By Mike London mike.london@salisburypost.com MOUNT ULLA— The Carson-West Rowan game was just getting under way last Friday when Evan Kennedy set the tone for everything that followed in an emphatic 33-7 victory for the Falcons.
Kennedy lined up as a slot receiver on the left side of the formation with no one directly challenging him. There was a lot of unoccupied grass around the most dangerous man on the field, and Kennedy, who has been making huge plays for four varsity seasons, knows how to take advantage of space. Kennedy doesn’t try to sell a fake that he’s taking off on a pass route.
When the ball is snapped, he simply pivots and retreats 5 yards deep into the West backfield, almost to the West 35. West quarterback Brant Graham is getting some pressure from three Cougars, so his sideways sling isn’t perfect, but Kennedy is sure-handed, so Graham’s short flip is good enough. Now that Kennedy has the ball secured, he surveys the field, there’s still no one near him, and alarms are going off in the heads of Carson’s deep defenders.
There was a game two years ago when Kennedy had 227 receiving yards, a school record, against Davie County. He’s rugged enough to catch the ball in traffic over the middle like a tight end, but he’s also as elusive as a running back once he’s in the open field. “Evan is a student of the game,” West head coach Louis Kraft said.
“So knowledgeable. His football knowledge always gives him the advantage.” Nolan White is th.