Smithfield capitalizes on speed, New Kent miscues in 49-0 rout

New Kent defender Brian Gray (30) closes in on Smithfield wide receiver Devin Williams during a first quarter play.

Alan Chamberlain photo

Returning home after playing four of their first five games on the road, New Kent’s Trojans looked to continue their winning ways within the friendly confines of the Ed Allen Jr. Athletic Complex. Three weeks ago, the Trojans crushed Jamestown’s Eagles 41-14 for their lone win sandwiched between four losses thus far this football season.

But Friday night’s opponent, Smithfield’s Packers, bore little resemblance to the hapless Eagles. And New Kent failed to help itself, committing errors that contributed to a 49-0 Smithfield rout.

The Trojans lost three of seven first half fumbles and could not move the ball against a smothering Packer defense. By halftime, the Packers had amassed 43 points on 283 yards while the Trojans managed only a single first down and minus-46 yards from scrimmage.

“We couldn’t block them,” New Kent head coach Dan Rounds said afterward. “Athletically, they were better than us, and if you’re playing a team that’s athletically better, you’ve got to execute. You can’t make that many mistakes and expect the game to be close.”

A fumbled snap stymied New Kent’s game opening drive, and botched tackling led to Packer running back Donald King’s 24-yard scamper for the game’s first touchdown, barely over two minutes into the contest. The Packers scored on all but one of their seven first half possessions and tacked on a safety for good measure, thanks to another New Kent fumble.

With the clock running unimpeded in the second half, New Kent embarked on its longest drive of the night after Bryce St. Clair pounced on a Packer muffed punt reception. The Trojans marched to the Packer eight yard line before running out of downs, but the drive did lift the hosts out of the minus yardage column. They finished on the plus side with 9 for the game.

“We had some guys who played hard all four quarters,” Rounds said after his team dipped to 1-5. “They’re young and developing, but it’s hard to lose and keep your head up.”

Injuries have been a problem this season, the coach said, pointing to a number of roster slots being filled by players that started the season on JV. “We’ve pillaged [the JV team], and they have injuries, too,” he added.

And the schedule doesn’t get easier in the near future since Poquoson comes in next week and the following week the Trojans travel to Lafayette.

“You’ve got to try to stay healthy and put the best product out there you can,” he said. “Then we’ve just got to go out there and play.”