With the impending threat of rain and winds from Hurricane Matthew, the 8-man matchup hosted by St David’s School in Raleigh originally scheduled for Friday, October 7th, was moved to Thursday, October 6th at 7:00 p.m. A smart move by both schools, the weather on Thursday night was perfect for football. With a slight chill in the air, the large crowd of Rocky Mount Academy fans who travelled to Raleigh could be heard from miles away. Along with parents and families of the players, a Spirit Bus brought the cheerleaders and a group of students to support the Eagles in what was expected to be a tougher game. However, RMA dominated the game from the very beginning and didn’t stop to look back.

The St. David’s Warriors kicked off the ball to Rocky Mount Academy, who proceeded to score a rushing touchdown within the first two minutes of the game, get the extra point, and follow with a safety, making the score 9-0. The Eagles defense held the Warriors from scoring at the other end of the field and then scored another rushing touchdown with three minutes left in the first quarter. The extra point was good, making the score 16-0. The Warriors squeezed in one pass for their only touchdown and a successful two-point conversion with 1 minute left in the first quarter, making the score at the end of the first quarter 16-8.

At the beginning of the second quarter, RMA quarterback, #3 Isaiah Thomas, threw a 30 yard pass completed by Senior Christopher Rabil for a touchdown. The extra point was good and only three minutes later, Thomas threw another long pass, this one 40 yards, to Rabil, earning another RMA touchdown. The Eagles rushed for their first two-point conversion of the game, and were successful. Both Thomas and Rabil were on fire as Thomas was 8 of 8 passing for 310 yards and four touchdowns and Rabil caught six passes for 204 yards and three scores in this matchup. Just before halftime, the Eagles scored another touchdown making the score at the half 38-8.

After halftime, the Eagles scored two more rushing touchdowns and their corresponding extra points. Sophomore and #17, Jacob Braddy, ran six times for 129 yards and two scores during the game against St. Davids. The score at the end of the third quarter was 52-8. The Eagles finished the game with a rushing touchdown by #1, sophomore Peyton David, in the fourth quarter. Keeping with the trend, the team got the two-point conversion ending the game with a final score of 60-8. Also very important contributors to the game were Juniors, Caleb Lambert and Trey Smelcer, and Seniors, Tyson Jones and Paul King.

Following two years of winning records and state championship wins in 2013 and 2014, last year’s football season was tough for the Eagles. But with an undefeated record of 7-0, the Eagles have improved from last year and have a high chance of competing in the state championship this year. Currently a high seed in the conference, it is very likely that the Eagles will host a home playoff game which will be a great opportunity for our school to come together and support the team. This week’s football game on October 14th against Southampton Academy is very crucial as Southampton seems to be the team to beat with a 7-0 record and very strong roster. Friday’s game is also the Homecoming football game and senior night for football players and cheerleaders, so be sure to come out and support your Eagles!