HOLLY RIDGE — Bigger doesn’t always mean better.
The Richmond County Speed faced a larger-than-life opponent on Saturday in the Surf City Sharks but contained a run-heavy Sharks offense with aggressive defense en route to a 34-25 victory. The win evens the Richmond County squad’s season record to 1-1.
“The Sharks were a lot bigger than us at every position on the field,” said Speed coach Dedrick Petty. “Our defense played as one unit and hard-nose(d). Coach Randy Jones (did) a great job preparing the guys for battle.”
Linebacker Jordan Trapp led the defense with 18 total tackles and Jamar Allen recorded an interception.
On offense, the Speed tallied 422 yards. Quarterback Michael Johnson led the attack by throwing for 302 yards and four touchdowns. Johnson added a fifth touchdown on the ground. Darrell Toomer and Ross Tillman combined for 260 yards receiving and three touchdowns. Daily Whitten also hauled in a scoring pass.
“Consistency is the key to becoming a championship team,” Petty said. “If we play at this level each week, we will be hard to beat.”
The win follows a season-opening 12-6 loss in overtime on March 7 to the Carolina Havoc. The Speed compete Appalachian Conference of the United Carolina Football League. The team travels to Wilson on Saturday to face the East Carolina Rams of the Coastal Conference.
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