Legacy gets mix of power, speed
The power of Prince Oroke provided the perfect complement to Deshae Edwards’ speed in the Legacy backfield on Friday night.
The duo teamed for 274 rushing yards as the Longhorns improved to 2-0 with a 23-14 victory at Bonanza (0-2).
It was Edwards who did most of the work early, carrying the ball 15 times in the first half for 66 yards. Oroke had five rushes for 27 yards at the break.
In the second half, though, both backs came alive — especially Oroke, who ran for 114 yards after halftime.
“In the first half, they came out and hit us hard,” Edwards said. “But in the second, we had them worn down and we were able to get some big gains.”
His backfield mate felt the change of pace was effective.
“When you’ve got speed and power going at you at the same time, it’s tough to stop,” Oroke said.
Bonanza took its second lead on the first drive of the third quarter when Aaron Simon made a 15-yard touchdown catch on a wide receiver screen.
Legacy came back down the field and took the lead for good when Oroke scored from 7 yards.
The Longhorns then controlled the ball with their ground game for much of the fourth quarter, as Edwards added an insurance touchdown late.
Oroke finished with 141 yards on 15 carries, and Edwards ran the ball 27 times for 133 yards. Each had one rushing touchdown.
Edwards also added a touchdown pass on a halfback option play in the second quarter. He threw 26 yards down the sideline to Dontrell Hall on a third-and-11 play with 2:10 left to give Legacy a 10-7 halftime advantage.
The win enabled Legacy to equal its win total from 2007 and leaves the Longhorns one short of matching the three wins the program had in its first two years of existence.
“The last couple years have been awful tough. These kids have been through a lot,” coach David Snyder said. “Being 2-0 just kind of lets them know the hard work has been worth it and that they do have a bright future.”
The two running backs hope that hard work helps build the foundation for future Legacy teams.
“We’re trying to get something going. We’re trying to build a program,” Edwards said. “We’re just a third-year school, but we’re trying to build something like they have at Palo Verde or Las Vegas.”
Just as Edwards was finishing, Oroke jumped in and wrapped up the thought.
“Build a tradition,” he said, perfectly accentuating his teammate, just as he had done on the field.
Antonio Beals ran for 122 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries for Bonanza, and sophomore Sterling Sprau completed 10 of 18 attempts for 122 yards and a score.
