HS Football Conference-by-Conference Notebook

A number of trends have developed in the first three weeks of the high school football season, including Mallard Creek once again being a Carolinas powerhouse.

The one problem for the Mavericks thus far has been penalties.

Mallard Creek had several drives stopped by penalties in its opener at Dillon (SC), then had a flurry of infractions in its victory at Butler. Last week’s 21-14 triumph over S.C. power Duncan Byrnes again was accompanied by more than 100 yards in penalties.

Mavs’ coach Mike Palmieri says the problem is fixable.

“We have a number of seniors on this team, and they have leadership roles,” Palmieri says. “I think we’ll get this problem solved soon.”

Some other early observations:

▪  Running backs are chewing up some huge yardage this season.

North Mecklenburg’s Emanuel Wilson had 300 yards two weeks ago and followed that with a 174-yard effort against East Mecklenburg.

But East Mecklenburg bettered that, with Khamal Howard rushing for 240 yards. “And we have a other good backs, too,” Eagles’ coach Barry Shuford says. “This is a team with a very strong ground game.”

A running back you might not have heard about is Evan Suggs, who plays at Watauga High in Boone. Suggs has been putting up some Madden-like numbers, including 241 yards and five touchdowns last week in a 55-21 victory over Avery County. He has scored 11 touchdowns in the Pioneers’ last two games.

▪ Jay M. Robinson has raced to a blazing start in the South Piedmont 3A Conference, winning three opening league games. The most recent was a come-from-behind 41-27 triumph Monday night over Hickory Ridge.

▪ A number of top teams played Monday night makeup games, and it will be interesting to see how they fare with only a few days’ rest Friday night. Teams to watch include: A.L. Brown (although the Wonders won 49-0 and rested their starters early), East Mecklenburg, Hickory Ridge, Jay M. Robinson, Myers Park, Parkwood, and Providence.

SOUTHERN MECK 8 4A

Ardrey Kell 36, Marvin Ridge 34: Nicco Crew threw three touchdown passes, the winner with only 1:26 left to play. The Knights face their toughest test of the season Friday against visiting Hough, which has lost only to unbeaten Lake Norman.

Catholic 27, Country Day 0: Jack Brigham had three touchdown runs for the Cougars, whose defense shut down the Bucs.

Harding 26, West Charlotte 0 (Monday): Sophomore Quavaris Crouch ran 19 times for 114 yards and two touchdowns, and the Rams doubled their victory total of last season.

Olympic 14, Independence 12: Damien Rouse ran for the game-winning touchdown in this surprise.

Myers Park 14, Providence 7 (Monday): Blake Proehl had a scoring reception for the Panthers, who gave unbeaten Myers Park a tough battle.

Rock Hill Northwestern 38, South Mecklenburg 25: The Sabres fell behind 31-0 early in this game. Travis Prince, Solomon Ogina, DeAngelo Young and Cameron Mack scored touchdowns for South.

West Mecklenburg 42, Garinger 8: Richard Latimer completed 8 of 11 passes for 136 yards and three touchdowns, with no interceptions.

This weeks big games: Ardrey Kell entertains a strong Hough team that has lost only to unbeaten Lake Norman. South Mecklenburg, trying to bounce back from the loss in Rock Hill, faces undefeated Myers Park. And Catholics defense will get a test when the Cougars visit Rocky River and its explosive offense.

SOUTHERN MECK 8 4A

Southwestern 4A

Butler 34, Western Alamance 7: The Bulldogs held a strong Western Alamance offense to 133 total yards offense. Butler outscored the hosts 27-7 in the second half.

East Mecklenburg 28, North Mecklenburg 18 (Monday): The Eagles ran (literally) their record to 2-1, behind 240 rushing yards from Khamal Howard.

West Mecklenburg 42, Garinger 8: Garinger’s miseries continued with four lost fumbles and an interception.

Olympic 14, Independence 12: The good news? The Patriots scored for the first time this season. But their mistakes allowed the Trojans to rally for a victory.

Myers Park 14, Providence 7 (Monday): The bad news is the Mustangs have several key players injured. They salvaged this victory when Jack Davidson threw a touchdown pass to Elijah Bowick. Three running backs had 50 or more yards.

Porter Ridge 17, Hunter Huss 14 (Saturday): The Pirates built a 17-7 halftime lead and hung on. Grayson McCall passed for 147 yards and a touchdown, and Jared Wheatley’s 35-yard field goal made the difference.

Sun Valley 41, Rocky River 24 (Thursday): Jaylin Wilson had two touchdown catches for the Ravens.

