Football
Laney 41 Topsail 21
Laney broke open a two-score game in the third quarter as Tariq Lane and Imeek Watkins chewed up a ton of yardage in a 41-21 win over Topsail on Friday night.
Watkins finished with 13 carries for 88 yards and four scores, while Lane rushed for 121 yards on five touches, 5 of 6 passing for 109 yards and three total touchdowns.
With a half-game lead in conference and three weeks to go in the season. the Bucs (3-0, 4-3) are on a three-game winning streak heading into a grueling stretch with back-to-back games versus New Hanover (Oct. 17) and Hoggard (Oct. 24), followed by a season finale in Buctown against Ashley (Oct. 31).
“It’s about taking one week at a time and that’s how we work,” said Laney Coach Aashad Yeoman. “We weren’t focused on anything else but two and half hours of football and I thought we did a great job of focusing in, doing our alignment and assignment and executing our defense and offense.”
Lane hit Justin Billingslea on a 61-yard strike on a third down play with 8:57 in the first quarter to give Laney a 7-0 lead until Josh Jessup tied it seven-all with a three yard run late in the opening frame.
Imeek Watkins answered with two touchdowns in the first half to put the Bucs in control until the Pirates responded with a Malik Winford seven yard score as Topsail used a pair of defensive penalties on Laney to help aid the drive.
“That’s one of the things we can’t do in close games,” said Yeoman. “We need to make sure we’re staying fundamentally sound in our offense, in our tackling and in our discipline. When we’re executing things look real good out there, but that’s not always the cause and that’s one of the things I’m proud of tonight is that we fought through some of the adversity.”
With the Bucs leading 21-14, Lane used a highlight reel 78-yard touchdown run late in the first half to make it a two-score game at the break.
“We love running the football and if it’s not broke don’t fix it,” said Yeoman. “It keeps time of possession. It keeps our defense off the field and tires the opposing defense.”
Lane called his own number for his second rushing touchdown from 17 yards out with just over four minutes to go in the third quarter and Watkins put the game out of reach to make it 41-14 headed into the final frame.
“We’re going to do what we do heading into New Hanover week,” said Yeoman. “It’s going to be an exciting week and if we want to have a chance of winning that game we need to focus on what we need to do to get better.”
Topsail (1-2, 3-5) looks to get back in the win column at West Brunswick on Friday, Oct. 17.
Laney 14-13-14-0=41
Topsail 7-7-0-7=21
