Firebirds rout Bulldogs

BAILEY – Southern Nash football coach Brian Foster said his team didn’t play well Friday night, but it did play well enough to win.

The Firebirds defeated visiting Nash Central, 33-6, despite losing four of eight fumbles.

“The only thing that’s beat us this season is ourselves,” Foster said. “We nearly did that again tonight.”

The Bulldogs committed six fumbles in the contest, and the two squads combined for 11 in the first half. Southern Nash led 19-0 at the half, though, compliments of 16 points off turnovers.

The Bulldogs fumbled on their first two possessions, and the Firebirds took advantage the second time with a touchdown.

Southern Nash running back Tracey Coppedge received a toss off the right side and, after he turned the corner, cut back across the field and won a footrace for the 80-yard touchdown.

A 21-yard interception return by Firebirds’ senior Andrew Gehring on Nash Central’s next drive set Coppedge up for his second score. The sophomore carried the ball off the right tackle and powered his way through a tackle at the 1-yard line for a 7-yard score.

“The point of tonight was revenge,” Coppedge said. “Plain and simple, we weren’t going to lose our last home game.”

The Bulldogs defeated the Firebirds, 22-12, earlier this season to snap Southern Nash’s five-game winning streak.

Southern Nash added a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter to extend its lead to 33-0. The Bulldogs avoided the shutout thanks to a score by defensive back LeTovis Davis. The Firebirds fumbled a pitch, their eighth of the night, and Davis scooped up the ball and ran 44 yards for the score.

“We played the ninth-toughest schedule in 3-A this season,” Nash Central coach Kevin Crudup told his team. “We have nothing to hang our heads about. We will get this thing fixed, or die trying.”

Southern Nash will make its first appearance in the NCHSAA 3-AA state playoffs for the first time since 2007.

Southern Nash 33

Nash Central 6

NC0006—6

SN145140—33

First Quarter

SN — Tracey Coppedge 80 run (blocked), 8:33

SN — Coppedge 9 run (Terron Huffman conversion), 0:00

Second Quarter

SN — Safety, 4:50

SN — Lawerence Sandifer 30 field goal, 0:35

Third Quarter

SN — Trendell Lynch 6 run (Sandifer kick), 9:01

SN — Chris Whitley 6 run (Sandifer kick), 1:44

Fourth Quarter

NC — LeTovis Davis 44 fumble return (blocked), 1:44

NCe_SRitSN

3First downs16

22—36Rushes-yards35—290

0Passing yards0

0—4—0Passes0—3—0

36Total offense290

6—2Fumbles-Lost8—3

6—51Penalties-Yards5—30

Individual Statistics

Rushing — SN: Tracey Coppedge 13 — 157; Trendell Lynch 7 — 39; Terron Huffman 10 — 60; Chris Whitley 5 — 34 NC: Dequan Battle 5 — 15; Greg Arrington 8 — 25; Jalen Hendricks 2 — 2; Dominique Holloway 4 — (-)11; Sedrick Jones 3 — 5

Passing — SN: Chris Whitley 0—3—0 0; NC: Jalen Hendricks 0—3—0 0; Dominique Holloway 0—1—0 0