Southwest High School

9/7/24
Complete Game Coverage: SWO - 8. White Oak- 30.

Final: SWO - 8. WO - 30.

Sorry for the inconvenience, but hyperlinks are not working. You will need to copy-and-paste the URL in order to access the photos and videos.

Photos (courtesy of Kay McCloskey): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/8pui9rj6f01nhvq9j4gh9/ACunE2HExzeGIqpPsPl6FIo?rlkey=h1c5ugopd367jtqm82m2jdb1e&st=fac1j74y&dl=0

Stallion Video Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg7vdBQ37bs

Stable Talk Postgame Analysis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-CsWEDGOyI

For everyone who thought the Stallions were going to roll over and play dead after last week's disappointing performance at Richlands, I have one thing to say.... We ain't dead yet!

Granted... There's still a long way to go and a lot of improvement to be made. But there's also a lot of football left to be played in this 2024 season. After last night's both gritty and innovative performance against White Oak, I'd say we have every right to be optimistic as we head into conference play in a couple of weeks.

White Oak is a physically imposing team. They are large and athletic. And they are also on-par with Jacksonville; having taken the mighty Cardinals down to the wire. And while we had a respectable score vs. Jacksonville (losing 28-14), that was a game that wasn't quite as close as the final score would indicate. As such, I was fearful of a major letdown and beatdown vs. the Vikings. The final score vs. White Oak (a 30-8 win for the Vikings), was MUCH CLOSER than the final 22 point margin would indicate. If not for a questionable penalty against the Stallions, this game would have been tied at 16 with 5 minutes to play. It would have been anybody's ballgame at that point.

And doggone it! Give credit where credit is due! It's no secret that Coach Dempsey has faced a lot of scrutiny and negativity thus far this season. However, Coach Dempsey and his staff fought through adversity and rallied the troops this week. The result... The Stallions played their best football of the season on Friday night! Furthermore (and perhaps even more impressive), Coach Dempsey installed a completely new offense in less than a week. The old-school 'T' just wasn't working for the Stallions in 2024 and Coach Dempsey was humble enough and innovative enough to modernize; installing a more modern spread offense in less than 1 week! And it worked rather well with only a few days to practice. NO! We haven't abandoned the traditional SWO rushing attack. We've just spread things out a little and are throwing a little more often and effectively.

Now let's talk about the game!

Home Opener for SWO! Nice weather. Decent size crowd. But Stallion Fans... What's happened to you? You used to bring the noise and excitement! The Corral was deathly quiet last night for 95% of the game. I know... I know... You were probably pretty pessimistic coming into the game and not jazzed up. I'll give you a pass this week because I know you are the best fans in the county! So LET ME HEAR YOU next week vs. Goldsboro! Consider it a warm-up prior to conference play. The spirit & support of Stallion Nation is of ineffable importance to this team!

First Quarter - SWO defense getting the job done forcing consecutive 3-and-out's for the Viking offense. The revamped SWO offense was sporadic picking up a few first downs here-and-there, but unable to string together a long drive. I also noted a marked improvement in the SWO punting game! And the end of Q1, both teams were scoreless.

Second Quarter - White Oak began playing their stud RB (Maggio) in the Wildcat formation and he repeatedly pounded the Stallions for consistent gains. Eventually, Maggio burst through for a 30 yard TD (and added the 2-pt conversion) giving WO a 8-0 lead at the 10:18 mark. The Stallions responded with a nice drive of their own. Facing 4th-and-5 at around the WO 40 yard line, Dempsey dialed up a beautiful play call (halfback pass) that just missed by inches. WO responded with a lengthy drive of their own but the Stallion D bowed their backs and stopped the Vikings deep in SWO territory as the half drew to a close. The Vikings on top: 8-0

Third Quarter - Sr.QB Tyler Randolph left the game late in the first half due to injury. Jr. Jonathan Pittman took over leadership of the offense. Things were starting to 'click' and the Stallion offense made some progress. However, Pittman was intercepted on 4th down. The good news, however, was that the WO defender made a mistake. He should have just knocked down the pass but instead intercepted on WO's 1 yard line. This worked out better than a punt and the Stallions had WO pinned deep! This is when I expected the crowd to roar and cheer on the Stallion Defense perhaps forcing a safety. But it didn't happen and White Oak methodically moved downfield and went 99 yards for another Maggio TD and 2-pt conversion. 16-0 Vikings on top as Q3 drew to a close.

Fourth Quarter - SWO responded with a very impressive drive! Pittman completed a couple of passes but the bulk of the damage was done by bruising Sr RB Tate Whitehead. Running mostly power sets, the Stallion offensive line got traction and gave Whitehead enough room to pound out tough yardage. Whitehead eventually broke multiple tackles for a 4 yard TD and then trucked a couple of WO defenders to also add the 2-pt conversion. SWO closed the gap to 16-8 with 9:17 to play. The Stallion Defense forced a stop and the offense took over. With 5 minutes to play, Pittman hit Sr. TE Gavin Helms for a beautiful 74 yard TD pass! The crowd was now electrified and howling! Unfortunately, however, a questionable "ineligible receiver downfield" penalty against the Stallions negated the score. This completely deflated the Stallions and WO picked up 2 late scores to achieve the final 30-8 margin of victory.

The Stallions now fall to 0-3 on the season and complete non-conference play next week (at home vs. Goldsboro). I fully expect the Stallions to win this game and the revamped offense to hone it's efficiency. The Stallion D has been playing very well and special teams has also made significant progress. After Richlands, I feared the season may be lost. But after White Oak, I'm cautiously optimistic about our chances in the conference. But we need some positive momentum and that starts next Friday night with a 'W' against Goldsboro! Come on Stallion Fans... Show me what you've got!

GO STALLIONS!!!

#OnceaStallionAlwaysaStallion