Eagles fly past Grundy, return to region title game

CLINCHPORT — Rye Cove is back where it wanted to be.One season after losing in the Region 1D championship game, the Eagles have reached that point again, having dispatched of Grundy 61-28 on a cold Friday night at the Eagles' Nest."One game at a time and that is one of our goals to get back to that title game and win it this time," Rye Cove head coach Gary Collier said. "That is where we are looking. Somebody else said something about the state title game, we are not looking at that, if we are not there we can't win it."Rye Cove (12-0), which will host Eastside next Friday or Saturday in search the Eagles' first Region 1 title since 2000, reached 12 wins for the first time in program history."I think when you do good things and you look at it from game by game those records sneak up on you," said Collier, whose Eagles' tied its previous season high of 11 last week. "To be honest we don't look at what the next record is, but it is good to hear that. To get 12 wins...it is kind of good. We just prepare week by week and those things pop up on us. It is good stuff, the kids will remember it, it is good for their memories of high school and their football careers. Good things are happening for us."While Rye Cove rolled up 61 points, scoring two touchdowns in each quarter, the defense also did its part, forcing the Golden Wave to turn the ball over four times on downs, including three in the opening half as the Eagles took a commanding 32-6 lead."It has been that way all year," Collier said. "Coach (B.I.) Salyers and all that defensive crew does a really good job. We have just got to be in the right spot, tackle well and we did tonight."Rye Cove quarterback Landon Lane, who ran for 151 yards, had plenty of help in the backfield from Will Rollins (63 yards), Carter Roach-Hodge (58) and Blake Goins (92), all of whom were running behind the Eagles' huge offensive line that was a surprise to the Golden Wave."They are big, they are physical. We were expecting that," Grundy head coach Keegan Bartley said. "We had a different kind of game plan for this game because of that and it kind of went out the window by the second or third series."Rye Cove scored the first three times it touched the football, with Lane scoring from 1-yard out just 5:22 into the game. Lane intercepted a Logan Lester pass on the next possession, and Goins' 64-yard run set up a 7-yard scoring run from Will Rollins. It was became 24-0 after the Eagles stopped Grundy on downs, with Lane's 25-yard run scoring setting up a 9-yard scoring run from Rollins once again."Offensively we were on it," Collier said. "We ran hard, blocked well, just kept churning and offensively we really played well."Grundy (7-5), which had won six straight games, was able to get on the board with a 59-yard touchdown run by Trey Taylor, but the Eagles answered with a 41-yard scoring run by Lane and another goal line stand prior to halftime to take the commanding lead into the break."Kudos to them for slowing us down. We knew it would be tough to stop them," Bartley said. "We expected more a low scoring game, a running clock type of game. I thought we could handle them, but they are a lot more physical and bigger than they look on film. They are very well coached, very well disciplined so they deserve a lot of credit."The scoring continued on the opening kick of the second half. Sophomore Cole Barnette, who returned the opening kick for a touchdown against Twin Springs in the regular season finale, returned this kick 76 yards to the end for the 40-6 lead."He has really got a nose for that opening and when he sees it he goes," Collier said. "He plays hard, he is one of our skill guys and we love it."Grundy, which actually outgained the Eagles in total offense, did get on the board three times after the break on an 80-yard run by Lester and runs of 35 and 48 yards by multiple state wrestling champion Shaiem Gordon."They are a good football team," Collier said. "Don't let the score fool you, they are explosive and they can score at any time so if we miss a tackle here or there, you see what happens."Rolllins added a third touchdown run and Goins had one in the second half for the Eagles. Lane also threw a 21-yard scoring pass to Luke Jessee. The only damper to the game was an injury suffered late in the game to Roach-Hodge that had Collier concerned."I am a little concerned about our injury right there," he said. "it don't look good so we will prepare as best we can and be ready to go."Rye Cove, which lost at Honaker in the Region 1D championship game last season, has worked all season to get back to that point."It is kind of where we wanted to be. It gets into a long season," said Collier, whose Eagles defeated Eastside 40-8 earlier this season, although it was much closer the score indicated. "We will look at this next one and we will refocus on Monday. They get it, they get what we have got to do, it is the next game mentality type of thing and we will watch a ton of film and we will see how they have improved and what they are doing new and we will be ready to play on Friday or Saturday, whichever day we go."Grundy 0 6 6 16 — 28Rye Cove 16 16 14 15 — 61Scoring summaryRC-L.Lane 3 run (L.Lane run)RC-Rollins 7 run (Roach-Hodge run)RC-Rollins 9 run (L.Lane runGR-Taylor 59 run (pass failed)RC-L.Lane 41 run (L.Lane run)RC-Barnette 76 kick return (L.Jessee pass from L.Lane)GR-Gordon 35 run (run failed)RC-Goins 2 run (run failed)RC-Rollins 8 run (Roach-Hodge kick)GR-L.Lester 80 run (Gordon run)RC-L.Jessee 21 pass from L.Lane (Paille pass from L.Lane)GR-Gordon 48 run (Deel run)