards on 12 receptions with four TDs. Stopping this combination is key for Wilson’s defense.

“We have to watch film and take notes on how to stop Brandon Beans,” Gandy said. “We have to do what any team would do to prepare for (Smith and Beans).”

Dre Scott and Eric Williams have combined for 491 yards on the ground and six TDs Hartsville. Scott also has 107 yards receiving on the season with a score.

“Any offense can be stopped, no matter how good it is,” Wilson senior defensive end James Woodberry said. “If we stay disciplined, we can do well against them.”

Calabrese said all of his offensive stars need to step up against Wilson’s defense.

“Wilson High School has always been known to have a great defense,” he said. “They’re aggressive. They’re going to attack you.

“We have to find something (in the Tiger defense) that we can have success on the ground and in the air.”

After giving up 38 points in a Week 0 win over Camden, the Red Foxes’ defense has allowed just 34 points. But the Red Foxes say Wilson’s offense, led by senior quarterback Maliek McCall, can give the unit multiple headaches.

“We need to play our pieces,” Hartsville junior linebacker Gregory Townsend said. “If we do what we’ve been doing the last three games, we’ll come out of Memorial Stadium with a win.”

In the end, neither coach knows what the outcome of tonight’s game will be. But neither wants to suffer his team’s first loss of the season either.

“I’m expecting a good football game. It could be a shootout or a low-scoring game,” Page said. “As long as we have a chance to put a ‘W’ on the left side of the ledger, that’s all I want.”

“I don’t have any idea what the outcome will be,” Calabrese said. “Wilson has a lot of kids that can make plays.

“I hope we score one more point than they do whether its 55-54 or 8-7.”

Players of the Week

• Offense — Chesterfield’s Seth Truesdale, the area’s top passer, threw for 19-of-25 for 301 yards and six touchdowns in a 60-7 win over Lakewood.
  
• Defense — Marlboro County’s Malcolm Thomas scored two touchdowns on a fumble reaturn and interception in the 38-7 victory over Scotland County (N.C.).