Prince Edward County High School’s varsity football team used special teams to help earn a big homecoming game victory Friday night, topping visiting Randolph-Henry High School 56-12.

“We really emphasized the special teams this week,” Eagles Head Coach James Ford said, adding that his players took the message to heart.

Senior running back Rahme Marshall scored on a 67-yard punt return in the second quarter and a 63-yard punt return in the third. Also in the second, senior wing back Jarrel Robinson ran a kickoff back 65 yards for a score.

All of this broke open a game in a series with the Statesmen that had been high-scoring and competitive, with neither team scoring less than 40 points against each other in the past three years.

This year, “I expected a low-scoring affair,” Ford said. “They kept Bluestone in check, and against Altavista, in their scrimmage, they played them very well too. So we were expecting a hard-nosed fight, but again, special teams turned the tide for us.”

The coach also praised his team’s defense for the way it handled a surprising, new look from Randolph-Henry’s offense, which came out in a spread formation.

He noted everyone stood out on his team in the win and highlighted the offensive line among other players.

“Our three backs all scored,” he said. “Rah’Quan (Payne) scored. The defense played well with Tajh (White) and T.J. Williams and Rahme and Jarrel — they all played well. It was really, really a team effort. It was a really good team effort, a good team win. That was the exciting thing. Everyone gets a shoutout.”

In the run game, Dupuy had five carries for 62 yards and a score, Marshall had four carries for 42 yards and a score and junior quarterback Justin Sprague had three carries for 28 yards and a touchdown.

Freshman quarterback Nate Reed went 4-for-4 passing for 63 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown pass to Payne.

Prince Edward (3-2) has a bye this week.