Latest / Huddle Up! / Huddle Up! Season 1 Episode 12
Transcript
- Paul Durham: Hello, this is Paul Durham. This is episode 12 of Huddle Up the Wilson Times Sports Podcast, and we have reached the ultimate Friday night of the high school football regular season. And that means Hunt versus Fike for the 56th time this Friday night at Warrior Stadium. And to get this week going, I am going to be talking to Warriors head coach Juan Jackson along with seniors Randy James and Mez Harris. As well as Fike head coach Marcus Johnson and his two two of his seniors, quarterback Sam Finch and wide receiver Daryl Loatman both of whom have committed to Elon University and will play there next year. Hunts Mez Harris just announced today on social media he has committed to Campbell University. I think this is the first time we'll have two Division I quarterbacks in this rivalry. There's a whole lot at stake this time. This is probably the biggest Hunt-Fike Football game since 2013 when the Warriors won in double overtime to hand the Demons their first loss of the season after 10 straight wins. we're also going to talk to the head coaches, both of whom are alumni of this game. Juan Jackson Hunt's head coach famously scored four touchdowns on his 17th birthday in 1983. To give Hunt a 28-14 win over Fike for the first time in the rivalry after losing the first five meetings. Marcus Johnson was part of the Golden Demons backfield that knocked off Hunt 10-7 in 2004 to win the 3A Big Eight North Championship. But hey, the Warriors ended up playing in the 3A state championship, losing to Concord. 28 27 nothing if memory serves correctly and don't trust me on that one. Look it up if you want to know. All right, let's go right to and by the way, we're gonna talk to Hunt Flag football head coach Miguel Hall, who was surprised and delighted to learn the Warriors did indeed make the first NCHSAA 1A through 6A playoffs. And guess what? They're gonna be playing a first-round game against Vance County Saturday. At Wilson Prep, and if they win, that's right, they're gonna play Wilson Prep. That'll be the first meeting between Wilson Prep and any Wilson County schools team in any sport. So let's go right to Coach Johnson, Sam, and Daryl at Fike. Hello, and we are at Fike High this afternoon before practice in preparation for the Hunt-Fike game. I'm here with Golden Demons head coach Marcus Johnson and senior Sam Finch and Darryl Loatman And we are going to talk about Hunt-Fike. And coach, you are the first person to talk to because not only is this your first one as a head coach at Fike. in this rivalry, but you've got some Hunt-Fike games under your belt as a player way back when I actually remember covering those games or at least one of let's talk a little bit about your memories from this rivalry. As I said, that two thousand four game was a was a huge one. You guys beat Hunt ten seven to win the the old three A Big East Conference, or actually it was the Big Eight North at the time. But Hunt ended up playing in the state championship that year. So I kinda see something like that could happen this year, you never know. Coach, what do you remember about playing in this rival? Marcus Johnson: just remembering how rich it is, the the rivalry has been long lasting, the energy that comes behind it, the crowd, the smells and and just some of the play calls from back in the days when I played, just remembering how things played out. I think, you know, everything has been building and anticipating to this moment I think is is living up to his expectation. Paul Durham: As a player, what do you remember feeling like when it came to facing your rival, the kids that you've grown up with, played probably with at certain times, and now are on the other side of the line with everything at stake? And I may and by everything bragging rights, because that's everything in a town like Wilson. Marcus Johnson: that's what we live for. that that rivalry game, getting a chance to say that you whooped somebody, and getting a chance to hold on to there until it's time to play again, that that's important, I think. and it means a lot to our school and and how we approach it. But especially during my time here, we we wanted to be the cream of the crop and, you know, hopefully we can go ahead and repeat this thing this year. Paul Durham: All right. Well let's talk to the guys who are actually gonna be playing in the game. Starting with Sam Finch, senior quarterback. What do you think about this game? This has been building up to it all year long. You had a taste of it last year when you guys gave Hunt a little scare. You lost fifty to thirty four. Now you're ready to go back. What do you think about this game Friday night? Sam Finch: I just think about this game it's just another game. We just gotta play exact — I know it's a rivalry and all that, but it's just another game, just gotta go out there and go get the win. Paul Durham: Daryl, what do you think about this game Friday night? Darryl Loatman: I think it's gonna be a good game. I'm gonna show out, giving my best for my school 'cause they looking forward to this game and what we're gonna show is gonna be something to remember. Paul Durham: All right. Well let's talk about how you guys are gonna beat the Warriors if you beat 'em, coach. I would think anybody who's played hunt over the last fifty years is, you gotta stop their run game. What do you feel about that? How do you feel about your run defense at this point of the season? Marcus Johnson: think that, us the way that we played thus