Sports
Spencer continues putting up big numbers in Zama win
Stars and Stripes
September 3, 2010
Robert D. Edgren Eagles receiver Xavier Major is wrestled down by two Zama American Trojans defenders during Friday's DODDS Japan high school football game at Eagles Field, Robert D. Edgren High School, Misawa Air Base, Japan. Defending DODDS Japan and Far East Division II champion Zama beat Edgren 42-22. (T.D. Flack/Stars and Stripes)
Robert D. Edgren Eagles receiver Xavier Major is wrestled down by two Zama American Trojans defenders during Friday's DODDS Japan high school football game at Eagles Field, Robert D. Edgren High School, Misawa Air Base, Japan. Defending DODDS Japan and Far East Division II champion Zama beat Edgren 42-22. (T.D. Flack/Stars and Stripes)
Robert D. Edgren Eagles receiver Xavier Major hustles past two Zama American Trojans defenders into the end zone for one of his two touchdowns during Friday's DODDS Japan high school football game at Eagles Field, Robert D. Edgren High School, Misawa Air Base, Japan. Defending DODDS Japan and Far East Division II champion Zama beat Edgren 42-22. (T.D. Flack/Stars and Stripes)
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan – They grabbed him by the arms, the legs, the shoes, any which way they could. Still, Zama American Trojans star senior running back Michael Spencer proved to be a nightmare Friday for the Robert D. Edgren Eagles’ defense.
Spencer carried 15 times for 228 yards and three touchdowns, including a 75-yard run, as the defending DODDS Japan and Far East Division II champion Trojans held off Zach Davis and the Eagles 42-22 to improve to 2-0 on the season. Edgren fell to 0-2.
“We just couldn’t get that kid tackled,” Eagles first-year varsity coach Michael Gros said. “And it wasn’t just Spencer; it was all their kids.”
Mitchell Harrison added 57 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. Jonathan Neyland returned an interception 38 yards for a score. And D.J. Ward returned a punt 88 yards for a touchdown as Zama burst out to a 27-0 second-quarter lead.
“It wasn’t pretty,” Trojans coach Steven Merrell said. “We did some good things, but we have some things to work on. The kids realize that. Better that than to go into your next game thinking you know it all.”
The bright spots for Edgren continued to be quarterback Zach Davis and his top target, Xavier Major.
Davis connected on 15 of 24 attempts for 235 yards, hitting Major for touchdown passes of 65 and 4 yards. Davis also sent a 10-yard TD pass to Jack Koch. Major also intercepted a Matt Cole pass.