The East-Wilson showdown will have to wait to decide the winner.
Saturday afternoon at Marina Auto Stadium the highly anticipated game was suspended after the second quarter after a series of melees broke out in the second quarter in the stands.
With 7:43 left in the second and the score knotted at 6-all, play was halted as Wilson took over after an East punt. The first fight broke out on the Wilson side under the suites, and then spilled into the concourse under the stands. Moments later another altercation erupted under the scoreboard at the south end of the stadium.
Play was halted for 55 minutes, and the players stayed on the sidelines before resuming play.
Wilson eventually scored on the drive after play resumed to take a 12-6 lead into intermission. A few minutes after the intermission period started, an announcement was made that the game was halted and fans were instructed to leave the stadium.
A date to conclude the game has not been set yet.
The abrupt ending overshadowed a game that was built up to showcase the two top RCSD programs. Wilson (2-0), the defending Class A Sectional champ, has been rolling in the early season, outscoring its opponents 80-7 and debuted at #18 in the state rankings. A just-as-explosive East (2-0) squad — which was averaging 40 points a game and allowing only 6.5 — only received honorable mention status in the rankings, which added to the intrigue of the game.
And the Eagles set the stage early on. Very early in fact. On the game’s first play, QB Anthony Gilbert found a streaking Mike Maxwell down the center of the field hitting him in stride 30 yards down field and Maxwell did the rest with his legs to cap a 74-yard pitch- catch-and run score. Fans were barely settled and East was up 6-0.
The Wildcats defense kept the Eagles at bay for the rest of the quarter and all throughout the second stanza until they finally broke through early in the second when Desi Floyd Jr broke free up the middle for a 25-yard run with 11:03 left in the second. After play resumed, Wilson drove the ball down the field, and the 9-play drive was capped by Floyd’s 8 yard run behind massive OG Chagal Freeman. Freeman, who is listed at 6-4 and 315 lbs, opened a gaping hole and Floyd strolled into the endzone.
East gained 103 yards in the first half, but only 29 on 16 plays after the electric opening play. Wilson closed the half with 154 yards, and Floyd accounted for 98 of them — 15-80 0n the ground and 1 reception for 18 yards.
| East | 6 | 0 | – | – | 6 | |
| Wilson | 0 | 12 | – | – | 12 |
| Scoring | |||||||
| East | Mike Maxwell 74 pass from Anthony Gilbert (kick failed) | ||||||
| Wilson | Desi Floyd Jr 25 run (kick failed) | ||||||
| Wilson | Desi Floyd Jr 8 run (passfailed) | ||||||
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