Wakefield football wins at Millbrook, moves to second in Cap-8
While a conference title is unlikely at this point, Wakefield made a pretty significant statement Friday night that it might be the Cap-8’s second-best team.
Wakefield quarterback Matt McKay passed for two touchdowns and also ran for a touchdown, and the Wolverines’ defense took care of the rest in a 32-21 victory at Millbrook.
A week after a 16-3 loss to top-ranked and Cap-8 leader Wake Forest, Wakefield (6-2, 3-1) bounced back impressively against Millbrook (5-3, 2-2), shaking off an early deficit and then keeping a potent Wildcats offense off the scoreboard in the second half.
Trailing 14-8 after the first quarter, Wakefield took the lead for good when McKay tossed a 6-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Grew with 8 minutes, 48 seconds remaining in the second quarter and Dontel Dunston followed with a run for the two-point conversion that put the Wolverines up, 16-14.
Moments later, Wakefield added to its lead when defensive tackle Travis Pratt intercepted a screen pass from Millbrook quarterback Reid Herring at the Wildcats’ 28 and rumbled into the end zone for a touchdown that put Wakefield ahead, 24-14, with 7:46 left in the second quarter.
“We had a good pass rush there and I saw the (running) back coming out of the backfield,” said Pratt.
Larry Rountree III’s 1-yard touchdown run with 5:18 to go in the second quarter cut Wakefield’s lead to 24-21, but McKay’s 10-yard touchdown run later in the quarter restored the Wolverines’ double-digit lead.
Wakefield’s defense limited Millbrook to six first downs in five second-half possessions, forcing two turnovers.
“We were worried about (Rountree) breaking out; if he gets free in the open space he can break it,” Wakefield coach Rod Sink said. “I know they put some points on the board, but I thought our defense did a great job.”
“Our men on both sides of the ball played exceptionally well.”
Rountree managed 134 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, but 89 of those came on one run. That came late in the first quarter, as the junior shook off an arm tackle near the line of scrimmage before breaking into the open field for a touchdown that brought Millbrook within 8-7 with 59 seconds remaining.
On Wakefield’s next possession, McKay had a batted pass that was hauled in by Millbrook defensive back Jordan Alston, who returned the interception 24 yards for a score that gave Millbrook a 14-8 lead.
Otherwise, it was a fine night for McKay, who completed 19 of 34 passes for 199 yards and also ran 25 times for 124 yards.
“He has had some inconsistent moments this season,” Sink said of McKay. “But tonight he played up all night long. I thought he was impressive.”
This story was originally published October 16, 2015 at 10:34 PM with the headline "Wakefield football wins at Millbrook, moves to second in Cap-8."