By Bill Kiser
sports@salisburypost.com
CONCORD ó Over the years, A.L. Brown has a history of getting off to slow starts.
But the Wonders hope to use Friday night’s 48-6 season-opening win over Central Cabarrus as a springboard to bigger and better things.
“This means a lot to us,” senior wideout T.J. Johnson said. “If we can go undefeated through our non-conference games and win them like we did tonight, we can then take care of the conference games, then focus on the playoffs.
“That’s our main focus this year ó getting to the state (finals).”
Senior running back Jonathan Williams put up 101 yards and two third-quarter touchdowns for Brown (1-0), which led 33-0 at the half.
Senior Jamill Lott threw for one score (to Johnson) and ran for another. Junior Antwoine Jordan and sophomore Martel Campbell each had one TD run, and Morgan McDaniel hit a 27-yard field goal and went 5-of-5 on PAT kicks.
The win improved Brown’s all-time record against the Vikings (0-1) to 20-0, and was the Wonders’ most-lopsided season-opening victory since they thrashed Northwest Cabarrus 47-0 in 1988, former coach Bob Boswell’s last season.
But current Brown head coach Ron Massey said not to read anything into Friday night’s final score, especially considering Central lost a number of players that would have made up this year’s senior class with the opening of Hickory Ridge High School last year.
“It’s a shame that Central has to go through this,” Massey said. “Their senior class is going to be down, and they’ve got a lot of young kids out there. Glen (Cook, Central Cabarrus head coach) and his guys will find a way to keep those kids pulling along, and they’ll get better as the year goes along.
“But we were definitely faster on the field, and definitely quicker than they were tonight. It showed, especially in the first half.”
Significantly faster ó on both sides of the ball.
Even with senior back Artrele Louis still on the sidelines, the Wonders’ offense ó paced by Williams, Lott and Johnson ó racked up 271 total yards (202 rushing, 69 passing).
Meanwhile, Brown’s defense held Central to minus-7 yards in the first half and 31 for the game, forced two turnovers and sacked Vikings quarterback D.J. Watson four times.
Even the Wonders’ special teams ó in addition to McDaniel, whose field goal put Brown in the lead midway through the first quarter ó got in on the act. They blocked or partially blocked three Central punts in the first half, and forced a safety on a bad snap in the end zone on another punt.
“We got the ball in scoring position on most of our series, either with the blocked kicks or our returns or the turnovers,” Massey said. “That had a lot to do with it.”
Of course, Brown’s skill people helped too.
Lott, making his debut as the Wonders’ starting quarterback, scampered 23 yards for a TD midway through the first quarter to put Brown up 10-0. After a safety with less than a minute to go, he hit Johnson over the middle on a 28-yard scoring pass to put the Wonders up 19-0.
Touchdown runs of 1 and 3 yards by Campbell ó up from the JV squad for Friday’s game ó and Jordan, boosted Brown’s lead. Williams then capped the night with TD runs of 6 and 41 yards in the third quarter.
“We went out and took control tonight,” Lott said. “I feel pretty confident right now, especially with this team. Our goal this year is to win the championship ó the state championship.”