Asheboro High's football team looks to regroup after getting smoked by Northern Guilford

GREENSBORO — One game does not make a season, so the Asheboro High School varsity football team went back to work this week in an attempt to pull even in the Triad Area Athletic Conference with a home game against Southeast Guilford scheduled for Friday night.

The start to the TAAC season went any way but how the AHS coaching staff had hoped as Northern Guilford recorded a 51-8 win over the Blue Comets, who came into the contest unbeaten at 5-0.

“We have to regroup, learn from it and see just how we handled things,” AHS coach Calvin Brown said of the contest. “We knew they were a good team going in and we knew they had a very good quarterback and we just didn’t execute.”

The Knighthawks led 14-0 after the first quarter, 28-8 at halftime and then tacked on 16 more points in the third quarter to start a running clock.

“We have had a lot of injuries and had guys playing out of position and it caught up to us,” Brown said. “Now we move on. Whether we lose by one or 50, it’s one loss.”

The Blue Comets have faced very little adversity this season. There have been some injuries and games in which AHS has had to respond on the field — close wins over Scotland County and Eastern Randolph — but Asheboro entered the contest having given up just 17 points combined in the last four games.

Connor Brinton rushed for 72 yards on seven carries and Dallas Brinton completed 7 of 14 passes for 92 yards with one interception and one TD. Shane Immel had the scoring strike and DJ Scott added the two-point conversion in the second quarter.

“Being able to handle adversity, we didn’t handle it that well,” Brown said. “That is something as young men you have to learn how to handle. But that one game doesn’t define us. We have to bounce back next week and get back on track.”