Strong performances by Johntavis Rimmer, Tromone Bailey and Deon Wilkins enabled McAdams to win its first game of the season with a 34-7 victory over Ethel. It was the Bulldogs' first Region 3-1A game.
“Once we settled down, we played a pretty good football game,” said coach Kenneth Nelson.
Nerves and emotion hurt the Bulldogs during a scoreless first quarter, Nelson said, pointing to penalties that thwarted drives.
But McAdams got rolling in the second quarter. A 20-yard touchdown run by Bailey and a 25-yard pass from Rimmer to Wilkins gave the Bulldogs a 14-0 halftime lead. McAdams added two TDs in the third period, a 10-yard run by Bailey and a 45-yard interception return by Wilkins.
Ethel avoided a shutout when Luther Clark scored on a two-yard run midway through the final period. Rimmer completed the scoring with a three-yard run, set up by a 55-yard run by Bailey.
Bailey carried 13 times for 181 yards. Rimmer was eight of 13 passing for 131 yards and ran nine times for 69 yards. Wilkins had 139 all-purpose yards with three receptions for 72 yards, the 45-yard interception return and a 22-yard punt return. All three are juniors.
Nelson gave much of the credit to his offensive line “We're so big; we kind of wore them down. We figured out what Ethel was trying to do on defense. They did a good job in the first quarter stopping the run.”
McAdams totaled 442 yards, with 331 coming on the ground.
Nelson was also pleased with the defense. “We're starting to develop one of the top defenses in our district.”
Nose guard Percy Lewis and outside linebacker Li'Karius each had 10 tackles.
McAdams has a home game Friday with Loyd Star, a 2A school in Brookhaven, 125 miles to the south. Loyd Star is 1-3 with losses to Mount Olive, McLaurin and Pisgah and a 36-20 win over Salem. The Hornets are led by sophomore Versie Wilson, who ran for 224 yards in the win over Salem.
