Wayne Rains on ‘Burg’s Parade
- Updated: September 17, 2016
Wayne defeated Miamisburg 45-12 in the inaugural game at Holland Field.
Miamisburg (3-1) looked as if they were going to have some magic in their new home as they cut the score to 17-12 midway through the third quarter, after trailing 17-0. Wayne (3-0-1), however, finished the game scoring 28 unanswered points to win.
Wayne QB Rashad McKee (photo by David Wysong/TriStateFootball.com)
“Our guys didn’t panic and that shows the maturity of our team, along with great leadership, that you know when you’re in a tight game like that and you’re ahead you don’t panic. You just kind of come back and keep your feet on the ground, execute, don’t beat yourself,” said Wayne head coach Jay Minton.
Wayne started the game fast, ending the first quarter with a 14-0 lead. Senior Fred Pitts scored first on a 19-yard touchdown run and sophomore quarterback Rashad McKee connected with junior L’Christian Smith on a passing touchdown.
Pitts gave Miamisburg trouble all night, running the ball 20 times for 175 yards and scoring two touchdowns.
His second score was the first of the Warriors’ 28 unanswered and it was highlighted by him breaking five tackles to run the ball in from 17 yards out.
Senior running back Josh Foster also chipped in on the dominant Wayne running game, gaining 66 yards on six carries and scoring two touchdowns.
“That’s the difference in our team this year,” Minton said. “We’ve always been able to throw it around a lot, but the way that we can rush it starts with our offensive line. The way we can run the football is going to make a huge difference.”
The Warriors’ passing attack against Miamisburg should not be overlooked, however.
McKee had an efficient game, completing 12 passes on 18 attempts for 194 yards and two touchdowns.
“The best way to beat us is keeping us off the field, so we knew that we had to take advantage of all of our opportunities and put points on the board,” McKee said.
Despite his personal success through the air, Wayne’s young quarterback seems to know the team’s strong running game is important.
“We pass the ball a lot so when we run the ball teams really aren’t expecting it,” McKee said. “Fred, Josh, Matthew Wilcox, we have some of the best running backs in the state of Ohio, so we feel if we give them the ball and give them space magic will happen.”
Only allowing Miamisburg to score twice, Wayne’s defense also had a successful night.
The Warriors had three sacks on the night, one coming from junior defensive end Joseph Crain as he was also tied for a team-lead five tackles ― four unassisted and two assisted.
Wayne plays Northmont (3-1) in their next matchup at 7 p.m. Sept. 23. Wayne defeated Northmont 38-0 last season.
“We got to work on a lot,” Minton said. “I think tackling a little bit, I saw some missed tackles, and some different things on offense that we just really need to work on and we’re going to find something because we’re nowhere near where we need to be to take on the teams we need to.”
Miamisburg plays Troy (4-0) next at 7 p.m. Sept. 23. The Vikings defeated Troy 43-15 last season.
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