Salem Goes on the Rampage

High School Football:
Salem Goes on the Rampage
Friday, October 4, 2002

By Graig White
SJSports Staff Writer

On a night that saw a close up battle until the opening kickoff, Salem put on a display that could only be described as dominate with a capital "D". The defense, for the second week in a row, kept their opponents out of the endzone, saw an offense that rang up 397 yards on the ground and gave anyone cheering for the Blue and White plenty to cheer about.

Wildwood opened the game with an onside kick that caught more than a few people by surprise; the fact that they also recovered was a bigger surprise. Wildwood would then proceed to go three and out. Salem would get the ball at their own 39-yard line and went on a 6 play drive highlighted by 5 carries by Walter Cater. He was rewarded with the touchdown carry and Lamont Robinson carried the two-point conversion and Salem was up 8-0.

Salem's second possession saw the Rams take the ball on their own 27 and this time go on a 73-yard drive. Walter Carter for 12 yards, Mark Anderson a 12 yard catch and run, Walter Carter another 9 yards, Walter Carter for 12 more, Lamont Robinson for 5 yards, Cameron Smith, on a busted play, for 19 yards and Lamont Robinson caps the drive with a 5 yard touchdown. PAT is successful for a 15-0 lead.

The second quarter starts with a Wildwood possession that carried over from the previous quarter, and I am struck by the fact that Wildwood ran only 10 offensive plays in the opening quarter. This drive, like the others, end with the Warriors going for the first down and not converting. Salem would take over on their own 45. Camreon Smith was relieved of his quarterback duties in favor of Korrey Parker, takes the pitch and 55-yards later the score is 22-0 (Walter Carter's kick is good). Salem would score two more times in the half, the first on a 44 yard TD scamper by Walter Carter then, Lamont Robinson running through three Wildwood defenders fumbling as he crossed the goal line, and recovering his own fumble, on his way to a 20 yard TD. The half ended with Salem collecting 2 fumbles, on its way to probably it's most dominate defensive effort to date.

The second half started with another Wildwood onside kick that was recovered by Wildwood and just like in the first half before they ran a play called a timeout. That didn't matter because three plays later Brian Watson breaks through and blocks the punt. The next play watched Walter Carter scoring from 23 yards out. The Rams would go on to score three more times, including a 48-yard interception return for a TD by William Barnes.

The final wasn't nearly as bad as it sounds; Wildwood is a program that once it finds its personality will be a force. They have good athletes and did what they could against a team that on this day was the better team.