Fuquay-Varina football holds off Green Hope’s rally
Fuquay-Varina remained unbeaten on a Monday night trip to Green Hope, but the Bengals had to withstand the Falcons’ second-half comeback to survive with a 36-26 victory in Southwest Wake Athletic 4A Conference play.
The Bengals (6-0, 2-0) used explosive offensive plays and turnovers to build a seemingly insurmountable 30-0 at halftime. But Green Hope (3-3, 0-2) scored two touchdowns in the first two minutes of the third quarter.
Fuquay needed quarterback Brycen Braswell’s 39-yard touchdown run on third-and-4 midway through the third quarter to bump Bengals’ lead back to a comfortable 36-14.
Turning point
Green Hope trailed 14-0 midway through the first quarter when Fuquay linebacker Austin Pluckhorn blocked a punt for a safety that took more wind out of the Falcons. He ran through a hole untouched for a 16-0 lead with 4:48 remaining in the first period.
They said it
“It was a heck of a comeback by them. We weren’t expecting it. We have to play better next game,” Pluckhorn said.
Three who mattered
Michael Roberson, Fuquay-Varina: Spotted the Bengals a 7-0 lead on the game’s second play when he broke off a 68-yard touchdown run down the left sideline. He finished with seven carries for 90 yards.
Josh Arrington, Fuquay-Varina: Carried the ball seven straight times for 37 yards and three first downs as the Bengals ran out the final 3:34 of the game. Arrington finished with 25 carries for 102 yards.
Blake Watson, Green Hope: Caught a third-quarter 30-yard pass to set up a touchdown that trimmed the deficit to 36-20 and scored a 27-yard fourth-quarter score for final 36-26 margin with 3:34 to play.
By the numbers
2: 100-yard Fuquay rushers. In addition to Arrington, Braswell carried seven times for 100 yards.
3: Fumbles by the Bengals. One was on the first play of the second half recovered by Green Hope’s Vince Varano. That set up the Falcons’ second touchdown within the first two minutes of the third period.
392: Total yards for Fuquy’s triple-option offense with 367 rushing and 25 passing.
This story was originally published September 28, 2015 at 10:27 PM with the headline "Fuquay-Varina football holds off Green Hope’s rally."