Corinth Holders gets good start, holds on against East Wake football

Corinth Holders keeps getting off to good starts running the ball in football games. They did it again Friday night, building a three-touchdown lead on the way to a 34-21 victory over The N&O’s No. 8-ranked team, East Wake.

The Pirates, ranked 15th, are 4-0 for the first time in the school’s less than a decade history.

Senior back Howard Watson rushed for 287 yards on 32 carries, scoring three touchdowns as Corinth Holders built a 28-7 lead at halftime.

“We just ran the ball well, the offensive line came off and blocked well,” said Pirates’ first-year head coach Bubba Williams. “The backs carried the ball well and found the holes.”

East Wake (2-2) turned the ball over on its first drive and struggled with penalties and turnovers at times.

Turning Point

Down 21-7, East Wake was set up with a first-and-goal at the 9 with just less than six minutes until halftime. But the Pirate defense held strong on four straight plays, all for losses. When the Warriors gave the ball up after failing to convert on fourth down, the Pirates had the ball at the 40-yard-line.

Nine plays later, Watson picked his way up the left sideline on a 51-yard TD run and a 21-point Corinth Holders lead.

They Said It

“We came out here with a mentality to win,” Watson said. “Coach said, ‘If you want to win, we’ve got to push through. We’ve got to have that mental (focus).”

Three Who Mattered

Howard Watson, Corinth Holders: He was the most consistent producer on a night when both teams had rough spots offensively, especially in the second half. Watson twice converted third-and-10 or more yards for touchdown runs (once from 36 out and once from 51 out). His 287 yards broke his own school record.

Tripp Harrington, East Wake: Kept the Warriors’ hopes alive with his scrambling ability, even though the Pirates notched multiple sacks on the night. He finished with two rushing TDs, 79 yards rushing and 281 yards passing in the loss.

Ian Cregan, Corinth Holders: He was in on three of the Pirate quarterback sacks on the night.

By The Numbers

74: Yards gained by Corinth Holders’ Jordan Neal on a kick off return after the Warriors cut the lead to 28-21 with 6:10 to play. Kaelin O’Neal scored three plays later to build the lead back to two touchdowns.

7: Sacks of Tripp Harrington by the Pirate defense.

10: Catches by East Wake’s Tyler Burton on the night. He finished with 103 yards receiving.

Out of Bounds

This was the first meeting between the schools, which are just 10 miles apart.

This story was originally published September 11, 2015 at 10:46 PM with the headline "Corinth Holders gets good start, holds on against East Wake football."