Success in all three phases driving FPD
Things couldn’t have come together better out of the gate for FPD’s football team against Howard on Saturday.
An early takeaway led to a 38-yard touchdown pass. The passing and running games were established to the tune of 387 yards of total offense. Good offensive ball control and some situations created by the defense and special teams led to a plus-five turnover margin.
With the help of a three-touchdown string in the third quarter, the GHSA Class 1A private school Vikings rolled to a 34-14 victory over the Class 4A Huskies. For FPD head coach Greg Moore, the score in the Vikings’ season opener was the result of detailed planning executed well.
“I was very proud of our coaches for the plan we had in place,” Moore said. “It was a good plan, but it was simple. I felt it took advantage of the things we’re trying to do that we thought would make the difference in the ballgame. Of course, I’m extremely proud of our kids for executing the plan. The greatest plans in the world don’t matter if you can’t execute them, so all of the credit goes to the kids. They got it done.”
A lot of things clicked for FPD’s offense on Saturday in the Macon Touchdown Club Kickoff Classic at Five Star Stadium.
Making his debut as a starter, quarterback Dalton Cox had plenty of time to operate behind a maturing offensive line. He completed 22-of-29 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns, not getting picked off in the process.
“The line killed it last Saturday,” Cox said. “I couldn’t ask for anything better from them. And the wide receivers did what they needed to do to get open and catch the ball. We were really quick last Saturday.”
The running game had some successes, as well. The Vikings ran for 114 yards and three touchdowns, with Cox scoring twice from a yard out and C.J. Harris recording 88 yards and a 5-yard score.
More importantly, FPD held on to the football. On a night when the Vikings’ defense recovered three fumbles, the FPD offense did not put the ball on the ground.
About the only major blemish through the first three quarters came on special teams, with Howard’s Avery Vining returning a punt 70 yards for a score.
“We had a lot of guys on defense making some plays,” FPD center Thomas McBride said. “A lot of new guys who hadn’t had a lot of playing time made some plays. It’s always good when you can see some new playmakers come in to add to those guys who we already have.”
FPD heads to Brookstone on Friday to face a team guided by Scott Pethtel, a longtime coach on the collegiate level who held assistant positions at Ball State, Buffalo and Cincinnati and was head coach at NCAA Division III North Park. He joined Brookstone as an assistant in 2013 and was elevated to the head coaching position last year.
Brookstone (6-5 last season) opened Aug. 19 with a 49-32 victory over Jordan and is coming off a bye week.
“They’re running the triple-option flexbone,” Moore said. “That stuff is crazy hard to get ready for.”
This story was originally published August 30, 2016 at 6:43 PM with the headline "Success in all three phases driving FPD."