By Staff
Keith Ledbetter
For the FCT
FLORENCE – The No. 5 Red Bay Tigers were clicking on all cylinders in their 35-7 win at Class 4A Wilson Friday.
Josh Senkbeil and Cody Armstrong both had a pair of rushing touchdowns to lead the Tigers, which has a perfect 10-0 record for the first time since 2004.
"We did what we planned to do, and that was come out and get an early lead," Red Bay coach Dale Jeffreys said. "I'm proud of our team for going 10-0. They've worked hard for it, and they deserve it."
Red Bay jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter as Senkbeil scored on runs of 13 and 39 yards. A bad snap on the first score resulted in a failed 2-point conversion, but Anthony Horton found Joe McKinney for a 2-point conversion score that put the Tigers ahead 14-0.
Amstrong scored the third touchdown of the first quarter with a 5-yard run that capped a five-play drive, and Pablo Makepeace booted the PAT to make it 21-0.
Armstrong scored again at the 10:36 mark in the second quarter with a 23-yard touchdown, and then Horton made an interception on the ensuing Wilson drive.
Horton capped the three-play drive with a 6-yard scamper around left end to put Red Bay ahead 35-0 at halftime.
The Tigers, which started playing a mixture of starters and reserves midway through the second quarter, flirted with a shutout until Wilson's Ben Richardson found Nathan Olive for a 52-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to make it 35-6.
The Red Bay defense held the Warriors (4-6) to just 72 yards on the ground and forced them to punt five times. The Tigers also picked off Richardson twice.
Red Bay will host Class 2A, Region 6 champion Pleasant Valley next Friday at Fred Bostick Jr. Memorial Stadium.