Before the clock flashed with three zeros, the momentum of celebration trickled throughout the Concord sideline.
There was still enough difference in the game clock and the play clock where if Concord didn’t run a play, they would’ve been hit with a delay of game penalty.
And much like they had done all night, the Crimson Tide ran it one last time.
Then the celebration really began.
Players jumped over top of players, coaches hugged coaches. A huddle of the whole program ensued where cheering and barking echoed throughout Memorial Field. When those three zeros flashed, the only numbers that remained on the scoreboard were representative of a long preseason’s worth of a work that paid off.
21-0.
In their shutout victory over visiting Spaulding, the Tide relied on their rushing attack early and often.
On the opening drive, six of their eight plays were rushes, from three different players.
Concord’s running-back-by-committee approach took traction with five running backs all taking handoffs.
Every committee has its leaders, however, and for the Tide, look no further than seniors Kody Rashed and Luke Champney.
No. 8 and No. 24 both brought a dynamic blend of power and speed from the backfield that earned them more and more carries as the game went on. By breaking tackles and making the right cuts, the duo kept putting Concord in positive positions.
Perhaps their most impressive set of trade-offs occurred on Concord’s opening drive in the second half. Champney had carries of 11 and 10 yards that took the Tide deep into Spaulding territory.
With a fresh set of downs, Rashed took the handoff on a designed off-tackle play at the 19-yard line. The near 200-pound back didn’t stop until he ran out of the end zone and the officials were beginning to put their arms back down after signaling Concord’s second touchdown of the night.
With two backs who can offer so much, it makes things a bit easier for first-year coach Jim Corkum.
“They’re both guys who have played a lot of varsity football, and they’re guys the team can rally behind,” Corkum said. “They’re a tough 1-2 punch, and we want to try and shorten games, get that clock going and be able to wear down a defense (with them).”
If wearing down a defense is the goal, for week one the Crimson Tide succeeded. Both of their second-half scoring drives took off nearly three minutes each and allowed the Red Raiders only two full possessions in the third quarter.
A seven-play, 56-yard drive that resulted in Rashed’s second and final touchdown of the night took just shy of 2:30, which may seem quick, but when it’s 12-minute quarters, the game is shrunk. On that 56-yard drive, it wasn’t just Rashed and Champney running the ball, however. The whole committee joined in as running backs Kaevryel Madison and Jamari Arzu and quarterback Zack Doward all were marquee ballcarriers during the drive that put the game out of reach.
Madison’s and Arzu’s’ carries of eight and 11 yards, respectively, took the Crimson Tide out of their side of the field and into Spaulding territory. Tack on Doward’s scramble from a designed boot action pass, with an additional unsportsmanlike penalty against the defense, and all Concord had to do was walk in from the 6-yard line for the final touchdown of the night.
While he was solid on the offensive front, Madison was even better playing in his role as a defensive back.
The senior captain had a couple of pass break-ups, one or two of which could’ve resulted in an interception but just slipped out of his hands. Every where the ball went, whether it was on the ground or through the air, Madison seemed to gravitate toward it and delivered hit after hit for the stingy Concord defense.
Madison, who initially left the game midway through the second quarter for either an injury or an equipment issue, embodied the toughness mantra that Corkum has been trying to establish within his program.
“I’m not surprised because that’s who he is all the time,” Corkum said. “He’s just so always dialed in and focused. I’m thrilled with the performance that he put on tonight.”
Concord’s front seven was just as dominant as the back end. Senior captain and two-way star Hunter Jeffers was disruptive on the defensive line and had a tackle for loss along with gang tackles that resulted in minimal gains for the Red Raiders.
The many positives – and there were many – outweigh the few but glaring negatives. According to Corkum, he felt that at times his team got in its own way. Whether it was by committing penalties or not finishing off plays, there are still plenty of things to work on during the upcoming week of practice.
“We can’t give other teams those second chances,” he said. “We’re not there yet, but it was a good step in the right direction.”