No. 1 Mallard Creek rallies to beat No. 2 Vance in the I-Meck 4A opener for both teams
Mallard Creek High got the best of Vance again.
The Mavericks rallied from a halftime deficit with a stout second half to lock down a 17-7 win in the I-Meck 4A opener for both teams. Mallard Creek was more physical than its neighborhood rival and wore the host Cougars down over the final 24 minutes with a stifling defense and grinding running attack.
The key was keeping Vance’s offense off the scoreboard while converting a couple of Cougars turnovers into second-half touchdowns.
Mallard Creek limited Vance to 158 yards, including 78 after halftime, as the Mavericks asserted control at the line of scrimmage. Mallard Creek tailback Quasean Holmes, who led all rushers with 75 yards on 10 carries, gained 73 of them on eight attempts after the break.
Mallard Creek broke through in the third quarter on Dustin Noller’s 36-yard strike down the sideline to Elijah Metcalf to go ahead with 5:25 in the third. Trenton Simpson’s 1-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter closed the scoring, and Mallard Creek’s defense shut the door.
Records: Mallard Creek 4-0-1; Vance 3-1.
Three who mattered:
Trenton Simpson, Mallard Creek: The two-platoon standout sealed the deal with a one-handed grab for 22 yards and 1-yard plunge on successive plays for a 17-7 advantage in the fourth.
Dustin Noller, Mallard Creek: The quarterback completed 11-of-28 passes for 166 yards and a 36-yard strike to Elijah Metcalf for the go-ahead score.
Stefon Thompson, Vance: The linebacker picked off a deflected pass for a 10-yard touchdown return to give the Cougars a 7-3 lead in the second quarter.
Worth mentioning
▪ Defenses dominated in the first half. Vance totaled 80 yards. Mallard Creek was only marginally better with 119 yards.
▪ Vance was penalized nine times for 85 yards in the first half. Mallard Creek was flagged six times for 75 yards.
▪ Power Echols was all over the field for Vance, with a sack and pass breakup. The Cougars tallied three sacks compared to Mallard Creek’s two.
▪ The Mavericks outgained Vance 244 yards to 158. After rushing for just 13 yards in the first half, Mallard Creek responded with 65 yards on 20 carries after intermission.
▪ As anticipated, the game was played before a packed house and included a halftime battle of the bands.
What’s next:
Mallard Creek heads home for Lake Norman, while Vance hosts Hopewell.
Mallard Creek 3 0 7 7 -- 17
Vance 0 7 0 0 -- 7
First quarter
MC — Adi Turamalli 31-yard field goal
Second quarter
V — Stefon Thompson 10-yard interception return (Melvin Benitezkick)
Third quarter
MC — Elijah Metcalf 36-yard pass from Dustin Noller (Turamalli kick)
Fourth quarter
MC — Trenton Simpson 1-yard run (Turamalli kick)
This story was originally published September 27, 2019 at 10:24 PM.