Missed chances doom Scotland in season’s biggest game

LAURINBURG —“We had chances to win, but we missed them.” That quote perfectly summed up the disappointment in head coach Richard Bailey’s voice after a gut-wrenching 12-7 loss to the Cape Fear Colts on Oct. 31.

With the conference title and playoff seeding hanging in the balance, the Fighting Scots did not rise to the occasion when it mattered most. Missed opportunities defined the night — ultimately costing them in the season’s biggest game.

“We shot ourselves in the foot,” Bailey said. “Too many pre-snap penalties and our guys didn’t execute the playcalling. The offense has to score, and our special teams did not do well on kick-off returns.”

In what was their lowest offensive point total of the season, the Scotland offense looked out of sorts. The passing game, which had seemed to take a step forward over the last two weeks, took a step back against the Colts. Although the rushing game maintained its strong performance, accumulating a total of 163 yards with Michael McLean leading the way by rushing for 122 yards and scoring a touchdown, the passing attack proved to be its Achilles’ heel.

“At the end of the day, this game was all on the offense,” Bailey said. “I wasn’t sure what to call on certain plays, and our play-calling process wasn’t good, and that’s on me.”

In spite of their offensive struggles, the Scots still had a chance to win the game. It all came down to failing to convert one of their two redzone trips. With a chance to take the lead in the 3rd quarter, trailing 10-7, quarterback Bryson Powell missed a wide-open Wyatt Locklear in the endzone to take the lead and ultimately led to a turnover on downs. This missed opportunity haunted them for the rest of the night.

“I told the guys we were going to win the game on that play. We called it, and Wyatt [Locklear] was wide open and we didn’t execute it.” Bailey said.

Powell did not have his best game, completing 6 out of 13 attempts for 83 yards for no touchdowns and no interceptions. His lone highlight was a 43-yard pass to Samier Pate.

Friday night’s loss was not a night to remember for Scotland High and their fans. However, the Scots (7-3) will have a bye week in the playoffs and host a second-round matchup between the winners of Terry Sanford and E.E. Smith.