far, keeping things in front of us, being a group and gang tackling and and making those plays, I think that's gonna be essential to eliminating some of the things that Hunt actually likes to do and that things that have been good at this year. Paul Durham: Guys tell me, the only game y'all lost was the Northern Nash That's the only team that beat Hunt as well. They beat Hunt a lot worse than they beat y'all. But Northern Nash figured it out, I guess. What were they able to do to disrupt y'all that night? Sam Finch: to stop our run game 'cause then when when they stop the run game and put more and put more defenders in the pass game it's hard for us to pass the ball or I say get the ball down the field. Paul Durham: Now you have thrown for almost according to MaxPreps two thousand yards. I think you're four yards shy right now of two thousand. Hunt or I mean Fike excuse me, has thrown for over twenty one hundred yards because this guy here has got a hundred and five on two touchdown passes. What has made y'all's passing game so effective this year, Sam? Well Sam Finch: just me and the wide receivers we just take time and watch and film on our own and then when we get on the field just go through our I go through my progress progressions and find the open person. Paul Durham: All right, so Daryl, you are a former quarterback. You coached the J quarterback to J V. You got some reps, as a varsity quarterback, I think as a sophomore. As I said, you've thrown two touchdown passes. As a quarterback with the understanding of how to play that position, what's it like playing with this guy who's gonna be your teammate for the next at least next year at Elon? Darryl Loatman: I understand him more, if he doesn't throw me the ball, if he doesn't have time, I understand what it's like to be in the backfield and not be able to find that person. So it's like I have a good connection with my quarterback 'cause I know how how he feels back there. Paul Durham: All right, Sam, how many reps have you put in with these guys off the practice field on your own time? Sam Finch: there's a lot of reps from from last year and this year. We've just been with each other a lot 'cause we do team bonding outside of just being here. Paul Durham: That's what it takes. You gotta go beyond just practicing everything. All right. Coach, last thoughts. This is not the end of the season, either way. Whatever happens Friday night, you guys are gonna probably be in the home for the playoffs. How do you feel about the rest of this season with regard to this game and what do you guys need to do? 'Cause like I said, you guys won that game in two thousand four hundred and ended up in the state championship. what are your thoughts on this time around as the postseason looms? Marcus Johnson: I'm just reminding the guys to take it one game at a time. we we we can't wake up today thinking about what Saturday looks like. So we'll handle Friday when Friday is here. We'll we'll get out there and we'll try to do our best performance, which is expected and we'll try to rise to the occasion. Paul Durham: Right. Well we will see how it goes on Friday night. Thanks a lot, guys, and good luck on Friday night. Thank you. All right, I am at Hunt High School. The Wednesday practice tour continues. I'm here with head coach Juan Jackson of the Warriors and senior Randy James and senior quarterback Mez Harris. And we are here to talk about Hunt Fike. And no better person to talk about this than Coach Jackson. Because Coach Johnson at Fike, he has some experience playing this game. Perhaps the most famous hunt game ever, the first hunt win in the series, way back in 1983. Scored four touchdowns on your birthday. Hunt beat Fike 28 14. Coach, you also played Fike the Year Before in the probably the worst Hunt-Fike game ever, 7-0 Fike As we go into this game, it's hard to not have memories of that. First of all, tell me some of your memories and the way you recall this rivalry game being and what it's like now for these guys. Juan Jackson: It's just such an intense rivalry, We all throughout the decades, you know, friends in middle school, elementary school, grew up in the same neighborhood bas basically. So you have friends over there, relatives, and it's just an intense rivalry, you know, the bragging rights for the ne the next year. So it's it's a great time of year for both schools. Paul Durham: All right, let's jump to these guys. Randy, what are your thoughts on this rivalry? You're a senior, this is your fourth year of playing. What do you got? Two wins and one loss versus Fike so obviously don't wanna go out fifty-fifty. So thoughts on this rivalry as you remember? Randy James: Me here, this is the biggest game versus Fike that I've had all four in my years. We're both coming in eight and one. It's a big important game. RPI, ragging rights, everything. It's a big game. So we gotta come in with our heads on the swivel. Paul Durham: No doubt. This is probably the biggest game since twenty thirteen before you even got here. I think Fike was ten and Hunt was nine and one or something like that. And it was massive over at Fike. Mez what are your thoughts on this rivalry? You played a big role in Hunt's win last year. Mez Harris: Just like Randy said, we knew it was gonna be a big game, it's a rivalry game. No we had to come out there with our heads on a swivel. And when they 8 and one, we 8 one two pretty good teams battling it out for bragging rights Paul Durham: All right, what do you think you're gonna have to do to attack this Fike team from