Who stood out for Douglas Byrd, E.E. Smith in first football scrimmages of 2022?
LUMBERTON – The Douglas Byrd and E.E. Smith high school football teams took positive steps Wednesday in Lumberton.
In a jamboree that featured eight teams and four scrimmages, the Eagles and Golden Bulls got the best of two Robeson County squads and returned to Fayetteville with some positive takeaways.
E.E. Smith edged out Red Springs and Douglas Byrd outlasted Fairmont. In the final two scrimmages, East Bladen beat Purnell Swett and Lumberton beat West Bladen.
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Here’s what Douglas Byrd coach Maurice Huey and E.E. Smith coach Andy Karcher had to say.
Douglas Byrd
Douglas Byrd had the highlight of the night with some early fireworks vs. Fairmont.
Keontae McLean connected with Josiah Carpenter for a 55-yard touchdown that proved to be the difference against the Golden Tornadoes. It was the longest scoring play of the night.
On the play, McLean drifted to his right to avoid pressure and found Carpenter, who skied over several defenders to grab the football before running the final 20 yards to the end zone. Both players are sophomores for the the Eagles.
“Josiah Carpenter, one of our two-way players, did a great job as a DB and receiver,” Huey said. “He did a great job of high pointing that ball for a touchdown.”
Senior running back Sincere Blount dragged defenders for extra yards throughout the scrimmage as Byrd’s most consistent offensive player.
“He’s a workhorse,” Huey said. “He’s done a lot over the summer to get ready. Sincere did a great job.”
Huey also was impressed with the work of his offensive line and linebackers.
“Our offensive line, I think that’s major for us. They did a great job up front,” he said.
“And I’m really excited about our linebacking corps. Overall, it was a total team effort. We’ve got some work to do and I’m looking forward to going to Westover for the next one.”
Douglas Byrd scrimmages Harnett Central in the Cumberland County Football Jamboree at 7 p.m. Friday at Westover.
E.E. Smith
A touchdown and an extra point were enough for the Golden Bulls to fend off Red Springs in the first scrimmage.
Terence Rogers scored on a 25-yard touchdown run for Smith’s biggest offensive highlight.
Senior playmaker Seth Franklin had an impressive wheel route lead to a score, but it was taken off the board due to an ineligible man downfield.
Despite that missed opportunity, Franklin was the top offensive player on the field for the Golden Bulls. He had several first-down runs and a few catches to extend drives.
“Seth Franklin, offensively, is a special kid,” Karcher said. “He’s the complete package for us on offense. No matter where we put him, we know he’s a threat.”
Karcher also highlighted the efforts of junior center Melvin McDougle and the offensive line.
“Snapping was a huge issue for us last year and we didn’t have one bad snap, so kudos to (McDougle),” Karcher said. “The whole offensive line is still young.”
Junior defender Johnathan Williams is in his first season at Smith, but he consistently caused problems in the backfield for Red Springs’ offense.
“He came out and has been at it since August 1, making an impact for us on the d-line,” Karcher said. “It was a real group effort, to be honest with you. We’re moving in the right direction, but we still have a lot of room to grow.”
E.E. Smith scrimmages Goldsboro in the Cumberland County Football Jamboree at 6 p.m. Friday at Cape Fear.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Douglas Byrd, E.E. Smith high school football at Lumberton jamboree
