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Demons nip Titans
Gainey's big play helps Reynolds go to 10-0
Journal Photo by Lauren Carroll
Jermane Clark of Reynolds is brought down by Austin Martinez of West Forsyth.
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Published: October 31, 2009
CLEMMONS
Kevin Simmons, one of Reynolds' most valuable workhorses, buried his face deep in the grass near the 20-yard line at West Forsyth last night and prayed.
But Reynolds' prayers had already been answered.
Jake Gainey, the Demons' explosive junior receiver, turned a difficult catch into a 42-yard touchdown with 27 seconds left to cap Reynolds' come-from-behind 14-9 victory over West Forsyth in a showdown of unbeaten teams.
"I was happy, happy shocked, just all goodness inside," Simmons said. "I can't believe it. CPC champs for the first time in a long time."
The victory, before an estimated crowd of 6,000 at overflowing Titan Stadium, moved Reynolds to 10-0 overall and 4-0 in the Central Piedmont 4-A and gave it at least a share of the CPC title. The Demons, ranked No. 8 by the Associated Press, can lock up the title with a win over Reagan next Friday at Deaton-Thompson Stadium.
"They had us game-planned perfectly and we still won the ballgame because we have one guy out there who is just faster than everybody else and he made a play," Coach Mike Propst of Reynolds said of Gainey.
It was the kind of game that West Forsyth has had a penchant for winning, but the Titans let Gainey get away twice in the fourth quarter. Gainey scored the Demons' first touchdown on a 31-yard pass from Craven Knotts, helping to chip away at West's 9-0 lead.
The Titans, ranked No. 5, fell to 9-1 and 3-1, and have a critical game against Mount Tabor next week for second place.
It was a loss that West probably won't soon forget. The Titans monopolized possession in the first half, more than doubling Reynolds' total yardage, but had two drives die on lost fumbles and turned it over on downs another time after getting stuffed on three straight plays from the Reynolds' 1.
After going up the middle twice from the 1 and being stopped, the Titans tried a pitchout to Bobby Clark but Vance Matthews of Reynolds dragged Clark down for a 7-yard loss.
"They stopped us up that one time and every time we had been under center all year long we had always run quarterback sneak," Coach Adrian Snow of West said. "So its one of those things, a good friend of mine one time asked me ‘Who are you trying to fool?' We tried it and it didn't work.
"We ran up and down the field (in the first half) and it's all about finishing and we talk about it all the time. We didn't do it and that's the bottom line. They did. They finished and we didn't."
Chris Price's 28-yard field goal in the second quarter, and Ricky Brown's 7-yard touchdown catch from Patrick Midkiff late in the third quarter put West ahead 9-0.
But the Demons finally put together a drive early in the fourth quarter. Knotts capped it with a perfectly thrown, 31-yard post pass to Gainey, who made an easy grab in the back of the end zone, and Andy Teasdall's point after made it 9-7.
The teams traded possessions, and Reynolds took over its final drive at the 17 with 2:05 left. The drive was given early life by a 15-yard personal foul penalty on the Titans, and the Demons worked into West territory and had a first and 15 from the 42 with 48 seconds left.
Knotts threw deep and incomplete to Gainey on first down, tried again on second down and the pass was batted down by West's Nygee Lockhart. On third down, Knotts hurled a pass down the right sideline. Lockhart was in great position to make the play, but Gainey leaped at the 8, cradled the catch and had an easy walk into the end zone.
It was Gainey's ninth catch of the game, and he finished with 153 of Knotts 245 passing yards.
"We knew we needed something right now, and they said keep throwing it to Jake, keep depending on him, keep depending on him," Knotts said. "So I depended on him and he made a play."
mlinker@wsjournal.com | 727-7324
Reynolds 0 0 0 14 -- 14
West Forsyth 0 3 6 0 -- 9
WF – Price 28 FG
WF – Brown 7 pass from Midkiff (kick failed)
RY – Gainey 31 pass from Knotts (Teasdall kick)
RY – Gainey 42 pass from Knotts (Teasdall kick)
Records – Reynolds 10-0 (4-0), West Forsyth 9-1 (3-1)
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