This weeks big games: Butler is home against undefeated and perennial state power Richmond Senior. Myers Park entertains a strong South Mecklenburg club, and Rocky River is home against defending state 4A champion Charlotte Catholic.

SOUTHWESTERN 4A

MECKA 4A

A.L. Brown 49, Northwest Cabarrus 0 (Monday): Jaquerius Bost ran for two touchdowns, as the Wonders built a 42-0 halftime lead.

Mooresville 44, Hopewell 0 (Monday): Hopewell lost its second straight shutout.

Lake Norman 35, Hough 34: Tyus Fields ran five times for 134 yards and three touchdowns, but Hough failed to hold two double-digit leads against unbeaten Lake Norman.

Mallard Creek 21, Duncan (SC) Byrnes 14 (Saturday): Linebacker Larry Matkins returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown, and the Mavericks’ defense shut down Byrnes.

East Mecklenburg 28, North Mecklenburg 18 (Monday): Emanuel Wilson carried 23 times for 174 yards and two touchdowns, but the Vikings were unable to stop the Eagles ground game.

Vance 48, Danville (Va.) George Washington 7 (Saturday): George Washington was ranked No. 25 in Virginia, but Vance was a big winner, with 300 rushing yards. Kalen Clark and M.J. Williams each ran for two touchdowns.

Harding 26, West Charlotte 0 (Monday)

This weeks big games: Hough, trying to bounce back from the disappointing loss to Lake Norman, visits Ardrey Kell and its strong passing attack. A.L. Brown travels to Mooresville, which was a big winner last week. And North Mecklenburg entertains Community School of Davidson in a public school-charter school matchup.

MECKA 4A

SOUTHEASTERN 4A

Richmond Senior 62, Fayetteville Byrd 0 (Thursday): Quarterback Leon Zeigler completed 13 of 16 passes for 252 yards and five touchdowns. The Raiders built a 34-0 first-quarter lead.

Scotland County 20, Marlboro (SC) County 0 (Thursday): With all-America running back Zamir White still injured, Syheem McQueen stepped in with two touchdown runs.

SOUTHEASTERN 4A

NORTHWESTERN 3A-4A

Fred T. Foard 28, Bunker Hills 13: Tate Beaver carried 34 times for 145 yards.

Freedom 53, East Burke 12: The Patriots have scored 102 points in their last two games.

Hibriten 38, West Caldwell 7: Hibriten led 24-0 at the half, and five different players scored touchdowns. The Panthers are now 3-0.

Newton-Conover 57, Hickory 13: Darrien Phillips threw two touchdown passes, but it was another rough outing for the Tornadoes defense.

Patton 24, Draughn 7: William Brawley and Joe Eakin each rushed for 135 yards for Patton.

St. Stephens was idle.

Alexander Central 54, South Caldwell 7: Strange statistic South Caldwell led in time of possession 29 minutes to 19. But Alexander Central scored on several big plays.

Watauga 55, Avery County 21: Evan Suggs, who has scored 11 touchdowns in the last two games, rushed 16 times for 241 yards and five TDs.

This weeks big games: Hibriten’s defense will get a test against high-scoring Ashe County squad. Watauga takes its explosive offense on the road, facing one of western North Carolinas powers, Asheville A.C. Reynolds.

NORTHWESTERN 3A-4A

NORTH PIEDMONT 3A-4A

Alexander Central 54, South Caldwell 7: Bryson Godfrey rushed 12 times for 167 yards and a touchdown, and Devon Weiss carried 11 times for 89 yards and two scores.

Lake Norman 35, Hough 34: Quarterback Cole Ladowski rallied Lake Norman, scoring the winning touchdown on a short run. The Wildcats twice rallied from double-digit deficits.

Mooresville 44, Hopewell 0: Donsel Jetton scored three touchdowns, and head coach Marty Paxton got his first victory.

West Stokes 26, North Iredell 9: The Raiders entered the final quarter down only 13-9, but their defense weakened.

East Lincoln 48, North Lincoln 0: North had only 89 yards offense.

South Iredell was idle.

North Rowan 27, Statesville 23: Jei Hogue ran for two touchdowns, but the Greyhounds were hurt by 172 yards in penalties.

Stuart Cramer 35, West Iredell 7: Dillon Davis passed for 114 yards and a touchdown in a losing cause.

NORTH PIEDMONT 3A-4A

SOUTH PIEDMONT 3A

Carson 31, Salisbury 7

Burns 20, Central Cabarrus 7: The Vikings were hurt by injuries, with three starters missing this game. That included quarterback Grayson Baker.

Concord 39, East Rowan 20: The Spiders built a 39-7 lead and coasted to victory in the conference opener for both teams.

