By By Randy Kennedy
and Kerry Whipple Bean
W.S. Neal was overmatched Friday night against UMS-Wright as the seventh-ranked Bulldogs brought their coach Terry Curtis his 200th win on homecoming.
The loss dropped W.S. Neal to 2-5 and 0-5 in 4A Region 1 play. UMS-Wright, now 5-2 and 4-1 in Region 1, may have been the best team W.S. Neal has faced this season, Eagles head coach Kevin Jordan said after the game.
With five starters out — including Jeremy Nicholson and Tyrone Dees to injuries — Jordan said the team’s younger players are getting the experience they need against tough opponents.
Curtis, in his 21st year as a head coach, now has a record of 200-60 at Shaw, Murphy and UMS-Wright, an average of 9.8 wins per season.
UMS-Wright led 45-0 at halftime before ever yielding a first down or allowing the Eagles to move past their own 29-yard line.
For the game, W.S. Neal finished with one first down and 10 total yards on 42 offensive snaps. UMS-Wright also forced four turnovers.
Only one UMS-Wright touchdown drive in the first half took as many as three plays. Three touchdowns came on the first play of a possession, another came on the second and another came on a 52-yard punt return by Chase Williamson. A six-play drive ended in a 37-yard field goal by Bee Hall.
The Bulldogs’ first-half offensive scoring plays came on runs of 19, 27 and 25 yard by Chris Dukes (who finished with 106 yards rushing on six first-half carries), and 13 yards by Brandon Lee, plus a 7-yard touchdown pass from Bragg Foshee to Andrew Larry. The only score of the second half came on a 4-yard run by freshman Sam Pipes with two minutes left in the game.
Looking ahead to the rest of the season, W.S. Neal coaches will look to keep developing depth on the young team, Jordan said.
W.S. Neal’s Raheem Taylor was injured in the first half when he twisted his knee on a play. Jordan said he will be examined by an orthopedist this morning.
W.S. Neal will host Jackson Friday.