Windsor explodes after sluggish start
Published 1:24 am Saturday, October 11, 2008
Leading just 3-0 at halftime, Windsor looked like a different team in the second half as the Dukes blasted Charles City 37-0 in a Tri-Rivers District game Friday night.
Windsor did not disappoint the homecoming crowd, but in the first half the Dukes’ offense sputtered. Luckily for Windsor, Charles City had no running game. The Panthers had just 26 yards on the ground the entire game.
Windsor’s lone first-half score came on a 27-yard field goal by Christian Daniels with 4:10 left in the first half. The scoring drive was aided by a Charles City fumble.
Both teams had turnovers and numerous penalties in the first half, thwarting scoring opportunities.
Bruce Carroll, Windsor head coach, said his team was thinking too much in the first half.
“We just went in the locker room and drew up four plays on the board and said we are going to run them and we just need to execute,” Carroll said. “We didn’t change the playbook or anything. We just played. They were thinking too much. In the second half, they starting reacting and came off the ball, and that was the difference.”
The halftime break did the Dukes good. Windsor took the opening drive of the second half and marched 59 yards on five plays for a touchdown. Lafayette Murphy, seeing limited playing time since an early-season injury, scored on an 8-yard run. Daniels booted the extra point for a 10-0 lead with 9:38 to play in the third quarter. The drive was aided by a 30-yard run by R.J. Edwards.
Windsor struck again with its next drive, moving the ball 51 yards on six plays. Kwamane Harris’ 18-yard run set the Dukes up on the Charles City 7. On the next play, Murphy found the end zone again with 6:08 to play in the third quarter. Daniels kicked the extra point for a 17-0 lead.
Windsor’s defense set up the next score. Jon Speight stepped in front of a pass by Charles City quarterback Trevor Jones and took the ball all the way down to the Panthers’ 25. Five plays later, Oris Bowers fell forward into the end zone from 1 yard out at the 1:44 mark of the third quarter. Daniels’ kick upped the advantage to 24-0.
The Dukes’ defense got in on the scoring early in the fourth quarter. Mark Fenner intercepted Jones and raced 30 yards for a touchdown for a 30-0 lead.
The final Windsor (6-1) touchdown was directed by backup quarterback David Cooper, who accounted for all 52 yards of the drive, including a 32-yard run and a 6-yard touchdown run with 47 seconds to play.
Charles City went to the passing game in the second half and looked good at times. The Windsor defense bent but didn’t break. Jones was 16-for-32 for 163 yards through the air.
For Windsor, Edwards rushed for 77 yards on eight carries
The Dukes host Sussex Central at 7 p.m. Friday.