Photo Credit goes to Left Field Photography

On October 11th, the Manteo Redskins had their annual homecoming game, facing off against Gates County. The final score was 35-12, with Manteo taking home the win. Following the game, we were able to talk to Coach Timmy Charity and Cheerleader Lara Cate Wright. 

While the Redskins did win the game, Coach Charity was asked what he thought of Gates County’s performance. 

“Gate’s County was a run-heavy team… they didn’t do a whole lot of passing,” said Charity. From the beginning, the coaches knew Gates did not have a strong passing game, so they prepared the defense to stop their running game as well. “The plan was just to be able to stop their run up front,” said Charity

Because of this defensive strategy, Gates County only managed to score twelve points in total. Coach Charity credited our defense: “I think defensively we played pretty solidly upfront.” 

Coach Charity didn’t encounter any any surprises throughout the game: “For the most part, it was pretty much what we had planned for.” However, he did recognize Gates County’s ability to get “significant yardage.” He also acknowledged that Manteo had to move players around in order to stop a few of Gates’s plays.      

 “As far as offense, our plan of attack was well executed, and I think we did really well,” said Charity. He also mentioned how putting up 35 points was an impressive total for this season. 

Overall, Coach Charity’s had a positive opinion of the team’s performance: “It was a great win.” Additionally, “It was definitely a conference game, a conference win. We knew it was going to be a dog fight,” said Charity.

Redskins cheerleader Lara Cate Wright, a senior, shared how she felt about the win. 

“I believe a game is won or lost before it even begins,” said Wright. “It is all about the players’ attitudes. All the players went into the game with a good attitude, and that paid off.” 

She claims that she never wants to expect a win or a loss in fear of jinxing the whole team. 

There were slight differences between cheering at the homecoming game and cheering at any other game. For example, the Varsity and JV teams cheered together at the game, meaning they had to come together during practices in order to prepare.

Wright also expressed that she felt added pressure, stating: “I felt extra pressure being cheer captain because there were more people at the game, and I wanted us to look good as a squad.”

While also stating that there is always room for improvement, Wright conveyed how pleased she was with all the girls’ performances the night of the game. 

The 2019 homecoming game against Gates County was definitely a great night for both our Redskins cheerleaders and our football players. Congratulations to everyone on their win and especially to those who were on the homecoming court. 

The week leading up to the game was filled with spirit days, the powder puff game, and a pep rally, and the football win capped the week with more great memories.