Before the Red Devils traveled to Salem, they were outscored 93-8 and have been decimated by quarantines. They played Lumberton with only two starters last week and tonight were missing most of their senior leaders in their 50-12 victory over Salem. In other words, the “next man up” plan was in full force for head coach Morris Cascio.
”I’m very proud of them. These young guys won my confidence last week against maybe the best team in the south 1A, Lumberton. These kids weren’t scared. They don’t have quit in ‘em. They’re good kids, and I enjoy coaching them. We have good coaches here, and all this makes my job so much easier,” boasted Cascio about his first victory of 2020.
In 2020 fashion, the Red Devils came out cold. Their opening drive resulted in an interception in the red zone, and Salem took advantage. The Wildcats drove the field and threw the first punch from three yards out. It would be their only lead and the last time Salem would see pay dirt until the fourth quarter.
The sluggish start by Stringer was short-lived.
With a little over a minute left in the first quarter, junior quarterback Jackson Parker targeted Jared Hosey for a 24-yard touchdown pass. Parker liked the Hosey target so much that he hit him for two more touchdowns for 55 yards and 30 yards. Hosey simply dominated the Wildcat secondary with speed and YAC (yards after catch). As impressive as Parker and Hosey were, the Devils were just as productive in the ground game. Senior Christian Myers scored from 10 yards out, while junior running back Jeremiah Williams ran all over the Salem defense for two touchdowns.
Another bright spot in the Stringer rushing attack was sophomore Evan Holifield. Holifield had never worn football pads before August 2020. In his first year to ever play the game, he scored a 48-yard touchdown. With a little more experience, Evans could be a true diamond in the rough.
Cascio was proud of his underclassmen, and their effort to get the first win of the season. He had this to say about this young group against Salem, “We are looking at the team we’re gonna have next year,” he continued about his upperclassmen returning, “Of the 10 kids out tonight eight of them were seniors, and they are pretty important seniors. They’ll be back on Monday. We’re gonna work ‘em back in slow, and do the things to get them ready for next Friday night.”
It is Homecoming Week for the Red Devils, and excitement is in the air.
“It’s always a distraction. That’s the case with every team I’ve been with. These kids deserve this homecoming on Thursday night. There’s gonna be a parade, something we’ve never done before. Hopefully, we can get that behind us and play good ball Friday night,” said Cascio, but his thoughts are mainly on those purple and gold Pirates up the road.
“Mt. Olive will be ready. They are coached well. They have good running back. They have some speed. So we’ll have to work on an edge pursuit, pursue lanes with our front seven on defense, and tackle well,” noted Cascio.
