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But that move sure looks like genius now.
The five players -- right tackle Josh Greene, right guard Colton Williams, center Vinnie Lester, left guard Xavier Hill and left tackle Arnel Omanavic -- certainly took their lumps during the '05 season, with the Eagles only winning two of 11 games.
But since that time, they've worked into the most feared offensive front in the Mountain Valley 2A Conference, a big reason why Wilkes Central swiped the conference crown last season and looks in prime position to repeat as champs this fall.
Starmount, itself starting some youngsters up front this season, found out first hand just what a difference veteran offensive trenchworkers can make on Friday night in Moravian Falls. The Rams were pushed around at times in dropping a 41-14 MVAC decision to the Eagles on the road.
Wilkes Central rushed for 263 yards and three touchdowns, and passed for another 122 yards and two scores in moving its record to 2-0 in the conference and 5-2 overall. Starmount dropped to 1-1 in the MVAC and 3-4 overall.
"Their offensive line pretty much dominated us," Rams coach Scott Johnson said. "They've been together for three years and they know each other. From what Coach Funderburk told me, they eat together, lift together, do everything together. That chemistry helps them."
The Eagles asserted command from the get-go Friday. On its first possession, Central marched 60 yards in 11 plays for a touchdown. Funderburk's team went for and converted two fourth-down plays, with the second netting the end zone on a 2-yard run by sophomore Leo Guevera.
The series ate up 7:25, shades of the Forbush game the week before when the Rams only saw the ball for a handful of plays in the opening quarter.
On Friday, Starmount's lone first-quarter series started at the 5, lasted six snaps and resulted in a punt from the 15. Wilkes Central took over at the Starmount 49 and needed only six plays to find paydirt again, this time on an 18-yard pass from Colby Foster to Roddie Bridges.
The lead grew to 20-0 by halftime and 33-0 by the end of the third quarter.
"We just did a whole bunch of good things in the first half," said Funderburk, an assistant at Forbush for eight years before coming to Wilkes Central. "We played pretty near a complete football game. (Starmount) is a quality football team, there is no doubt ... I was as pleased with that win right there as any we've had this year."
The Rams had some breakout moments but couldn't buy a break, especially in the first three quarters.
Daniel Swaim enjoyed another 100-yard rushing game. He finished with 109 yards total, with nearly half coming on a 54-yard touchdown gallop in the fourth quarter. Starmount rushed for 302 yards in all, including a second TD on the ground late in the game by Shane Bryant from two yards out.
But a lot of the good the Rams were able to muster was counteracted by penalties and other mistakes. Starmount was flagged 12 times for 100 negative yards.
Keith Bryant returned a first-half kickoff to the 50, but the ball came back to the 10 because of a block in the back.
Wilkes Central fumbled inside the Starmount 10 in the second quarter. The ball appeared to roll right to a Rams player, but it kicked away from him in the end. The Eagles covered it up at the 1, and Tyrone Gibbons plunged in for a touchdown and a 20-0 lead on the next play.
On the first snap of the third quarter, the Rams' Ryan Johnson ran for a first down near midfield but a holding call brought that gain back. Quarterback Jake Barr was then picked off two plays later.
The back-breaker came after a nine-play series by the Rams later in the third quarter. With the ball at the Wilkes Central 19, Starmount lined up for a field goal attempt. Coaches called for a fake, but the snap got away from the holder. Things ended with Central's Josh Oliver picking up a loose football and sprinting 63 yards for a touchdown.
The Eagles led 27-0 at that point and cruised home to their second straight lopsided conference victory.
"Every time we'd get something started, we'd have a penalty," Johnson said of the Rams' frustrating night. "And uncharacteristically for us, we had two turnovers. They laid it on the ground four times, and we couldn't get it."
Case in point, late in the third quarter. Guevera fumbled near midfield on the first play of a drive. But he covered up his own bobble, then on the next play broke several tackles on his way to a 49-yard touchdown.
The Rams finally erased the goose egg from their side of the scoreboard with 9:22 left in the game. Swaim zoomed through the middle on the first play after a punt, earning a 54-yard score. Gabriel Valdez booted the extra point.
But any momentum from that TD was short-lived. Bridges hooked up with tight end Vincent Beam on a 61-yard pass play for a touchdown at the 8:06 mark.
Despite the defeat, Starmount still has plenty to play for over the final month of the regular season. Wilkes Central may be tough to catch at the top, but the Rams are still very much in contention for a 2A playoff spot and an upper division finish in the MVAC.
Winless Surry Central comes to Boonville this Friday, then the Rams will have an open date before the final push for the post-season with games remaining against North Surry, Ashe County and North Wilkes.
Johnson said one of the big things he hopes will improve is his defense's ability to force turnovers. Starmount has just nine takeaways after seven games.
"Four of them were in one game,"Johnson said. "We've just not been able to produce many turnovers like we need."
Wilkes Central 41, Starmount 14
Starmount 0 0 0 14 -- 14
Wilkes Central 7 13 13 8 -- 41
First Quarter
WC -- Leo Guevera 2 yard run (James Caudill kick), 4:35
Second Quarter
WC -- Roddie Bridges 18 yard pass from Colby Foster (Caudill kick), 9:25
WC -- Tyrone Gibbons 1 yard run (kick blocked), 3:25
Third Quarter
WC -- Josh Oliver 63 yard fumble return (Caudill kick), 3:57
WC -- Guevera 50 yard run (pass failed), 1:08
Fourth Quarter
ST -- Daniel Swaim 54 yard run (Gabriel Valdez kick), 9:22
WC -- Vincent Beam 61 yard pass from Bridges (Martin Hague run), 8:06
ST -- Shane Bryant 2 yard run (Valdez kick), 4:21
Starmount Statistics
Rushing: Daniel Swaim 12-109; Rashaun Gaither 7-44; Ryan Johnson 4-44; Shane Bryant 7-38; Keith Bryant 1-30; Cooper 2-21; Jake Barr 3-8; Blaine Nicholson 1-5; Bryan Gray 2-3; TOTALS: 39-302
Passing: Jake Barr 1 of 4 for 10 yards - 1 INT; Shane Bryant 0 of 3 for 0 yards; TOTALS: 1 of 7 for 10 yards - 1 INT
Receiving: Pardue 1-10
Total Yards: 312 yards
First Downs: 11
Penalties: 12-100
Turnovers: 3
Wilkes Central Statistics
Rushing: Leo Guevera 12-100; TOTALS: 35-263
Passing: Foster 4 of 6 for 61 yards - 1 TD; Bridges 1 of 2 for 61 yards - 1 TD; TOTALS: 5 of 8 for 122 yards - 2 TDS
Receiving: Beam 2-84; Bridges 3-38
Total Yards: 385 yards
First Downs: 14
Penalties: 8-55
Turnovers: 0
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