Top AAA Ranked Emerald Moves To 4-0 With 56-14 Win Over Broome, Travel To Lexington This Week

  By Billy G. Baker

  Publisher

  Greenwood -The top ranked AAA Emerald Vikings, (4-0), scored on their first offensive play of the game, in their 56-14 win     

         over Broome on September 14, and the team went on to dominate the game over the Centurions. 

 Emerald is now preparing for a road game at Lexington (2-2) this week, and the Wildcats are coming off of a 34-12 win over Spring Valley last week. This is the first time Emerald has started a season 4-0 since 1997.

 After the big win the HSSR visited with head coach Tad Dubose, into  his 7th season at  Emerald, to review the season after four games. “We have come down to the AAA level this season, after trying to compete against AAAA schools like Westsideand South Pointe for quite a while, and that was a challenge quite honesty,” said Coach Dubose. “Wren was in the same boat we were and they have dropped down to AAA also.

“If we can stay healthy, we have a lot of talent on our team, and if we can clean up stupid penalties, and play clean football, we can hopefully make a good run this season,” said Coach Dubose.

 Emerald is a team loaded with talented juniors, but Coach Dubose cited senior center and three-year starter John MichaelHames (5-10, 252) as a key senior leader on the team. “He is one of our captains who has started for three seasons, and he provides a lot of leadership to the team.

“Camile Hill is another senior receiver who had been a receiver and defensive back for us, but we had to move him to tight end/H-back, and he made that move, and he has done a phenomenal job for our team this season,” said Coach Dubose. “These two seniors have been our two big-plus senior leaders so far this season.”

 The Viking have two big time juniors in QB Beau Hite (6-1, 170) and WR/DB Desiray Christian who transferred fromGreenwood this season. Sophomore offensive guard Messiah Simpkins (6-3, 350) has already taken special invitation visits to college games at Florida and Clemson this season.

 Hite, considered the number one baseball prospect in the state as a shortstop/pitcher, committed to USC baseball in early August. Christian currently holds 19 bona fide offers, and he has visited both Clemson and USC recently.

“These three players are very competitive and they all three have bright futures ahead of them,” said Coach Dubose. “Desiray is so explosive off the ball, and he is a very unselfish player who puts the team first.

 “Beau is starting at quarterback for his third season, and he just keeps working hard and improving every season,” said Coach Dubose. “We do have a really young team with a lot of talent. 

“Over the summer our kids worked hard in seven-on-seven, and in the weight room, and in conditioning,” said Coach Dubose. “You really have to feel good about your team unity when you have to run the kids out of the locker room. and tell them to go home after practices and workouts because they enjoy hanging out with each other so much,” said Coach Dubose. “This a great group of hard-working close-knit players who love the game of football.”

At the very core of Dubose’s coaching philosophy, is caring about your players and giving them as much love as you can. “The players know when you truly care about them on-and-off the field,” said Coach Dubose. “Myself, and our staff, honesty care about our players on and off the field. We work hard to make them accountable to each other, while we focus on helping them to focus on being good citizens, and good people for life after football.”

 In the dominating wan over Broome, Hite tossed a 39-yard scoring pass to Christian for the Vikings first score on the team’s first offensive play of the game. Place kickers Warner Wright and Teague Meredith combined to make 8-of-8 PATs on the night for Emerald.

 Emerald’s second score of the game was set up by a fumble recovery by junior DE Mylik Wright (6-2, 268) at the 34-yard line. Three plays later, RB Joe Moore scored on a two-yard run and the PAT made it 14-0 with 7:32 left in the opening period.

 The Vikings went on to get two more rushing TD’s from Moore during the game. Their final rushing TD was made by senior RB Collin Partlow who had 9 rushes for 36- yards including a TD.

 Emerald is very balanced on offense between the pass and the run. Hite completed 10-of-14 passes for 199 yards and three TD passes against Broome. Back-up QB Coleson Marino completed 5-of-6 passes for 25 yards and one passing TD. 

 Four different receivers caught TD passes in the win. Christian led the way with four catches for 85 yards and one TD. Junior WR Keiron Brown (6-1, 161) had two catches for 56 yards and one TD. Marino had two catches for 28 yards and one TD, before he took over at QB late in the third quarter. Junior WR Gavin Quarles (6-1, 156) contributed two catches for 13 yards and on e TD reception. Moore caught two passes for 30 yards as well.

 Against Broome, the tackle index was led by junior LB Hayden Doerflein (5-10, 195) who had seven total tackles including one TFL and a PBU. Three players had five tackles each. Thery were junior FS Trayvion Foster, junior  OLBLazohn Mobley (6-1, 208), and junior CB Johnsiah Javiner.

 Five other Viking defenders tied with three total tackles against Emerald. They were Mylik Wright, senior  DL Tyrell Cloud (6-3, 272), junior DB Demetrius Childs, senior NG/DL  Cam Mitchell, and junior LB Jadius Bennett (5-11, 225).

 Through four games, Doerflein is the top head- hunter with 51 total tackles and one TFL. Cloud has 29 hits with 8 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Junior DL Jeremiah Johnson (6-0, 270) has 27 total tackles to date, with three TFL and 1.5 sacks. Mobley has 26 tackles and one pick, while junior LB Javakin Baskin (5-8,223) has 23 tackles and one TFL. Rounding out the top six tacklers is Foster with 22 stops and one pick.

Hite is having an all-state year at QB, having already completed 54-of-81 passes for 970 yards and 11 TD’s. He has also rushed for 225 yards with one rushing TD.

 A pre-season season ending injury to RB Chris Dean, who rushed for 1,418 yards as a junior, was very concerning to the Viking rushing attack starting the season. However, Moore has stepped up and filled Dean’s shoes very well. He will come into the Lexington game this week as the Vikings top rusher, having gained 470 yards on 48 carries with 9 rushing TD’s.

 The top four receivers for Emerald coming into the game this week include Christian (18-for-334 yards & three TD’s), Brown is at (13-for-271 & three TD’s), while Marino is at (13-for-211 yards & four TD’s). Senior WR Camelle Hill (6-2, 175)has caught three passes for 111 yards and one TD. 

 Broome is coached by veteran Lynn Fleming.

 Broome’s second score of the game came on an 80- yard bomb from senior QB Brayden Simpson to senior WR BrysonMartin who got behind the defense for the team’s second TD. Mario Garcia made both PAT’s.

 Broome (0-4) will host Powdersville this week.