New Brockton opens season with big win

The New Brockton defense allowed just 13 total yards and its offense piled up 489 in a 47-0 win against Pleasant Home to start its 2015 football season.

“I thought we played with a lot of effort, which is good," New Brockton coach Justin Jones said. "Our (players) were playing hard. I thought defensively our (players) ran around well. Offensively we played with a lot of effort. That kind of stuff I'm proud of. I thought our attitude was good. It could always be better. I thought our effort was good most of the time, but still as the competition level raises ours has got to raise as well.”

The Gamecocks gave up just five yards rushing and eight passing yards in a dominating performance, which included interceptions by Grant Griffin and Tanner Oakes.

“I think our defensive coaching staff did a good job of preparing them for what they were going to see and every possible scenario, which is what we got Friday,” Jones said. “We got every scenario. I think it was more about preparation, and then it's always about tackling. Getting a lot of people around the ball, 11 men to the football, and tackling. It seemed to work for us well Friday.”

Neither team scored in the opening frame, but it was all Gamecocks the rest of the way.

Running back Jahari Brown opened the scoring when he raced 67 yards up the middle and avoided two defenders for a score with 11:18 to play in the second quarter. New Brockton took a 6-0 lead.

Brown added another 42-yard run less than five minutes later to give the Gamecocks a 12-0 lead, and then the New Brockton passing game got involved.

Dalton Adkison hit Maurice Turner with a screen pass, and Turner sprinted 46 yards down the sideline to the end zone with 1:13 left before the half. It was one of many explosive plays the Gamecocks reeled off in the game.

“It's putting the ball in the right (players') hands,” Jones said. “That's something we're going to try to do as much as possible this year, put the ball in the hands of (players) who can make plays for us.”

Cameron Cook plowed in for the two-point play, and New Brockton took a 20-0 lead into the locker room at the break.

The special teams unit also made plays, including three touchdowns on punt returns which were all called back by three of the Gamecocks’ 12 penalties.

“I hate it for our punt return team because we ran three punts back for touchdowns, and every one of them got called back,” Jones said. “That unit is taking a lot of pride in what they're doing.”

Brown added to the Gamecocks' lead with a 73-yard touchdown sprint early in the third quarter. Caleb Griffin made the two-point conversion, and they led 27-0.

Adkison threw a pair of touchdown passes in the second half of the win.

He found Darius Griffin for 18 yards with 1:20 left to play in the third quarter, and New Brockton led 34-0 at the end of the frame.

Adkison then hit Jy'Shon Nelson with another 31-yard touchdown strike, and NBHS led 40-0 with 11 minutes to play.

Turner’s 66 yards and a score on a pair of catches led the receivers.

The sophomore quarterback finished 11-for-16 through the air for 226 yards with the scores, and Jones said the offensive balance NBHS displayed was one of the many positives in the game.

“It's going to help the mindset of our receivers and our quarterback play,” he said. “We want people to have to play the whole field. I thought what we did Friday night was show people, when they turn on the tape and watch us, (we) can do more than just run the football right at you now. We can throw the ball on the edge. We can throw the ball down the field. We've got a screen game. All of those things will play into us being more successful as we go on.”

Late in the fourth quarter, Adkison also made a play with his legs.

His 5-yard touchdown run with a minute left to play put the Gamecocks up by the final 47-0 margin.

The Gamecocks scored four touchdowns and ran for 263 yards. They were led by Brown’s 214 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries.

The offense also didn’t turn the ball over in the win.

New Brockton will return to the field Sept 4 at 7 p.m. against Calhoun at home, and Jones hopes the team can repeat its dominating opening effort.

“That's what we preach,” he said. “It was a little bit of redemption from kind of the way we played last year. I thought our (players) handled a good week of practice well and, at times, performed really well Friday night.”