Mount Pleasant 48, Cox Mill 14 (Monday): Cox Mill scored its first points of the season on a second-quarter interception return by Jessie Malit.

Jay M. Robinson 41, Hickory Ridge 27 (Monday): The battle of unbeaten went to Robinson, which scored the games final 21 points. Elijah Hinson returned an interception 95 yards for a Robinson touchdown, and teammate Dominique Wiley had a pick-6 for the final touchdown. Trevor Shue threw four touchdown passes for Hickory Ridge.

A.L. Brown 49, Northwest Cabarrus 0 (Monday): The Wonders had five sacks against Northwest.

South Rowan was idle.

West Rowan was idle.

This weeks big games: All 10 teams are playing league games this week. The schedule includes Concord at Hickory Ridge in a battle of teams that appear to be playoff-bound. First-place Jay M. Robinson travels to tough West Rowan.

SOUTH PIEDMONT 3A

SOUTHERN CAROLINA 3A

Anson 48, South Stanly 0 (Monday): Defensive end Taurus Watkins had two sacks and four tackles for loss.

Charlotte Christian 49, Cuthbertson 19 (Saturday): Kendric Ivey rushed 27 times for 166 yards and a touchdown.

Ardrey Kell 36, Marvin Ridge 34 (Thursday): Caleb Deveaux rushed 20 times for 127 yards and two touchdowns, and Alex Leshock had an 80-yard touchdown reception, but it was another narrow loss to Marvin Ridge.

Parkwood 27, Piedmont 17 (Monday): Mason Holeman’s field goal put the Panthers up 17-14 in the fourth quarter before Parkwood rallied.

Sun Valley 41, Rocky River 24 (Thursday): Sam Howell completed 24 of 33 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns, as the Spartans continued to roll.

Pinecrest 35, Weddington 31 (Saturday): In a game played at 9 a.m., quarterback David Bayha’s passing carried the Warriors to the Pinecrest 9 in the final seconds, but Pinecrest broke up two passes in the end zone.

This weeks big games: Undefeated Sun Valley travels to Porter Ridge, which has opened the season with two victories. And Weddington travels to Monroe in a meeting of two high-scoring offenses. That game will be played Thursday night and televised live by Time-Warner.

SOUTHERN CAROLINA 3A

BIG SOUTH 2A-3A

Ashbrook was idle.

East Gaston was idle.

Forestview 20, Kings Mountain 0: In one of the weekends big surprises, Forestview knocked off the Mountaineers. All of Forestview’s 193 yards came on the ground, with Nate Whitaker running for two scores.

Porter Ridge 17, Hunter Huss 14 (Saturday): The Huskies were hurt by five turnovers. They took a second-half lead, though, on a 63-yard pass from Zoe Wallace to Nez Barnett.

Lake Norman Charter 35, Community School of Davidson 16: The Knights scored 21 points in the third quarter to break this open. Sean Dugan carried 18 times for 164 yards and two touchdowns, and North Gaston totaled 358 yards on the ground.

Lincolnton 61, North Gaston 34

Shelby 24, South Point 0 (Thursday): Jake Alexander was held to 33 yards rushing in 16 carries, as South Point suffered its second straight loss to a state 2A power.

Stuart Cramer 35, West Iredell 7: Naseem Mouldin had two touchdown runs for the winners, who broke open the game with a 21-0 second quarter.

This weeks big games: Forestview, fresh off its big victory over Kings Mountain, has another tough test with a visit to undefeated powerhouse East Lincoln. South Point travels across the border to face Clover in a neighborhood rivalry. East Gaston, reeling from two lopsided defeats, meets powerhouse Lincolnton.

BIG SOUTH 2A-3A

SOUTH MOUNTAIN 2A-3A

Burns 20, Central Cabarrus 7: Keith Erving scored two touchdown passes in this road victory.

Chase 7, Bessemer City 0: Xavier Williams scored the only touchdown on a short run with 25 seconds left. Chase won despite totaling less than 100 yards offense.

Patton 24, Draughn 7: Four turnovers buried Draughns chances against their Burke County rival.

Freedom 53, East Burke 12: Dakota Fox carried 17 times for 83 yards in a losing cause.

Asheville T.C. Roberson 23, East Rutherford 7: Fonzbee Clyburn rushed 10 times for 86 yards, but quarterback Cameron Simmons was sacked five times.

Forestview 28, Kings Mountain 0: The Mountaineers completed only 3 of their 17 passing attempts.

R-S Central 42, Polk County 33: Rashaun and Desmond Whitesides each scored two touchdowns for the Hilltoppers.

