news-record.com

REIDSVILLE — This time for Reidsville, there would be no last-second comeback, no goal-line stand, no game-changing turnover.

The Rams finally ran out of miracles.

Cummings was simply too dominant in a 28-7 rout for the Rams (7-1) to keep their incredible streak alive another week. The nation’s longest active winning streak was snapped at 55 games.

The loss was the Rams’ first since the 2006 state quarterfinals, a defeat that also came at the hands of Cummings (8-1).

“Streaks come to an end, and it came to an end tonight. We got beat by a better football team,” Reidsville coach Doug Robertson said. “In 2002 and 2003 we were 15-1, so that’s what we’re going to talk about.”

The Cavaliers found strong resistance when they attempted to move the ball on the ground in the first half, but they found no such trouble through the air.

Cummings quarterback Dimitri Haith finished a 6-12 for 188 yards with a pair of touchdown passes, and he had no trouble escaping pressure and exploiting single coverage.

Nowhere was his dominance more evidence than on his first touchdown throw, a 66-yard strike to Trey Smith. After fooling the entire Reidsville defensive front with a hard play action fake, Haith then calmly rolled to the left until Smith could shake free of the coverage. When Smith finally got loose with a hard cut to the middle of the field, Haith hit the uncovered Smith in stride. The wide receiver took care of the rest.

Haith would go on to have a role in all four of Cummings’ touchdowns.

“Cummings is back on the map,” Haith said. “We’re showing everybody in 2-A that we’re not going anywhere. We’re playing for keeps.”

The Rams’ offense was on the other end of the spectrum.

Reidsville quarterback Lavert Butchee completed just seven of his 28 attempts. His first completion didn’t come until the third quarter, when Reidsville already trailed by 21 points.

Facing such a large deficit, the Rams all but abandoned the running game in the second half, opting mostly deep throws down the field that Cummings had little trouble batting down.

The Reidsville offense produced only 189 total yards, and it was the second straight week had trouble moving the ball.

The Rams squeaked past Jordan-Mathews 7-3 on a touchdown in the final minute last week, but their defense couldn’t keep them in this one.

C - Dimitri Haith 11 run (Jose Garcia kick)

C – Haith 66 pass to Trey Smith (Garcia kick)

C – Haith 34 pass to Bryson Leath (Garcia Pkick)

C – Haith 56 run (Garcia kick)

R – Lavert Butchee 9 run (Mitchell Cobb kick)