Hough 28, Hopewell 0

Hough High’s defense didn’t have one of its better games in a 35-3 loss to Butler last week.

The Huskies more than made up for it Friday, recording their first shutout in nearly two years in beating Hopewell 28-0 in their MECKA 8 4A opener.

Hough – ranked No. 9 in the Observer’s Sweet 16 poll – held the Titans to three first downs and 22 yards total offense in the first half in building a 21-0 lead.

For the game, the Huskies’ defense gave up just nine first downs and 92 yards total offense, with seven sacks and a fourth-quarter interception.

“I told the guys before the game, ‘Y’know, we came out flat last week,’ ” said Hough defensive end Jaison Fournet, who had two sacks. “We had to play with a chip on our shoulder (Friday), and really prove ourselves.

“The plan was to come out and smack them in the mouth early, and just keep giving it to them the rest of the game – like I like to say, killing a gnat with a sledgehammer.”

That defensive effort – the first Huskies shutout since a 14-0 win over Kannapolis Brown on Oct. 18, 2013 – opened the door for Hough’s offense.

Jackson Gibbs threw for 194 yards and two touchdowns – a 14-yarder to Sean Hershey in the closing seconds of the first half, and a 9-yarder to Clayton Merrill late in the fourth quarter.

Rashad Williams added 91 rushing yards, and Jarrett Nagy had a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs in the first half. While the Huskies turned the ball over three times, they finished with 21 first downs and 373 yards total offense.

Quote: “Our defense played pretty well. The offense was a little sloppy, but we’ve got a week off now. We’ll try to get better in that week, and get better for the final stretch.” – Hough coach Miles Aldridge.

Records: Hopewell 1-5, 0-1 MECKA 8 4A; Hough 5-1, 1-0.

Worth mentioning: Hough could have had a bigger halftime lead, but turned the ball over twice in the red zone. Dion Rivers came up with both for the Titans, intercepting a Gibbs pass late in the first quarter, and recovering a fumble in the end zone early in the second.

What's Next: Hough is off next week, and will face Sweet 16 No. 1 Mallard Creek on Oct. 9. Hopewell will host the two-time 4A state champion Mavericks next Friday.

This story was originally published September 25, 2015 at 10:28 PM with the headline "Hough 28, Hopewell 0."