Published: September 06, 2008 12:40 am      

Eagles bury East

Raiders can’t keep up with Jones; senior scores 5 TDs

WESTWOOD — Matt Jones had a first half perhaps to rank among the best ever for a Fairview quarterback.

Jones zigged and zagged for 155 yards and four touchdowns before the intermission as the Eagles exploded past East Carter 54-17 on Friday night.

“It’s a new experience for me,’’ said Jones, a 5-foot-10 senior who took over as the Eagles starting quarterback this season. “The offensive line made great holes. It’s not hard when you’ve got blocking like that.’’

Jones, taking snaps in shotgun formation, read the blocks well and used his quickness and cutting ability to run away from East Carter defenders.

A 15-yard bolt to the end zone midway through the third quarter was Jones’ shortest TD run of the night.

“Matt’s getting a lot better at running the football,’’ said Fairview coach Nathan McPeek. “He’s not fast, but he’s quick and shifty. He doesn’t take a lot of big hits. I wouldn’t want to try to tackle him.’’

East Carter knows the feeling. Jones’ last three carries of the first half went for 18, 46 and 43 yards — all touchdowns.

“Number 11 is a heck of a player,’’ said East Carter coach Aaron Baldwin. “Number 22 (T.J. Shelton) is a heck of a player. The way coach McPeek runs that offense, it’s hard to stop. For Jones, it’s a designed cutback against the grain and we had a hard time with it.’’

Shelton, a junior running back, also enjoyed a big night. He rushed for 121 yards on only nine carries.

The Eagles scored on all five of their first-half possessions for a 32-14 lead and tacked on three more touchdowns in the third quarter, leading to a rolling clock for the remainder of the game.

“Fairview is a good football team and they capitalized on our mistakes,’’ said Baldwin, whose team turned the ball over five times.

East Carter’s long night started early. Junior starter Corey Bush was injured during pre-game warmups and the Raiders lost team leader Kyle Huffine to a knee injury early in the opening quarter.

McPeek said he came into the game concerned about Fairview’s ability to block the Raiders up front.

“Of course, losing Huffine really hurt them,’’ McPeek said. “He’s such an integral part of their offense and defense.’’

East Carter (0-2) managed to stay with the Eagles early. On the third play from scrimmage, Trei Tackett caught a pass from quarterback Eddie Elkins, bounced off defenders and went 64 yards for a TD.

Tackett also scored on a 59-yard run down the sideline late in the first quarter to pull East Carter within 19-14.

But Fairview’s offense kept rolling. Shelton scored on a 2-yard run and Jared Virgin’s fumble recovery quickly led to a 43-yard TD keeper by Jones to give the Eagles an 18-point halftime advantage.

The Eagles’ impressive home opener pushed their record to 2-0 under McPeek.

“We played pretty well on offense and came around on defense in the second half,’’ he said.

Fairview freshman Chris Littlejohn returned a line-drive punt 21 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter. And senior Stephen Littlejohn followed with an interception to set by Jones’ final TD for a 47-14 lead.

East Carter’s Matt Langstaff kicked a 48-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

ROCKY STANLEY can be reached at rstanley@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2671.