Shelby 24, South Point 0 (Thursday): Malik Surratt completed 24 of 34 passes for 301 yards, and Jayden Borders rushed 11 times for 179 yards. Shelby piled up more than 500 yards offense.

This weeks big games: League play gets under way. Shelby entertains R-S Central, and Kings Mountain travels to East Rutherford in two highlight contests.

SOUTH MOUNTAIN 2A-3A

SOUTHERN DISTRICT 7 2A

Bandys was idle.

Fred T. Foard 28, Bunker Hill 13: Sophomore quarterback Jack Colosimo threw two touchdown passes.

East Lincoln 48, North Lincoln 0: Marcus Graham completed 12 of 17 passes for 216 yards. He ran for two touchdowns and passed for three more.

Lincolnton 61, North Gaston 34: Sage Surratt carried eight times for 123 yards and two touchdowns.

Maiden was idle.

Newton-Conover 57, Hickory 13: Quarterback Jake Hayman ran for touchdowns on two of his first three carries, and teammate Tyler Stinson added two touchdown runs.

Hibriten 38, West Caldwell 7: Titus Tuckers second-quarter scoring run put West Caldwell behind only 14-7 against the powerhouse Panthers, but Hibriten pulled away. This was the 40^th meeting of a rivalry known as the Black and Blue Game.

West Lincoln 21, Cherryville 0: Dallas Bridges scored touchdowns on a run and catch. West Lincoln totaled nearly 300 yards offense.

This weeks big games: East Lincoln visits Forestview, which is coming off a big victory against Kings Mountain. Maiden is home against Catawba County rival St. Stephens.

SOUTHERN DISTRICT 7 2A

ROCKY RIVER 2A

Union Academy 21, Central Academy 13 (Monday): Clemson Allen threw two touchdown passes for CATA.

Central Pageland 40, Forest Hills 19 (Thursday). Tyson Davis completed 12 of 22 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown for the Yellow Jackets.

Charlotte Latin 27, Monroe 20 (Saturday): Zeph Wall was held to 80 yards passing, but he rushed for 196 yards. Teammate McKinley Nelson ran for another 136 yards.

Mount Pleasant 48, Cox Mill 14 (Monday): Chance Daquila threw two long touchdown passes for the Tigers.

Parkwood 27, Piedmont 17 (Monday): Parkwood is 3-0 for the first time in eight years after scoring 10 points in the final five minutes of this game.

West Stanly 58, Albemarle 0 (Monday): The Colts led 45-0 at halftime and scored touchdowns on two of their first three offensive plays.

This weeks big games: Mount Pleasant entertains a strong South Iredell club. Monroe is home against high-scoring Weddington in a Thursday night game that will be televised by Time-Warner.

ROCKY RIVER 2A

CENTRAL CAROLINA 2A

North Rowan 27, Statesville 23: Corbin Smith threw a game-winning touchdown pass to Desmond Gray with 30 seconds left. Juleel Webster also had a 99-yard kickoff return for a North touchdown.

Carson 31, Salisbury 7

This weeks big games: Both Salisbury and North Rowan go on the road against very strong opposition. Salisbury visits unbeaten Lake Norman, and North Rowan is at Davie County.

CENTRAL CAROLINA 2A

SOUTHERN PIEDMONT 1A

Chase 7, Bessemer City 0: The Yellow Jackets held Chase to less than 100 yards offense but lost in a last-minute touchdown.

West Lincoln 21, Cherryville 0: Cherryville was held to only 101 yards total offense.

Lake Norman Charter 35, Community School of Davidson 16: Community School closed the game with 14 fourth-quarter points.

Highland Tech 2, Grace Crossings 0

Mountain Island Charter 31, Thomas Jefferson Academy 13: Kyle Holcomb completed 15 of 28 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns in a winning cause.

Statesville Christian 19, Pine Lake Prep 14: Taylor Hochman rushed 17 times for 80 yards and a touchdown.

This weeks big games: Community School of Davidson has a tall task, traveling to 4A North Mecklenburg.

SOUTHERN PIEDMONT 1A

YADKIN VALLEY 1A

West Stanly 58, Albemarle 0 (Monday): The Bulldogs fell behind very early in another lopsided loss.

East Montgomery 48, Trinity 23 (Saturday): Courtney McKinney rushed 17 times for 231 yards and two scores.

North Stanly was idle.

Anson 48, South Stanly 0 (Monday)

Union Academy 21, Central Academy 13 (Monday): Manasseh Missick completed 8 of 10 passes for 117 yards. He also ran for 121 yards and a score.

West Montgomery 22, Thomasville 6 (Saturday): Jo Leake ran for two touchdowns.

