Wallace-Rose Hill trounces Trinity

WALLACE — Beaten, bruised, banged up.

This is not the time to play Wallace-Rose Hill on the gridiron.

Hungry to keep the “nay-sayers” silent and continue a tradition established by the late — and legendary — Jack Holley, the Bulldogs looked like a different team last Thursday evening.

They felt better about themselves, too.

Wallace-Rose Hill ran over Trinity, 68-0, in round one of the NC High School Athletic Association Class 3A football playoffs. The Bulldogs (6-4 overall) continue play Friday at Northeastern Coastal member Pasquotank County.

The Bulldogs claimed the program’s 91st postseason win.

“I felt like that was the best we’ve executed on offense I know in the last three years as far fundamentals and techniques go,” WRH head coach Kevin Motsinger said. “We had to move a lot of people around because we had six or seven kids who couldn’t play due to being banged up [either] in the James Kenan game or practice during the week.”

Motsinger employed a unique practice plan.

The Bulldogs worked out Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in full gear. Throughout the season, they’ve struggled to get out of the huddle and snap the ball on time.

If a player jumped offsides, the team ran.

If a player stepped with the wrong foot, the team ran.

Any offensive violation on the snap drew a lap.

“They weren’t too happy with that,” Motsinger said.

But the strategy undoubtedly paid dividends.

Wallace-Rose Hill scored on every first-half offensive possession and the defense forced two turnovers, which led to scores. The Bulldogs entered halftime ahead 55-0.

Adrian Glover found the end zone on runs of 86 and 3 yards, and also returned a punt 68 yards to the house. Duwon Walker, Jae Moss, Jared “Worm” Miller, Byron Phillips, RaKwon McCrimmon, Logan Marks and two other Bulldogs crossed the goal line.

The Bulldogs amassed a season-high 527 yards of total offense.

“I think we really grew up since that last loss [to James Kenan] that was a true wake-up call to the kids,” Motsinger said. “They came to realize that nobody beat us, we just beat ourselves. They also know they can all be replaced [at any time], so they can either do it right or watch [from the sidelines].”

Despite the program’s second playoff shutout loss in the past three seasons and 10th overall since 2010, Motsinger felt the defense could have been a little sharper.

“I could tell they were flat,” Motsinger said. “If they would have come to play like they were capable of playing, we could have scored more touchdowns.”

A “revamped” Pasquotank poses a “big” challenge.

The Panthers have a new staff mixed with collegiate experience and former players who starred at traditional powerhouse Elizabeth City Northeastern.

Motsinger said their offensive unit in the trenches is better than Midway. He said one lineman absolutely abused a Northeastern player who has committed to the University of Georgia, and two other lineman don’t stop until they’ve planted their opponent in the ground.

“They’ve got dudes,” Motsinger said. “Every game they’ve played, they’ve been the most-physical team on the field and every game we’ve played, we’ve been the most physical team on the field. Both teams hang their hat on physicality.”

Pasquotank is 1-10 all-time in the postseason.