PROSPERITY — Head Coach Louie Alexander said he was proud of the Mid-Carolina Rebels’ first win Friday night, but disappointed that the team had not played a full four quarters this season.
“For whatever reason, we didn’t play very well in the first and found three pretty good quarters there in the end,” Alexander said.
The Rebels are 1-3 after scoring 34 unanswered points against the Pelion Panthers on Friday at Lon Armstrong stadium.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Panthers snapped the ball over their quarterback’s head giving the Rebels a safety for the first score of the game with 9:44 left in the second quarter.
On the next drive, a Pelion kick led Corey Stone to Tray Green for a 48-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 8-0.
The Rebels would score all 34 unanswered points before the half.
Alexander said he was pleased with the way the team came out and worked hard last week to prepare for Pelion. Friday’s game gave them the opportunity to pull up two young offensive lineman from the JV team and give them some playing time, Alexander said.
“They got better this week and got some time tonight,” Alexander said of the JV players.
Overall, Alexander said they had a bunch of guys run the football Friday, not throwing the ball much in the second half.
“After the first quarter, I was just pleased with the execution,” Alexander said.
Pelion had negative yards on just about every drive in the first and second quarter Friday and Alexander said he was very pleased with the Rebels’ defense.
Cade Ruff played most of the second half for the Rebels on Friday night as quarterback so that he could get some more reps, Alexander said.
“We’ve got two really good ones,” Alexander said of Ruff and Stone. “Corey has been playing really well it was just a great opportunity to make sure that we did get Cade some reps. He went out there and he played pretty well.”
Alexander said Dante Meade will be in a cast until further notice and could be out for four to six weeks, maybe longer.
“He could be out until the playoffs,” Alexander said.
Alexander said it was actually Meade’s wrist that was broken in the joint, not his hand.
The Rebels will be on the road next week as they travel to play the Keenan Raiders.
Alexander said Keenan beat them last year and they will need to come out, play well and not turn the football over.
“They’re very athletic,” Alexander said of Keenan.