By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Southern Alamance used a familiar formula under a new coach and the result was just the way the Patriots like it.
Southern plowed past host Graham for a 63-0 victory to give first-year coach Tony McCants an impressive debut Friday night.
“Same old stuff,” Patriots quarterback Nathan McNeal said. “It still works.”
McNeal ran for two touchdowns and a two-point conversion and threw for a touchdown; Justin Donley reached the end zone twice as part of a 135-yard rushing performance; and Kater Cornwell scored twice.
“Really proud of the way they played,” McCants said of his team. “We had a lot of guys playing a lot of snaps in a lot of positions. … It was good to not be complacent and execute what we do.”
The Patriots racked up 467 yards of total offense, with 406 on the ground.
“We were running. We were getting it done,” fullback Evan Gerringer said. “Playing the same way we did (in recent seasons).”
Southern’s first two plays from scrimmage were Donley’s 21-yard run and Drake Davis’ 18-yard burst. The drive ended with McNeal’s 1-yard touchdown run.
It was 49-0 by halftime. Cornwell had a 1-yard touchdown run; Davis scored from 18 yards out; Donley posted a 6-yard scoring run; McNeal threw to Jacob Alexander for a 22-yard touchdown play; McNeal went up the middle for a 20-yard touchdown;and Donley’s fourth-and-6 run went for a 35-yard touchdown.
In the second half, which was played with a running clock, Cornwell scored from 10 yards out and C.J. McAdoo had a 22-yard scoring run.
“We’ve got things we can clean up,” McNeal said.
Playing in coach Mykel Searcy’s first game, Graham’s biggest highlight came the first time the Red Devils touched the ball. After Southern’s first touchdown, Marqua Simms ripped off a 73-yard kickoff return to the Patriots’ 25-yard line. The Red Devils fumbled on their first snap, and Southern’s Brantley Messick recovered the ball.
Graham, which failed to score against Southern for the second year in a row, finished with one first down and minus-23 yards of total offense.