This weeks big games: League play opens Friday. Both of the Montgomery County powers face winless foes, with East Montgomery visiting Albemarle and West Montgomery traveling to Chatham Central.

YADKIN VALLEY 1A

CISAA

Charlotte Christian 49, Cuthbertson 19 (Saturday): Garrett Shrader threw three touchdown passes and ran for another.

Charlotte Latin 27, Monroe 20 (Saturday): Bates Jones threw a 90-yard touchdown pass to Christopher Elliott for the winning score with 2:35 left.

Charlotte Catholic 27, Country Day 0: Wes Bingham showed some bright spots, but Catholics defense picked off four of his passes.

Providence Day 44, Carolina Pride 0: After scoring only six points in their first two games, Providence Days offense finally exploded.

CISAA

N.C. INDEPENDENTS

Anderson (SC) Cavaliers 42, Cabarrus Stallions 0 (Saturday)

Cannon School 28, Rabun Gap Nacoochee 7: Mason McLaughlin completed 15 of 23 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns.

Providence Day 44, Carolina Pride 0: Prides James Thierfelder passed for 101 yards but had three passes picked off.

Concord First Assembly 57, Christ the King 6: This was Christ the Kings first points of the season.

North Raleigh Christian 20, Hickory Grove Christian 13: Hickory Grove picked off three North Raleigh passes.

Metrolina Christian 42, SouthLake Christian 0 (Monday): Metrolina led 30-0 early in the second quarter. SouthLake Christians Luke Binkley had 11 tackles.

Northside Christian 57, Asheville Carolina Gladiators 6

Victory Christians game at Fayetteville Christian was cancelled due to Hurricane Hermine.

OTHER N.C. INDEPENDENTS

SOUTH CAROLINA

REGION 4 5A

Clover was idle.

Lancaster 16, Fort Mill 14 (Thursday): Ryan DeLuca completed 11 of 19 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown, but the Yellow Jackets lost on a last-minute field goal.

Nation Ford was idle.

Northwestern 38, South Mecklenburg 25: Northwestern built a 31-0 lead and coasted. Jerry Howard ran for three touchdowns.

South Pointe 30, Rock Hill 23 (Saturday): The Bearcats lost to their Rock Hill rivals and were hurt by five turnovers.

This weeks big games: Northwestern travels to perennial power Duncan Byrnes, which is coming off a narrow loss at Mallard Creek. Clover is home against neighborhood rival South Point.

REGION 4 5A

REGION 3 4A

Lancaster 16, Fort Mill 14 (Thursday): Sophomore Jacob Cato kicked a 25-yard field goal with 12 seconds left, keeping the Bruins undefeated.

South Pointe 30, Rock Hill 23 (Saturday): Voshon St. Hill scored the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter. South Pointe has beaten the Bearcats seven straight times.

Union 23, York 13: York committed three turnovers, gave up 450 yards to Union, but still was in this game until the late going.

This weeks big games: South Pointe travels to Baltimore, for a meeting with Maryland power St. Francis. York entertains county foe Nation Ford.

REGION 3 4A

REGION 4 3A

Chester 36, Columbia Keenan 14 (Thursday)

Blacksburg 20, Indian Land 0 (Thursday): Indian Land was down only 7-0 late in the third quarter before faltering.

This weeks big game: Chester, off to a good start, is home against undefeated Lancaster.

REGION 4 3A

REGION 4 2A

Andrew Jacksons game with Jacksonville (Fla) University Christian was canceled due to Hurricane Hermine.

Lewisville 36, Buford 20 (Thursday): Buford entered the fourth quarter tied 20-20.

Central Pageland 40, Forest Hills 19 (Thursday)

This weeks big game: Buford is home against Parkwood, which is undefeated for the first time in eight years.

REGION 4 2A

REGION 2 1A

Blackville-Hilda 38, Great Falls 6 (Thursday)

Lewisville 36, Buford 20 (Thursday): Quentin Sanders rushed 27 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns. Lewisville is 3-0 for the first time since 2000.

This weeks big game: Lewisville takes its unbeaten record into the western part of the state for a game against Whitmire (1-2).

REGION 2 1A

S.C. INDEPENDENTS

Rock Hill Carolinas Crusaders 25, Asheville Saints 18: Chris Downs completed 12 of 21 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns.

Sumter Crestwood 39, Rock Hill Franklin Christian 12: Franklin Christian jumped in front 6-0 but then gave up 33 points before halftime.

S.C. INDEPENDENTS

This story was originally published September 7, 2016 at 9:44 AM with the headline "HS Football Conference-by-Conference Notebook."