The questions were out there about Howard quarterback Darrion Roshell.
They were in the Times Free Press, where the preview of Friday night’s game at East Ridge asked simply if he could be “an effective trigger man” in his second start for injured Thomas McCauley.
The questions reached even East Ridge coach Mike Martin’s game plan, which he described as “trying to stop the dive and the counter and going to make the quarterback beat us.”
With each perfect option read and each elusive run, Roshell emphatically delivered his answer to any lingering questions.
“Yeah, I think I answered them pretty well,” Roshell said with a smile after rushing for 135 yards and two touchdowns on five carries in the Hustlin’ Tigers’ 31-7 win over East Ridge. “I read that in the paper and knew I had to step up, especially after last week.”
Last week was a humbling home loss against Tyner that decided the District 6-AA championship. This past week of practice was “extremely tough,” as Howard coach Alvin Tarver said, and the results were impressive against the Pioneers, who were eliminated from the playoffs with the loss.
“That was as well as we’ve played all year, both offensively and defensively,” Tarver said. “We were effificent and we were physical and this does a lot for our confidence, especially after not playing our game last week.”
Roshell pressured the edges of the East RIdge defense from the start, turning his first carry into a 70-yard touchdown for a 6-0 lead. On Howard’s next possession, Roshell’s 38-yard run set up Eric McCullough’s first touchdown – which came on a perfect option pitch from Roshell.
“He needed that, and we needed that,” said McCullough, a senior and four-year starter who had two touchdowns Friday and will return to the playoffs after last year’s absence. “The coaches said all week, ‘Stay focused,’ and that’s what we did.
“This was a big lift for our confidence heading into the playoffs.”
Rushell added a 12-yard scamper, darting left and slipping into the end zone in the final minute of the second half to push the Howard lead to 18-0.
With the option established, Evander Rollins rumbled 20 yards for a score to start the third quarter, and the Hustlin’ Tigers were on their way.
East Ridge pulled closer on a perfectly thrown pass from Chase Steele to Josh Francisco, but it was one of the few highlights for a Pioneers offense that had some success moving the ball but failed to complete drives.
“At some point you have to punch them in,” Martin said, “and you have to give them a lot of credit for that. Coach Tarver does a great job and they were ready. We moved the ball, but we had some critical mistakes.”