The Page Pirates came into Friday night (3-1) this season having scored at least 48 points in each of their first three wins. That trend continued Friday night, led once again by Javon Leake, Will Jones, and Ronald Polite on offense. The Pirate defense played its “A” game, as the team cruised to a 49-7 thrashing of the Reagan Raiders.
The Pirates opened the scoring on the first play of their second drive when Will Jones connected with Nick Baker for a 44-yard touchdown pass with 5:30 remaining in the first quarter. The Pirate offense was only off the field for one play when Page’s Alex Angus intercepted a pass from Reagan quarterback Gabriel Hollingsworth and the offense picked up right where they left off. Jones found Ronald Polite for a 24-yard touchdown pass to put his team up 14-0.
The only Raiders score of the game came with just seven seconds left in the opening quarter. Hollingsworth, a talented freshman who started in place of injured regular starter Jerry Easter, completed a 13-yard pass to Jayshon Cornelius for his first career varsity touchdown. That would be the only highlight of the night from the Raiders, as Page stomped on the gas pedal and didn’t let up.
The Page defensive line broke through several times, pressuring Hollingsworth and sacking him repeatedly. The Pirate defense looked as good as it has all year. They put an exclamation point on the final score when they held Reagan from scoring on the game’s final drive and the Raiders were on the half-yard line, with 1st and Goal.
Javon Leake accounted for four Page touchdowns, all rushing, of 10, 18, 12, and 46 yards respectively. Leake was absolutely unstoppable. He broke tackles, deked, spun, leapt, and stiff-armed his way through and around the Reagan defense all night.
“He took a step up in his level of play tonight,” Page head coach Kevin Gillespie said of Leake’s performance. “He had a mindset that the first guy that got to him wasn’t going to bring him down, and I don’t think that it happened all night.”
Leake’s final touchdown run of 46 yards was the most dazzling of them all, as he powered his way into the end zone. There seemed to be no stopping him.
“My (stats) line keeps getting better each week,” Leake said. “I try to follow my blocks, find the holes and hit them because I feel like I can’t be stopped in the open field.”
Will Jones had another big night for the Pirates, going 15-23 for 183 yards and three touchdowns. He targeted Ronald Polite for two of his three touchdowns.
“We are well coached, and our linebackers filled in,” Tyler DeBerry said of the Page defensive efforts. “We played our game for all four quarters.” DeBerry sacked Hollingsworth on two consecutive plays in the final quarter, and made many more tackles.
Page’s Homecoming game is next Friday night when they host the East Forsyth Eagles, who are one of, if not the top team in the Piedmont Region. Many believe this is a preview to a Regional Final, or State Championship game. It will be a great test for the Pirates, that head coach Kevin Gillespie says still hasn’t found it’s identity.
Page is now (4-1) on the season with the victory. Reagan falls a game under the .500 mark at (2-3).
1 2 3 4 – F
REA: 7 0 0 0 – 7
PAG: 14 14 21 0 – 49
SCORING PLAYS:
(PAG)-TD: Nick Baker 44 pass from Will Jones (Thomas Murray kick) 1st
(PAG)-TD: Ronald Polite 26 pass from Jones (Murray kick) 1st
(REA)-TD: Jashon Cornelius 13 pass from Gabriel Hollingsworth (Sage Costen kick) 1st
(PAG)-TD: Javon Leake 10 run (Murray kick) 2nd
(PAG)-TD: Leake 18 run (Murray kick) 2nd
(PAG)-TD: Polite 6 pass from Jones (Murray kick) 3rd
(PAG)-TD: Leake 11 run (Murray kick) 3rd
(PAG)-TD: Leake 46 run (Murray kick) 3rd
PAGE STATS:
Javon Leake: 21 carries 196yds, 4TD
Will Jones: 15-23 183, 3TD
Ronald Polite: 11 rec 102yds, 2TD
GUILFORD COUNTY TOP TEN:
- Dudley
- Page
- Southwest Guilford
- Eastern Guilford
- Southeast Guilford
- Northwest Guilford
- HP Christian
- Southern Guilford
- HP Central
- Grimsley