Hunter Huss rallies to beat North Mecklenburg on road, end Vikings’ unbeaten season
After putting a shellacking on Bessemer City last week, Hunter Huss football coach Randy Thompson hoped for more of a test in the team’s next game.
Thompson got what he wished for — almost to the Huskies’ detriment.
After taking the early lead, Hunter Huss had to mount a fourth-quarter rally to regain it, then stopped North Mecklenburg’s last drive for an 11-7 victory over the Vikings on Friday night
Quincy Fortenberry’s 3-yard touchdown plunge capped a 17-play, 86-yard scoring drive that put the Huskies (2-1) in the lead, and ate up more than seven minutes off the clock in the fourth quarter.
“We needed this — we haven’t been doing too good in practice, but we came out fighting,” Fortenberry said. “We didn’t give up, and came out fighting. The line did good; they were blocking good, and I got to the outside (for the touchdown).”
The tight, back-and-forth (and somewhat sloppy) contest was in stark contrast to Hunter Huss’ 55-6 victory over the Yellow Jackets last week.
But it was needed, according to Thompson, in his sixth season as the Huskies’ head coach.
“We did, we did,” he said. “We needed to play a four-quarter football game, and against a team like North Meck, who have a ton of athletes and a ton of guys who can do a lot of things. We needed to see how we matched up with them.”
Hunter Huss had taken a 5-0 halftime lead, thanks to a pair of first-quarter mistakes by North Mecklenburg (2-1).
A bad snap on a punt attempt led to Vikings punter Dorian Caillet attempting his first pass — which went right into Huss defensive back Obrian Lockhart’s hands. That eventually led to the Huskies’ first score, a 44-yard field goal by Oberson Janet with 8:53 left.
Then on North Meck’s third possession, Huss defensive lineman Chancellor Manning dragged down Vikings quarterback Carter Clifford — getting his first start of the season — for a safety with 2:30 remaining and a 5-point Huskies lead.
North Meck head coach Darryl Vereen switched quarterbacks in the second half, bringing on sophomore Antonio Jenkins III, who had started the Vikings’ wins over Rocky River and South Iredell.
It took Vereen a while to get up to speed, but he finally got North Meck on the scoreboard — and the lead — on his 9-yard keeper with 1:11 left in the third quarter.
However, when Huss got the ball back, the Huskies — behind Fortenberry — went 86 yards on 17 plays to regain the lead midway through the fourth quarter.
“As a team, I think we went into this thing thinking we kind of had it in the bag,” said Vereen, in his second year as the Vikings’ head coach. “We didn’t have the best week of practice, and we came out here and it showed.”
Three who made a difference
Quincy Fortenberry, Hunter Huss — The Huskies’ junior running back finished with 93 rushing yards on 15 carries, as well as three pass catches for 19 yards.
Ethan Presley, Hunter Huss — The Huskies’ senior quarterback didn’t have impressive numbers — 7 of 20 completions for 60 yards — but he withstood the Vikings’ rush and never got sacked.
Hunter Huss’ defense — Limited North Mecklenburg to 25 rushing yards and 104 yards total offense, as well as getting three interceptions (the others were by Fortenberry and Nazire Davis in the second half) and a pair of sacks.
Observations
North Mecklenburg was going for its first 3-0 start since 2018, when the Vikings opened with four straight victories. However, North wound up losing six of its last eight games that season, including a 48-35 loss to Hough in the first round of the 4AA playoffs.
Up next
North Mecklenburg wraps up its non-conference schedule — and a three-game homestand — next Friday when it hosts East Mecklenburg. Meanwhile, Hunter Huss ends its non-conference slate with its first home game of the season, hosting Anson County.
GAME SUMMARY
HUNTER HUSS 5 0 0 6 – 11
N. MECKLENBURG 0 0 7 0 – 7
First Quarter
H — Oberson Janet 44-yard field goal, 8:53.
H — Safety, North Meck’s Carter Clifford sacked by Huss’ Chancellor Manning in end zone, 2:30.
Third Quarter
NM — Antonio Jenkins III 9 run (Dorian Caillet kick), 1:11.
Fourth Quarter
H — Quincy Fortenberry 3 run (pass failed), 6:06.
This story was originally published September 5, 2025 at 11:26 PM.
