Micah Jenkins and Roberson improved to 2-0 with Friday’s 55-7 home win over East Henderson.
SKYLAND – Maybe Tristan McAfee plucked a little luck on the first play of Roberson’s game against visiting East Henderson.
He intercepted a pass from Preston Owens.
But he kept picking, plucking and intercepting until he enjoyed the fourth quarter on the sideline with the rest of the Rams starters in a 55-7 win over the Eagles.
McAfee, a sophomore cornerback, intercepted four passes — returned one for a touchdown — while playing defense. He caught four passes for 40 yards and ran four times for 30 yards on offense.
The four interceptions were one away from tying the North Carolina state record held by five players, accomplished most recently in 2001.
“I had no clue it was the same guy,” Eagles coach Mac McMillan said of McAfee, who ended four of the Eagles’ first six possessions of the game.
Opponents who may not have known of McAfee heading into week two of the season, should know him by name in the future. If he’s not known by name, the gold No. 24 he wears on the blue jersey will identify him like a flashing caution light.
Tristan McAfee
“Why do you keep throwing over there,” Rams coach J.D. Dinwiddie said. “He’s a young kid, but he’s very talented. He’s also very coachable and comes to work every day.”
McAfee needed some coaching during the Eagles’ second possession. While trying to play close to his receiver at the line of scrimmage, McAfee lined up offside and the Rams suffered a 5-yard penalty. Two plays later he did the same thing.
But on the next play, after a coach told him to keep his head in the game, McAfee intercepted Owens again.
“I did jump offside once, OK, maybe twice,” McAfee joked. “Yeah twice, and coach talked to me.”
The first two interceptions were similar in that he followed his fundamentals and used his eyes and instincts to go get the ball.
On the third — thrown by Chris Hemphill — the one he returned 24 yards down the left sideline, “It was easy,” he said as Hemphill went out of his way to congratulate McAfee.
“Me and the receiver were going at it, talking, and I knew it was coming my way,” he said. “I guess he didn’t see the ball. Then all I saw was the endzone.”
McAfee’s touchdown gave Roberson a 20-7 lead midway through the third quarter. The Eagles (0-2) scored in the first quarter when Dekel Robinson intercepted Ty Gossett and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown.
“Our kids came out and gave it their all,” McMillan said. “Numbers and athletes were a difference. Our guys gave it their all and ran out of gas.”
Roberson (2-0) scored seven unanswered touchdowns after the first quarter including McAfee’s pick-six. The Rams celebrated the score, with perhaps none doing more celebrating than Gossett who threw three interceptions before McAfee made three.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anybody play with more passion than Tristan,” said Gossett, who has been classmates and teammates with McAfee for several years. “When he’s on the field, you know it. He carried us in middle school and he carried us last year the whole time.”
McAfee’s fourth interception ended an Eagles’ drive that could have pulled East Henderson (0-2) within one score. But he prevented a 26-yard gain by snatching the ball near the sideline.
“The fourth one,” he said, “I didn’t even think I was in bounds.”
Similar performances through his career at Roberson could land him where he wants to be in a few years.
“I’m just trying to go to college,” he said. “I’m doing this for my family, my teammates and me.
“I don’t want my parents to have to pay tuition.”
Yet McAfee understands that he’s barely through the second game of his sophomore season, that he’s played only two games at the varsity level and that there is plenty he needs to learn on the practice field and apply during games.
He also knows that academics are another route to earning a scholarship. But playing football would be more enjoyable.
“My grades come before everything and I learned that from my parents (Regina McAfee and LaRon Blake)” he said. “Really, none of the McAfees went to college.
“I want to be the first one.”
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