Wonders host Mooresville
By Steve Winzenread
One more game, then the A.L. Brown football team starts South Piedmont Conference play.
And they won’t be facing just another league opener.
But first things first. The Wonders host Mooresville at 7:30 tonight.
“Mooresville has a great tradition,” said Kannapolis head coach Ron Massey. “They’re always well-coached. They’re a good natural rival with us. They’re right down the road. We have a lot of respect for their program. It’s good to play a playoff-caliber team.”
Speaking of outstanding traditions, the Wonders are off to a 2-0 start following hard-fought victories over Central Cabarrus and South Rowan.
Massey especially liked the Kannapolis defensive work last Friday at South Rowan.
“I thought our defense played extremely well,” he said. “They held South Rowan to 11 three-and-out series out of 15. You can’t ask for much more.”
Mooresville’s defense forced eight turnovers Aug. 17 in a 22-0 win at Bandys. (The Blue Devils had an open date last Friday.)
Jjshaun Pinkston ran for 95 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown run, for Mooresville. The junior ended with 111 yards on 22 carries.
Tequilis Knox added 73 yards on 12 carries.
Mooresville is platooning its quarterbacks.
Against Bandys, Nathan Abraham threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to Jamel Allison, and Jon Crucitti scored from 18 yards out on a keeper.
The Wonders edged Central 7-6 in the opener, then scored a 29-17 win at South Rowan.
“Offensively, we made plays when we had to,” Massey said. “We just look out there in the fourth quarter and see three to four kids that saw any time on Friday night last year on offense.
“We’re going to get better. I’ve got to be more patient with them and not expect too much.
“Until we get a little more continuity and consistency, maybe I need to rethink a little bit our game plans and everything.”
Again this year, injuries are a factor for the Wonders early on.
“We’re doing the best we can,” Massey said. “We lost another offensive lineman, Chris Moore, toward the end of the game.”
He said the Wonders have capable backups, but it takes time to regroup.
“It’s just continuity and everything,” he said. “They’ve got to develop and get better. ... It’s one of those things, part of this game.”
Meanwhile, conference play is just around the corner.
“You’d like to have more time before you step into the conference, especially with who we’re playing next week, but I think it will be good for our kids,” Massey said. “Right now we’re just trying to get better.”
The SPC opener for Kannapolis is at Sun Valley next Friday. The Spartans beat the Wonders 28-21 last year.
A.L. Brown opened the 3AA playoffs a year ago with a 26-6 win at Mooresville.