Hough I-Meck 4A victory has Lake Norman seeing red

Hough navigated its red-zone chances better than host Lake Norman on Friday night, helping the Huskies notch a 24-9 I-Meck 4A football victory over the Wildcats.

“Against good teams, you’ve got to turn your opportunities into points,” Lake Norman coach Jonathan Oliphant said. “We didn’t, and they did.”

The Huskies (3-0, 3-0) put points on the scoreboard every time they got inside the Lake Norman 20. The Wildcats (2-1, 2-1) drove inside the Hough 10 twice and got only a field goal.

“Our defense made some big plays tonight,” Huskies coach Matt Jenkins said.

Trailing 3-0 in the first quarter, Lake Norman drove to the Hough 2, but the Huskies defense swarmed Wildcat running back Jacob Douthit on fourth down and regained possession.

On their other foray into the red zone while down by 10 in the third quarter, Lake Norman got as far as the 9-yard line before the Hough defense again held firm. Huskies’ junior safety Isaiah Brown-Murray made two consecutive tackles for losses, and the Wildcats had to settle for a field goal.

“Everyone knows we’re a team that likes to get the lead and run out the clock,” Oliphant said. “Not scoring on those drives changed some of what we could do.”

Meanwhile, Hough standout sophomore quarterback Tad Hudson did nearly everything right, passing for 196 yards and a touchdown, and that was enough for the Huskies.

“Tad is a great football player,” Jenkins said. “He’s still learning. He’s facing new situations all the time. But he’s learning to deal with them, and he’s getting better and better.”

Hudson had a big play on Hough’s final scoring drive midway in the fourth quarter. On fourth-and-1 from the Lake Norman 29, Hudson evaded three Wildcat defenders and scrambled for a first down.

“He made a big play there with his feet,” Oliphant said of Hudson. “He’s got (college) offers from everywhere for a reason. He’s a good player.”

Three who mattered

Elijah McWilliams, Hough: McWilliams carried 20 times for 146 yards and scored a touchdown.

Tad Hudson, Hough: The Huskies’ 6-3, 215-pound sophomore quarterback was very efficient Friday night. He completed 16-of-24 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns. He completed 12 of his first 16 attempts.

Sakarri Morrison, Lake Norman: Morrison, an outside linebacker, hounded the Hough offense Friday night. He finished with two sacks and three tackles for losses.

Worth mentioning

▪ Lake Norman got more than a third of its total yardage (170) on a single play in the third quarter. Quarterback Anthony Limon broke two tackles near the line of scrimmage and dashed 54 yards to the Hough 9. That drive ended with a Wildcats’ field goal.

▪ Hough’s defense held Lake Norman’s ground game to an average of less than 4 yards per carry. The Wildcats had done much better rushing the ball in their opening two victories.

▪ The Huskies have two outstanding kickers. Senior Cole Maynard, whose dad Brad spent 14 years in the NFL as a punter, handles kickoffs, punts and long field goals. He is a UNC commit. Freshman Nolan Hauser, rated by some services as one of the best in his class, does extra points and most field goals. Brad Maynard is an assistant coach with the Huskies.

▪ Lake Norman played without its standout nose guard, senior Max Williamson, who suffered an ankle injury last week against Mallard Creek.

What’s next?

Hough is home against North Mecklenburg next Friday, and Lake Norman travels to Mooresville.

Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle

Game summary

Hough 3 7 7 7 — 24

Lake Norman 0 0 3 6 — 9

H: FG Nolan Hauser 34

H: Elijah McWilliams 9 run (Hauser kick)

LN: FG Nick McCue 32

H: Caydan Bell-McKeithan 1 run (Hauser kick)

LN: Crishon Shepard 11 run (kick blocked)

H: Bell-McKeithan 16 pass from Tad Hudson (Hauser kick)