Saturday’s prep football rewind: No. 7 Mallard Creek wins at Watauga, sets up Hough rematch

Mallard Creek is going to get another shot at Hough.

The Mavericks, No. 7 in The Sweet 16, went to the mountains and beat previously unbeaten Watauga Saturday 23-0.

The game was postponed Friday because of heavy snow that hit Boone on Friday.

Mallard Creek (10-2) won its fourth straight game and handed Watauga its first shutout since Maiden’s Blue Devils shut out the Pioneers 47-0 back in August 2021.

This season, Watauga (11-1) had been averaging nearly 43 points per game and won its seventh straight conference championship, but it was able to engineer little offense against a Mavericks defense that earned its fourth shutout of the season.

Mallard Creek got off to a good start, grabbing a 16-0 early lead, but a rash of holding penalties took away a touchdown in the second quarter and another in the third, keeping the Pioneers close. Many of those penalties came as Mallard Creek was trying to run wide.

But with 7:59 to play, Mavericks senior running back Christian Dixon ran in between the tackles, found an opening and burst loose on a scoring run of over 50 yards. That gave Mallard Creek a four-score lead.

Next up for the Mavericks is a rematch with Queen City 3A/4A rival Hough. Hough beat Independence 47-3 in its second-round game Friday.

Mallard Creek and Hough played last month. Hough won 33-0, ending Mallard Creek’s 62-game, seven-season scoring streak.

Friday’s third-round playoff game will be played at Hough.

How The Observer’s Sweet 16 fared

Quick Links

LISTEN: Talking Preps: Round 2 postgame show

No. 3 Hough routs No. 6 Independence

No. 5 Charlotte Catholic stops Palisades, heads to Grimsley

Roundup: West Charlotte, Weddington, Mooresville among area winner

CISAA all-conference team announced

The Charlotte Independent Schools Athletic Association has released its all-conference teams.

Providence Day offensive lineman David Sanders is the league player of the year.

NCISAA all-state teams announced

Here are the N.C. Independent Schools’ all-state teams

Friday’s results

NCHSAA 4A

West

Charlotte Catholic 31, Palisades 7

East Forsyth 56, West Forsyth 19

Grimsley 58, Southeast Guilford 21

Hough 47, Independence 3

Mooresville 27, Northwest Guilford 10

Northern Guilford 28, Marvin Ridge 24

Weddington 35, Sun Valley 12

East

Cardinal Gibbons 51, Garner 14

Cleveland 21, Ashley 3

Hillside 13, Wake Forest 10

Hoggard 14, Leesville Road 7

Jordan 41, Apex Friendship 14

Millbrook 32, New Bern 13

Richmond Senior 24, Clayton 13

Rolesville 45, Pinecrest 8

Saturday’s score

Mallard Creek 23, Watauga 0

Next week’s third-round schedule

West

Charlotte Catholic (9-2) at Grimsley (12-0)

Mallard Creek (10-2) at Hough (11-1)

Mooresville (11-1) at East Forsyth (12-0)

Northern Guilford (11-1) at Weddington (11-0)

East

Hillside (7-5) at Cardinal Gibbons (10-1)

Jordan (10-2) at Cleveland (12-0)

Rolesville (11-1) at Richmond Senior (10-2)

Millbrook (11-1) at Hoggard (11-1)

NCHSAA 3A

West

Ashbrook 31, South Point 28

Dudley 42, AC Reynolds 0

Crest 35, Oak Grove 7

Erwin 35, Smoky Mountain 14

Hickory 42, Statesville 7

JM Robinson 41, Kings Mountain 14

North Lincoln 54, West Henderson 21

West Charlotte 60, West Rowan 3

East

Cape Fear 29, C.B. Aycock 7

Havelock 49, Western Alamance 6

Jacksonville 30, Williams 24

J.H. Rose 28, Southern Nash 16

North Brunswick 35, Lee County 26

Scotland County 38, Terry Sanford 35

Seventy First 56, Rocky Mount 14

Southern Durham 21, Currituck County 10

Next week’s third round schedule

West

Ashbrook (10-2) at North Lincoln (11-1)

Crest (10-2) at Hickory (12-0)

Dudley (12-0) at Jay M. Robinson (12-0)

West Charlotte (9-2) at Clyde Erwin (10-1)

East

Cape Fear (11-1) at Jacksonville (10-1)

J.H. Rose (4-8) at Southern Durham (10-2)

North Brunswick (7-5) at Seventy-First (12-0)

Scotland County (6-6) at Havelock (11-1)

NCHSAA 2A

West

Brevard 37, Bunker Hill 29

Community School of Davidson 30, Mount Pleasant 7

East Rutherford 27, Reidsville 26

Forest Hills 38, Randleman 21

Monroe 56, Burns 14

Salisbury 12, Walkertown 6

Shelby 28, Maiden 0

West Stokes 35, East Surry 21

East

Ayden-Grifton 30, Holmes 13

Eastern Wayne 40, Princeton 36

James Kenan 42, Martin County 20

Kinston 26, Southeast Halifax 13

Northeastern 50, Greene Central 6

Wallace Rose-Hill 43, SouthWest Edgecombe 0

West Craven 36, East Duplin 20

Whiteville 63, Farmville Central 29

Next week’s third-round schedule

West

Community School of Davidson (9-3) at Shelby (10-2)

East Rutherford (8-3) at Brevard (9-2)

Forest Hills (9-3) at Salisbury (11-1)

West Stokes (10-2) at Monroe (11-0)

East

West Craven at Northeastern

James Kenan at Wallace Rose-Hill

Kinston at Ayden-Grifton

Eastern Wayne at Whiteville

NCHSAA 1A

West

Corvian Community 42, Mitchell 6

Eastern Randolph 42, Cherokee 0

East Wilkes 33, North Rowan 30

Mountain Heritage 51, Hayesville 7

Mount Airy 35, Mountain Island Charter 14

Murphy 21, Christ The King 11

Robbinsville 19, Bessemer City 0

Starmount 37, South Stanly 13

East

Gates County 28, Pinetown Northside 13

Lakewood 56, Pamlico County 7

North Duplin 35, East Bladen 8

North Moore 46, Bertie 22

Pender 56, Rosewood 28

Tarboro 55, Weldon 6

Warren County 42, Perquimans 0

Wilson Prep 36, KIPP Pride 8

Next week’s third round schedule

West

Corvian Community (12-0) at Eastern Randolph (12-0)

East Wilkes (10-2) at Mountain Heritage (10-0)

Robbinsville (7-5) at Murphy (11-1)

Starmount (11-1) at Mount Airy (12-0)

East

Gates County (8-4) at Pender (9-3)

Lakewood (9-3) at North Duplin (10-0)

North Moore (7-5) at Wilson Prep (10-1)

Warren County (10-2) at Tarboro (10-0)

This story was originally published November 22, 2024 at 5:00 AM.