In a battle for first place in the East Coast Division Saturday night, the Carolina Force traveled to Fayetteville to face the Cape Fear Heroes in a game showcasing two of the best and hardest hitting defenses in the league.

Both teams were stagnant offensively at the start. “Our defense kept us in the game early when the offense was struggling,” remarked Force Head Coach Kent Merideth whose team is now 3-1. The Fear took a 14-6 lead into the locker room at halftime. “We were inside the ten yard line a few times and just couldn’t score. However we made some adjustments at halftime in our route running because of their aggressive secondary, as well as our protection schemes that made a big difference in the second half.”

Quarterback Shayne Milligan played well and led a second half surge pulling his team to within one point. He threw six touchdowns in a thrilling comeback. “I was really pleased with Shayne’s play and how he just continued to work through adversity.” Leading the way offensively as he has done all season was the outstanding play of wide receiver Julius Gregory, who had four touchdowns for well over 100 yards in the losing effort.

“Julius is one of our superstars, there’s not a defense out there that can keep him down. He’s a very talented player and continues to get better,” expressed first year Coach Merideth about his 6’5”, 220-pound standout receiver. “Although we came up short I learned a lot about my team. Being down a few scores on the road late in the third quarter is tough but we really battled back and executed well to get us back into the game.”

With two bye weeks ahead of them the Force will get some much needed rest. With the bad taste of their first loss of the season marinating in their mouths, expect a spirited effort when the Force get back onto the field at home on May 5^th against the Harrisburg Stampede who will roll into Concord in a must win situation for the Force. The game is slated to kickoff at 7 p.m. at the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center.

 

Written By: Euan McCreath