By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
When Western’s Josh Long returned an interception for a touchdown Friday night against Orange, it felt special.
So he did it again.
“Something I’ve never experienced before,” Long said. “It’s kind of crazy, unreal to me.”
The senior cornerback racked up 12 points with two touchdowns off interception returns as the host Warriors won 27-9 in the Central 3-A Conference opener.
The previous week at Eastern Guilford, Long made 10 receptions in an overtime victory at Eastern Guilford.
“I had fun catching the ball that week, but it’s just different when you catch an interception,” he said.
That’s a luxury for Western coach Jeff Snuffer.
“He’s productive everywhere,” Snuffer said.
Long made a critical play in the Eastern Guilford game without catching the ball. He blocked an attempted field goal on Eastern Guilford’s overtime possession before the Warriors converted for a winning touchdown.
Long had two interceptions in the entire 2022 season. Neither of those plays ended with him in the end zone.
He said last week’s scoring plays didn’t come by accident.
“I watched the film and coaches put me in the right places to make plays,” he said.
Long said both situations were similar, in part, with the receiver coming right at him. The second interception came after the ball reached the receiver.
“I took it right out of his hands,” he said.
Long had clear paths to the end zone after making the pick-offs.
