Warhawks fall to GW Long on homecoming

The Daleville Warhawks (0-6) hosted the GW Long Rebels (4-0) on Sept. 25 and dropped their sixth straight game of the season 55-14 in a frustrating homecoming.

The Rebels piled up 291 yards against Daleville with 218 yards coming in the first half as the second half was played with shortened quarters and a running clock.

Daleville switched to more of a spread offense – with the power “wing” formations that the Warhawks have been using mixed – against Long as Daleville attempts to get its playmakers in space.

“We’re trying to play with some things and get our kids out in space,” Daleville coach Desmond Lett said. “Earlier in the year against Elba we ran a drive or two out of the spread and had some success but got away from it. We’re just trying to spread the ball out a little bit more and get our athletes in space.”

Daleville netted 173 yards with 177 rushing yards and (-4) passing yards.

Long wasted no time jumping out to a 20-0 lead in the first quarter. Long scored on a 54-yard punt return touchdown from quarterback Kobie Stringer to open things up and then running back Mekhian Jackson scored on a 12-yard touchdown and Stringer scored on a 30-yard touchdown run, all in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Stringer scored on a 62-yard run and 13-yard pass to Jackson, while running back Trevor Morris scored on a 26-yard run and a 20-yard run swelling the Rebel lead out to 48-0 at halftime.

Morris scored again on a 2-yard touchdown run in the third quarter before Daleville finally managed to get on the scoreboard.

Speedy Wiley took the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown return with 4:27 left in the third quarter. The two-point try failed cutting Long’s lead to 55-6.

Daleville scored the final points of the game on a 10-yard touchdown from Cam Giles with 3:48 left. Jordan McDonald converted the two-point try to make the final score 55-14 in Long’s favor.

“We saw exactly what we expected to see out of Long,” Lett said. “They are a very athletic, well-coached team,” Lett said. “For the second week in a row we were kind of shell-shocked at the speed of the game and had a slow start again.

“They played on our side of the field for a good bit of the first half and did what they were supposed to do. They executed and we weren’t able to as much.”

Wiley led Daleville with 73 yards on five carries, while also returning two kickoffs for 118 yards and a touchdown. Wiley also recorded one tackle on defense and also intercepted a pass that was overturned on a penalty.

Sincere McKenzie added 51 yards on nine carries along with two tackles on defense. Giles added 24 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries with three tackles and a tackle-for-loss on defense.

Myles Parris led the Daleville defense with seven tackles, one tackle-for-loss, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry. Jeremiah Moore also recovered a fumble for the Warhawks.

Stringer recorded 94 yards and two touchdowns on just three carries for Long, while also completing 4-of-5 pass attempts for 94 yards and another score. He also returned a punt for a 54-yard touchdown. Morris rushed for 70 yards and three touchdowns on six carries.