Samari Matthews’ 4th-quarter heroics help Hough football edge Mooresville

Hough needed some big plays, and its big player made them.

Samari Matthews, a senior cornerback who plans to play football with the Texas Longhorns next fall, made a pair of game-changing plays in the fourth quarter Friday night, and the No. 1 Huskies rallied past No. 10 Mooresville 28-21.

Matthews produced the go-ahead score with 10:49 left in the game, when he stepped in front of a Mooresville receiver and picked off a Brody Norman pass, returning it 44 yards for a touchdown. That gave host Hough its first lead of the night 21-14.

About eight minutes later, Matthews grabbed a Mooresville fumble on a punt at the Blue Devils’ 15-yard line. Two plays later, the host Huskies built themselves some breathing room with another touchdown and a 28-14 lead.

Hough faces perennial state power New Bern next Friday, and the Bears’ scouts in the crowd did not see the Huskies at their best.

Hough’s defense did its job before a standing-room-only crowd, shutting down Mooresville quarterback Brody Norman until the final two minutes of the game. But the Huskies’ offense sputtered for much of the night.

A big part of the problem was penalties. Hough was flagged 14 times for 165 yards, and there were two or three other penalties that the Blue Devils declined. The penalties negated several big offensive plays for Hough and enabled Mooresville to move the ball offensively despite the lack of a passing game.

Mooresville jumped ahead 7-0 just four minutes into the game on a 12-yard run by Ja’Darius McCombs. Two 15-yard Hough penalties helped the Blue Devils on that drive.

The Huskies’ only play of more than 15 yards in the first half came late in the first quarter, when quarterback Ethan Royal dashed through a hole in the Blue Devil defense and went 80 yards for a game-tying touchdown.

But Mooresville went back up 14-7 late in the first half on a 2-yard run by Norman. Runs of 25 and 10 yards by Norman keyed that drive.

The Blue Devils held that lead until the final minute of the third quarter, when Hough capped an 85-yard drive with Royal’s 4-yard touchdown run. The Huskies were bottled up at their 11 when Royal broke loose on a 35-yard run that gave Hough a first down and new life. They took advantage with the game-tying score.

And that set things up for the Matthews heroics.

Between his two touchdowns, Hough’s defense kept Mooresville in check, preventing Norman from connecting with his favorite receivers, Dominic Morin and Joe Hauck.

Three who made a difference

Samari Matthews, Hough: Matthews, a 6-3, 172-pound Texas commit, scored on a 44-yard interception return and recovered a fumbled Mooresville punt return. He also defended Mooresville’s standout receiver, Dominic Morin, and limited him to two receptions.

Jackson Heath, Hough: Heath, a 6-0, 180-pound junior safety, had a sack, a tackle for loss, and two quarterback hurries.

Kamdon Gillespie, Mooresville: A 6-3, 245-pound defensive back, Gillespie had two sacks, a tackle for loss, and two quarterback hurries.

Just noting

The Hough defense did a superb job of defending Mooresville quarterback Brody Norman — until the final minute, at least. He completed 2-of-13 passes — for 11 yards, with an interception — until the Blue Devils’ final drive. In that last possession, Norman was 5-for-5 for 50 yards and a touchdown.

Quarterback Ethan Royal kept his team in the game in the first half. He rushed for more than 130 yards, including 80 on a first-quarter touchdown gallop.

The victory was Hough’s ninth in a row over Mooresville, and the Huskies lead the neighborhood rivalry 11-3. Mooresville’s last victory was in 2014, by a 38-7 score.

What’s next

Each team faces a state powerhouse next Friday. Hough is home to New Bern, which will be making a 530-mile round trip. Mooresville travels to East Forsyth. a preseason top-10 team.

Box score

Mooresville 7 7 0 7 — 21

Hough 7 0 0 14 — 28

M — Ja’Darius McCombs 12 run (Andrew Cummings kick)

H — Ethan Royal 80 run (Piercon Selland kick)

M — Brody Norman 2 run (Cummings kick)

H — Royal 4 run (Selland kick)

H — Samari Matthews 44 interception return (Selland kick)

H — Marvin Reed 15 run (Selland kick)

M — Joe Hauck 20 pass from Norman (Cummings kick)