4SHOT Sports

Football - 2006
Wk 4 - Eastside vs Lovejoy
By E.R. "DOC" Wallace/4SHOT Sports
Sep 22, 2006, 07:30 EST

Eastside fly past Lovejoy

"Eastside, Lovejoy put on aerial spectacle"

Homer Sharp Stadium – Covington, GA

High school football gurus in the area would classify Eastside’s victory over Lovejoy an upset. That’s because they’re living in the past.

Eagle sophomore WR Andrico Bailey had field day against Lovejoy secondary.

The self proclaimed maharishi group of metro Atlanta high school football hasn’t witnessed the 347-caliber action springing from the arms of sophomore quarterback Justin Wray, nor the fly paper hands of sophomore wide receiver Andrico Bailey who led their team to a 33-23 victory over the Wildcats in an aerial show that netted 406 yards of pitch and catch from both teams at Homer Sharp Stadium on Friday.

Eastside (3-1, 0-0) came out with a determination to prove they could play with the big dogs giving Lovejoy (1-3, 0-1) all they could handle with all three phases of their game plan executing in high fashion.

Wray completed 8 of 13 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns, while Bailey hauled in four passes for 174-yards as the recipient of all three Wray touchdown strikes.

The Eastside defense gave up 254 passing yards and 165 yards on the ground but held off game winning attempts by Lovejoy and came up with three timely turnovers that made the difference.

Bailey’s 73-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter, with 7:57 left to play, broke the Wildcats back.

The Eagles had the ball on their own 27-yard line when Wray spotted Bailey streaking down the right side of the field and laid a perfect strike to the wiry receiver who caught the ball in stride to outrun the Wildcat secondary for the score.

Wildcat QB threw for 194 yards against Eastside.

Lovejoy struck first after winning the toss and electing to receive starting their drive from their own 30-yard line with quarterback Michael Greene, who threw for 254-yards, taking the Wildcats on a 70-yard drive that ended with Greene going in from the one. Eastside blocked Blake Clemons’ point after try and the Wildcats took a 6-0 lead with just 3:49 into the first quarter.

Eastside came right back on their first possession as well going 63 yards with junior running back Johnny Norrington going over right tackle from seven yards out for the score. Junior place kicker Braden Smith was true on the point after and the Eagles were on the board with seven and the lead with 3:38 left in the first.

Eastside got their first turnover on Lovejoy’s next possession when the Eagle defense swarmed Greene flushing him out of the pocket. Greene fumbled and sophomore defensive tackle Karl Williams pounced on the loose ball at the Wildcat 27.

It took one play for Wray to find Bailey in the end zone for the score, but Clemons’ kick sailed right and the Eagles extended their lead to 13-6 with 2:06 left in the first period.

Lovejoy opened the second quarter at the Eastside 38 after staging a 35-yard drive ending the first period with Greene connecting with wide receiver Kevin Lewis on the first play of the period for the score. The Wildcats’ PAT attempt failed making the score 13-12 Eastside with seconds off the clock.

Eagle OLB Cale Davis stuffed Wildcat running game.

The Wray-Bailey show entered stage right to dazzle the crowd with a 66-yard strike to pay dirt with Smith co-starring in the production, splitting the uprights for the point after and giving the Eagles a 20-12 lead with 10:47 left in the first half.

Eastside’s defensive front four started to pressure Greene on Lovejoy’s next possession forcing him to throw an apparent pass that was picked off by junior free safety Caleb Pass who returned the interception 24-yards to the Lovejoy 41 but the offense failed to put any points on the board.

Neither team scored again until the 1:41 mark of the quarter when Norrington took a handoff from Wray going 14 yards for the touchdown. The Eagles went for two but failed, but took a 26-12 lead to the lockers at the half.

Lovejoy came out in the third quarter getting the first score of the second half on a 30-yard field goal ending all scoring in the period with Eastside ahead 26-15 Eastside.

Wildcat RB Nakeem Moore ran for 86 yards against Eagle defense.

Lovejoy made a stab at a comeback when Desmond Allen intercepted a Wray pass intended for Bailey and returned it 32-yards for the score cutting Eastside’s lead 26-21.

On the Eagles’ next possession, Wray hooked up with Bailey once again, this time on a 73-yard bomb that just got over the defender’s fingertips for the score. The PAT was good giving the Eagles a 33-21 lead with 7:57 left to play in the game.

Lovejoy got the last points of the game with 2:28 on the clock. Lovejoy got the ball at their 40 after the free kick, but their attempted drive was stalled when Eastside’s junior linebacker William White ran across a Lovejoy pass that was floating in the air after a strong rush on the quarterback by the Eagle front four to seal the victory for the hometown warriors.