CFNN Reporters AbbiKate Daughtry and Natalie Mitchell 

“Three-peat.” The anticipated rivalry of the year with the blues on the opposite side of the river took place Friday night, and the Colts finally got a chance to settle the noise in the annual “Battle of the Blues” with cross town rival Terry Sanford.

Speaking of noise, the Bulldogs’ brand new Jumbotron made a lot of it. The state of the art big screen and PA system was a sharp addition to Bill Yeager field. Then, there was the crowd. The stands were packed on both sides of the field, creating an intense playoff type atmosphere.

The Colts were up for the challenge, ultimately winning handily 31-7. 

Looking back on the history of this intense rivalry, head coach Jake Thomas’ squad is now 7-4 against the Bulldogs since taking over the program. Cape Fear has now won the last 3 meetings, beating Terry Sanford by a combined score of 108-60.

The fireworks started early as Bulldogs scored the first touchdown, but let it be known that it was their first and only score of the game. Terry Sanford was able to capitalize on a Colt missed field goal, driving the length of the field then cashing in on Quarterback Jacob Moore’s pass on a slant to the end zone. The first quarter ended 7-0 with the Bulldogs in the lead, but it didn’t last long. 

As the Colts headed into the second quarter, they stayed true to their roots and relied heavily on their power running game. Senior Running Back King Faison held nothing back on offense. Capitalizing on a long drive, Faison had a rushing touchdown run early in the second quarter to set the tone for the rest of the game. 

The Colts broke loose again in the second as Sophomore Running Back Tai Phillips was on the go with a long touchdown run, blowing by every player on both teams. Phillips was so fast, he actually outran his lead blockers! The run put the Colts up 14-7 midway through the second quarter. 

“I felt like there was a lot on the line, and I had to do everything I could to boost the score and keep my team going and win the game,” reflected  Phillips.

Phillips had 8 carries for 90 yards in the game, while his backfield mate, King Faison tallied 163 yards on 16 carries. 

Francisco Rodriguez came through with a field goal, giving Cape Fear a 10 point lead, 17-7 walking into halftime is where the Colts wanted to be, but it didn’t stop there. 

The Colts’ second half showcased their defensive prowess. The defense registered 8.5 sacks on the evening, along with a Brandon Little fumble recovery and a Bryan Charles interception. Senior Defensive End Marquan Footman was responsible for 2 sacks on his own. The Colts played their trademark physical brand of football, proving that “Tough Teams” do indeed win. 

“I was really motivated by that fact I most likely wouldn’t have another chance to beat them, so that allowed me to be as focused as possible on doing my job,” said senior LB Bryan Charles.  

The Colts tight aggressive defensive style, along with a physical running game led them to victory against the Bulldogs. The key for the Colts was finding a way to limit the Bulldogs athletic and versatile quarterback Jacob Moore. Moore has been the major reason Terry Sanford entered the game averaging an obscene 44 points per game. 

“Contain and pressure the quarterback. We wanted to make him uncomfortable back in the pocket and always have somebody assigned to him on the option,” said head football coach Jake Thomas.

Offensively in the second half, Geronimo Sanchez and wide receiver Jack Edwards  read one another like a book, and that book must have been titled Long Passes. Edwards caught 4 passes for a game high 54 yards. These long passes led to quick touchdown runs for the Colts, as Sanchez would add 2 rushing touchdowns of his own.

As the clock ticked down to zero, Cape Fear ended the game with a 31-7 victory. The Battle of the Blues trophy will stay on the East side of the River for the third year in a row. The Colts are on a roll and will be back this Friday at home against the Laney Buccaneers.