Cleveland football team takes care of business at Smithfield-Selma
Corey Brown found the end zone twice in the opening quarter to help propel Cleveland to its fourth win in a row Friday night, as the Rams stayed unbeaten in Two Rivers 3A Conference action with a 49-13 win at Smithfield-Selma.
Brown added another score on a night that saw the senior tailback rush for 173 yards on just 10 carries.
Caiden Norman was near flawless as well for the visitors as he completed 11 of 13 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns to help Cleveland (6-3, 3-0 Two Rivers) wear down a Spartans’ team that stayed close with the high-powered Rams until late in the first half.
Tyquan Dublin bulldozed his way to 100 yards on 28 carries for Smithfield-Selma (0-9, 0-3 Two Rivers) and found the end zone from seven yards out in the fourth quarter.
Turning Point
Smithfield-Selma’s average starting field position on its first two drives was the Cleveland 41-yard line thanks to a recovered onside kick to begin the game and a Raequan Smith 44-yard punt return.
However, after the Spartans moved the ball inside the Cleveland 30-yard line both times and were held to field goal attempts, a blocked kick and a miss on the second try left Smithfield-Selma with no points to show for their early efforts.
They said it
“It was a very good effort,” said Cleveland coach Scott Riley. “Obviously against any conference opponent, it’s important to get these wins because they matter so much for the playoffs.”
Three who mattered
Corey Brown, Cleveland: Brown had over 100 yards rushing and two scores in the first quarter alone to get the Rams off to the fast start.
Caiden Norman, Corinth Holders: The quarterback didn’t need to throw the ball that much, but when he did he was almost perfect connecting on 85 percent of his passes.
Raequan Smith, Smithfield-Selma: Smith hauled in a second-quarter touchdown pass from Austin Blackmon, figured prominently in the Spartans’ ground game as he contributed 69 yards rushing and also added over 100 return yards on special teams.
By the numbers
5: Number of road wins the Rams have collected thus far this season.
485: Total number of yards gained by Cleveland.
14: First downs the Smithfield-Selma offense recorded for the game.
This story was originally published October 23, 2015 at 11:12 PM with the headline "Cleveland football team takes care of business at Smithfield-Selma."