Saturday, Nov. 08, 2008

Airport scores early, often in playoff win

Just one minute, 50 seconds into its first round Class 3A match-up against Battery Creek, Airport achieved liftoff on the way to a 39-24 victory.

On Airport’s first play from scrimmage, quarterback WT Murden flew 55 yards straight upfield and nearly untouched for a touchdown.

With 4:42 on the first quarter clock, the Eagles made a short hop into the endzone with an 8-yard Murden run. Defensive lineman Miguel Cokley set up the touchdown when he recovered a fumbled Battery Creek lateral at the Dolphins’ 6.

But the flight was not without turbulence.

With one minute left in the opening period, Battery Creek’s Cleon Wright picked off a Murden pass near midfield and ran it back for a touchdown. Tavaras Pinckney’s run cut the Eagles’ advantage to 6 points.

Murden tried to help Airport regain altitude with a 30-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter. But an incomplete pass on the two-point conversion attempt kept the margin narrower than coach Kirk Burnett was comfortable with.

“They are fast and physical but I thought we responded well because they had a lot of big plays that could have turned into a problem,” said Burnett.

Murden was unable to make many connections with his receivers, but kept the Eagles on course for their final destination with 166 rushing yards, 147 in the first half.

“I was hoping the rushing would go how it was in the first half, but I also knew that it wasn’t going to keep working if the passing didn’t work,” said Murden, who was 4-2-1 in the first half.

Ryan Smith added 45 rushing yards, including a 1-yard touchdown that gave the Eagles a 26-8 lead in the third. The Dolphins cut the lead again with a 76-yard return of the ensuing kickoff and another two-point conversion, both by Pinckney.

Then Murden made his first best pass of the night, a 55-yard strike to Josh Salley for a touchdown. And with 7:58 left to play, Murden hit Deonne Hopkins on a 20-yard touchdown pass.

“That’s the mark of a great quarterback; he finishes strong,” Burnett said.

Murden finished with 7-of-12 passing for 134 yards and two touchdowns.

Battery Creek, the No. 3 seed out of Region 8, finished its season 4-7, 2-3.

The Eagles will travel to Myrtle Beach for the second round game on Nov. 14.

Reach Nelson at (803) 771-8419.

A: WT Murden 55 run (Griffith Sims kick), 10:10

A: Murden 8 run (Sims kick)

BC: Cleon Wright 53 interception return (Tavaras Pinckney run)

Second quarter

A: Murden 30 run (pass failed)

Third quarter

A: Ryan Smith 1 run (kick blocked)

BC: Pinckney 76 kickoff return (Pinckney run)

Fourth quarter

A: Josh Salley 55 pass from Murden (kick failed)

A: Deonne Hopkins 20 pass from Murden (Sims kick)

BC: Robert Mack 42 pass from Antonio Wiggs (Mack pass from Wiggs)

RUSHING—BC: Antonio Wiggs 12-45. A: WT Murden 16-166.

RECEIVING—BC: Alex Sharpe 3-61. A: Josh Salley 1-55, Sting Williams 2-22.

PASSING—BC: Antonio Wiggs 11-25-1. A: WT Murden 7-12-1.

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