an offensive side standpoint 'cause their defense has been pretty good? Mez Harris: We can come out, execute the plays correctly, no mistakes. Just do what we do. Paul Durham: Randy, defense on Fike. This is a big order. You guys probably haven't seen a team that passes like that. What are your thoughts on facing that passing game? Randy James: We stay mistake free. everybody do their job. We all stay on one accord. Don't get in our heads too much 'cause we know it'll be a lot going on with the crowd and it's a big emotional game. But if we stay on our on our on our P's and Q's, we'll be all right. Paul Durham: Coach, you guys came off probably the worst game in probably two years at least, maybe longer than that again Northern or against Northern Nash here. Went up to n Rocky Mount last week, took care of business. How much did that game get y'all ready? At least in the mindset to face Fike 'Cause a after the Northern Nash game you kinda felt like you started over. Juan Jackson: We've been battle tested all season long, in our scrimmages, non conference. So these guys are ready to go. like they said, they have to be emotion they have to control their emotions, mistake free football, no turnovers, and just play well, Go after it. Fike's a solid ball club, they're good team, they're not eight and one for nothing They're just as athletic as we are. So we're gonna have to just play well. Paul Durham: All right, Mez let's go back to the game you probably don't want to go back to, but you gotta learn from from those things, probably more so than when you win forty nine and seven against Northern Nash What do you guys learn about yourself in that game from an offensive standpoint? Mez Harris: We can't make no mistakes. We can't get complacent. We just gotta do what we gotta do without making any mistakes. It was definitely a learning lesson though. Definitely. Paul Durham: Randy, what about defense? You guys bottled them up, but they're pretty much four yards every carry, it seems like. They did throw the ball well, so that's something to think about. What did you take away from that Northern Nash loss? Randy James: We had a hard time stopping their run, so we had to be more physical and I mean they capitalize off our small mistakes, which I mean other teams don't capitalize that much, but from here on out, all the teams that we play are gonna be real good. So we can't have those mistakes. Paul Durham: All right. Well let's look at what's going on because this is not the end of the season, regardless. It always feels like it is at at the time and it isn't the end of the regular season. But hunt and Fike both have a lot of football left if both teams keep winning because I think you're both going to get at least two playoff games at home. Maybe one of you is going to get a lot more. Coach, at this point of the season last year, you did not know that you were going to take this team to the state five A championship game. Looking back at where you guys were last year. And now where you are this year at this point, how do you feel about what's ahead of you guys beyond Friday night? Juan Jackson: It's gonna be a tough road. We're treating this game as though it's a playoff game and though it's the first round of the playoffs, even though it's not. so this game's gonna tell the tale and it's gonna be a tough road ahead regardless. So we just gotta take care of business. Paul Durham: All right. Well there you have it. I'm here with Coach Jackson, quarterback Mez Harris, and defensive line star. Actually you're a linebacker. You play everywhere. Sir. Randy James. So we will be out here on Friday night for a Hunt-Fike. bonus to episode 12 this week, I am here with Hunt High Flag football head coach Miguel Hall. The Warriors just beat Beddingfield and Fike to win the Wilson Times Wilson County Schools Championship, the very first one. They thought the season was over. They'd only won, I guess, five games all year, wasn't sure about the playoffs, and lo and behold, they get a bid in the playoffs, playing a first-round match Saturday. At Wilson Prep, and if they win, then they'll play Wilson Prep, which has a bye, and I'm here with Coach Hall right now. Coach, tell me, you guys did not expect to be playing anymore after Monday night, did you? No, no, sir. We did not expect to be here. but by the grace of God, we're here. And so we'll make the best of it. How do the girls feel about The girls were excited, they jumped up, man. You would have thought they won the championship, but to get in is huge. We went to the playoffs last year, but by by it being a sanctioned sport. We are now able to take this thing to another level. And I'm saying what it is and get more girls interested in coming out for flag football. Also, you get maybe be the first Wilson County schools team to play Wilson Prep in anything, in in the playoffs, because that's the only way it's gonna happen. And they got a they've got a a bye they've been a tough team. Do you know anything about them? And then your first round opponent. I know the coach. he grew up with me, you know what I'm saying, church. So I know him. I know he He's a hard worker and I'm just so excited and proud of what he's doing for that flag football team over. What about your first round opponent? Batts we played them last year. we we lost. They had a lot of girls, they had a lot of speed. So I'm anticipating they still got the same thing. But if we play like we played the last two games, I think we'd be fine. All right, there you heard it, Coach Hall. Thank you, sir.