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Story by James Tatter, Pine Whispers

Photos by Abbey Frail, Pine Whispers

Reynolds football celebrated a great deal Friday night: a 51-0 victory over the Atkins Camels; a 3-0 record to start the season; even a birthday.

Starting quarterback Bailey Tyner celebrated his birthday Friday by not having to do much: His main job was to hand off to the running backs, and by the middle of the third quarter, he was on the sideline watching the action.

“It was pretty fun playing on my birthday,” said Tyner, “and getting the win made it a lot better.”

It was a lopsided victory from the start, with the Demons having a 140-yard, 28-point first quarter while Atkins had only 6 yards.

One of the stars was junior Larry Harlee, who had two touchdowns in the first quarter. He was joined by teammates Josephus Mitchell, Otto Steele, Tory Robinson and Mike Clinton, who all reached the end zone on running plays. Senior Brady Buchanan also tacked on a 27-yard field goal.

The Demons had a chance to test some new players. Sophomore Nick Shuping, who transferred to Reynolds this year, came in for Tyner and threw a 68-yard touchdown pass to Nate Goodman in the third quarter.

Atkins, a 2-A school playing its only game of the year against a 4-A foe, has struggled to find success in football, having lost 14 straight games: “I wish Atkins success in whatever form it may come in the rest of their season,” said senior Terry Hines.

Reynolds’ players knew they would have their work cut out for them in the next game. The Demons will play host to East Forsyth, which has cruised to victory against Reynolds rivals West Forsyth, Mount Tabor and Reagan.

“Basking in this win and our other past games is the worst thing the team can do from this point on,” said Hines. “If the scores from other games around the county are any indicator, our upcoming games are going to be against teams that will provide a legitimate challenge to us.”