After topping St. Joseph Catholic last Friday night in a wet and muddy, two quarter, pre-season shutout by two touchdowns, Stringer probably was looking for better results in its regular-season opener at Enterprise Friday night.
Enterprise, out of Region 5-2A, struck early in the game with a touchdown and two-point conversion, kept pounding on the 1A Red Devils, and eventually walked off the field with a 51-0 shutout.
Stringer seemed out of sync and couldn't move the ball from the get-go on its opening offensive possessions of the game. That continued throughout most of the first half where Enterprise led, 29-0, and the Bulldogs simply just kept wearing Stringer out on a hot and humid Friday night.
Stringer head coach Morris Cascio was disappointed with the opener but simply said his team has to work forward and harder to next week.
“We just have to go back and regroup next week. That's a pretty good 2A ball team [Enterprise]. They won eleven ballgames last year and lost one kid; he graduated,” he explained. “That ain't no excuse, but that's a good ball team.”
Enterprise quarterback Derryon Gray put the first points on the scoreboard early in the opening quarter with a 41-yard touchdown run. Gray, later in the first quarter, connected with John Campbell on a 20-yard touchdown strike to give the Bulldogs a 15-0 advantage.
Stringer showed some life early in the second quarter, only trailing by two touchdowns, after a big fourth down stop by Jaylen Ulmer with the Bulldogs pushing in the red zone.
However, the Red Devils' offense still had trouble moving the football, and that carried on all night long.
Enterprise extended its lead later in the second quarter when Gray hit Ridge Kidd for a 71-yard touchdown pass, and the Bulldogs took a 22-0 lead. With two seconds left in the opening half, Kidd ran in a 15-yard touchdown following a Stringer fumble.
Enterprise went on to add 22 points in the second half.
Cascio had no excuses for his team's performance in the opener.
“They [Enterprise] showed us tonight. They fired off the ball, they hit us in the mouth, and it looked like we were very sluggish,” he said. “It was pretty warm out here tonight; again no excuses, and it is what it is.”
Stringer quarterback Jackson Parker finished the game with 47 passing yards. Running back Jeremiah Williams was limited to only 22 rushing yards, and receiver Omarion Bridges was held to only 21 receiving yards.
Stringer is set to host Region 4-1A foe Lumberton Friday night. Lumberton, expected to be a top runner in the region, dropped its season-opener to 2A Bay Springs, 32-0.
