Evans' football season began the same way it did last year with a win over Harlem. The similarities between the two season openers ended there.

"Last year we played good through the whole game, and then at the end we started getting down," Evans senior quarterback Kevin Millward said. "This year was the opposite. We were playing bad throughout the game, but we kept our heads together and came back strong. The last half of the game was our best part of the game."

Evans' woes in a 21-7 win over Harlem began early when the Knights failed to convert fourth down attempts deep in Bulldog territory to end their first two possessions of the game. A pair of fumbles stopped their next two drives, and hopes of a strong start to the season began to fade.

"We kept turning the ball over, and that killed us," Evans coach Marty Jackson said. "The offensive line kept us in there, and hats off to our defense."

"We made good decisions throwing the ball," Jackson addedd. "We looked pretty strong in the fourth quarter."

Millward went 6-for-8 in the second half for 90 yards. The yardage is marked as coming through the air, but much of it came after Smith caught the ball.

"The yards after the catch made it look real good," Millward said. "It's nice when I can make a five-yard pass, and he breaks it open for a touchdown."

Millward finished the night completing 9 of his 15 passes for 150 yards.

Smith's three catches for 64 yards led the team while tailbacks Trey Henderson and Brandon McCladdie combined for 125 yards of rushing offense.

While the final score was similar to last year's 21-16 Evans win, the confidence on the field after the game was decidedly more upbeat.

"This year we have a lot higher hopes," Millward said. "We expect to win."

Evans 0 7 0 14 - 21

Harlem 0 0 7 0 - 7

E-Joseph Saldana 2 run (Matt Dickerson kick), 4:40

H-Trey Crain 2 run (Robert Emory kick), 2:26

E-David Smith 33 pass from Kevin Millward (kick failed), 11:05

E-Smith 20 pass from Millward (Saldana 3 pass from Millward), 2:52

First Downs E12 H7

Rushes-Yards E41-164 H34-125

Passing Yards E150 H8

Comp.-Att.-Int. E9-15-1 H1-9-1

Fumbles-Lost E2-1 H2-2

Punts-Yards E1-38 H5-32.2

Penalties-Yards E8-80 H7-55

RUSHING-Evans: Brandon McCladdie 9-61, Trey Henderson 13-64, Sean Matthews 5-11, Bobby Edwards 2-4, Joseph Saldana 4-8-1, Jonathan Finch 4-5, Kevin Millward 4-11. Harlem: Seth Hill 13-67, Forrest Christian 2-4, Stephen Hinds 1-2, Tyler Key 4-4, Wesley Morris 4-(-1), Milo Hayes 2-4, Trey Crain 8-45.

PASSING-Evans: Kevin Millward 9-15-2 150. Harlem: Mike Sanders 1-9-0 8.

RECEIVING-Evans: Jonathan Nicely 3-32, Trey Henderson 1-26, David Smith 3-64, Brandon McCladdie 1-25, Joseph Saldana 1-3. Harlem: Mike Leverett 1-8.