CLEVELAND, Tenn. — If there was one aspect more impressive than Red Bank’s spectacular playmaking ability on offense Thursday night, it was the opportunistic defense that created those scoring chances.
The Lions forced five turnovers — including a fumble recovery for a touchdown — made a goal-line stand early to set the tone and had a pair of fourth-quarter sacks that put an exclamation point on their 35-12 nonregion win at Cleveland in the season opener for both teams.
“We’re going to play defense,” Red Bank’s Ted Gatewood said emphatically after winning his debut as head coach of his alma mater. “That’s where you’re going to win games. That’s what’s always been done here, and we’re going to continue that tradition.
“Our kids thrive on that. They want to set that tone and live up to that standard. I’ve got a pocket full of notes of things to correct, but to come on the road to start a season against a tough Cleveland team and play the way we did, this is going to help us so much in the long run.”