Outer Banks Sentinel
9/28
Reward for victory? A Friday date with Eagles
BY
OWEN A. HASSELL, SENTINEL STAFF
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</td></tr> </tbody></table></td></tr> </tbody> </table> Taking competition up a notch is an understatement for the First Flight football team this week.
After its first win of 2005 against 1A Cape Hatteras, the Nighthawks have the mighty task of facing 2A state-ranked Northeastern in their Northeastern Coastal Conference opener.
Game time for Friday night's contest is set for 7:30 p.m.
First Flight (1-4) must be feeling as outmatched as its opponent last Friday in the Hurricanes.
The Eagles (6-0, 1-0 NCC) have already notched wins against last year's league champ, Edenton-Holmes, as well as preseason favorite Hertford County.
The club went from unranked and no votes to 10th in the state 2A poll and with a first-place vote.
Northeastern is loaded with Division I prospects, including all-state Javon Brumsey at wide receiver, Devven Sutton at linebacker and junior back Daronte McNeil.
Now for the First Flight positives: the team did win a game, and it is at home.
Problem is, it could be the Eagles doing all the entertaining in Kill Devil Hills.
"We obviously look at every game as a challenge, and I think you'd have to be blind to see how well their talent is compared to ours," FFHS coach Rex Sponhaltz said. "My approach to the game will be to take it play-by-play. We got to win as many plays as we can and then see what else happens."
McNeil ran for more than 220 yards in a win against the Aces, then 187 yards against the Bears and four touchdowns, one a reception.
McNeil also threw a pass for 30 yards.
"McNeil is in a league of his own so far, and no one has been able to check him," Sponhaltz said.
Northeastern led 31-13 at halftime but had to hold on to win 39-32.
Players such as Brumsey and quarterback Shelton Morgan have played varsity for three years, and now have a new coach in Antonio Moore.
He has done little different since being an assistant for long-time coach Eric McDaniels.
Northeastern does not mind using three wideouts on offense, or just using McNeil or Sutton to run the ball.
"That's the deal, they have a balanced attack and it comes down to us playing all parts better than we've ever played them," Sponhaltz said. "They got great athletes and by the same token our kids have to look at it as a great opportunity to play a great football team."
It is in essence a matchup of the best against the bottom of the barrel in the NCC, a program that has seen great times against one that is new and searching to get respect.
Sponhaltz takes a more politically correct approach to the game, and can hope that NHS takes the game lightly, but will prepare for the Eagles' best.
"I feel very strongly that we have to exude character, and the wins will come at some point, so my big thing is obviously I don't want to hide behind the character curtain and say 'Well, we might not win, but we have character,'" said Sponhaltz after his team beat Hatteras 36-12. "I think you can do both, I know you can do both, and we're going to do both, but coming into next Friday, all we can do is say we're going to work as hard as we can work, we'll be as competitive as we can be, and then those chips will fall where they will fall."
And remember the good things: a win last week and a home crowd this Friday.
"I really don't think you could ask for anything more than to come off of a victory than being home," Sponhaltz said. "I think it's as much as anyone can ask for at this point in the season."
. Devven states his love for the Buckeyes, and the fact that he and his family have always dreamed of him going to Ohio State.
