By Bob Suttton
Special to The Alamance News
Southern Alamance never got rolling on offense and that resulted in a 20-8 season-opening football loss to visiting Eastern Randolph on Friday night.
Kobe Walker scored on two touchdown runs for the Wildcats, who are coached by Graham resident Burton Cates.
It was downer for Southern’s Jonathan Hester in his coaching debut.
“We had opportunities and just didn’t capitalize,” Hester said. “I think we weren’t as disciplined as I thought we would be.”
Eastern Randolph drove 73 yards on the game’s opening possession, scoring on James Combs’ 23-yard run. Walker’s 1-yard run later in the first quarter expanded the lead.
Walker’s 10-yard run in the third quarter marked Eastern Randolph’s final points.
“When we had to make plays, we came up and made plays,” said Cates, the winningest active coach in the state who called it “a typical first game” given a variety of penalties.
Southern scored when linebacker Jace Rich scooped a fumble and ran about 45 yards for a touchdown with 2:17 left in the third quarter. Jacob Alexander ran in the two-point conversion.
After a defensive stand forced an Eastern Randolph punt, the Patriots regained possession at the Wildcats’ 33. Southern moved inside the Eastern Randolph 20-yard line before turning it over on downs with 9:45 remaining.
Southern got back in Eastern Randolph territory with more than four minutes left, but Day’Veion Ford picked off Tustin Johnson’s long pass.
“We had a chance all night,” Hester said. “We’ll be better for it.”
Alexander was Southern’s leading rusher with 45 yards on eight carries.
Walker finished with 150 yards on 24 attempts.
