A.L. Brown’s attack as relentless as rain in 42-20 win over North Mecklenberg
The North Mecklenburg Vikings had their moments Friday night against MECKA 4A rival Kannapolis A.L. Brown, highlighted by a pair of spectacular touchdowns by De’montrez Burroughs.
But the running back’s 40-yard scoring run on a halfback pass-turned-scramble, and a 93-yard kickoff return weren’t a match for the visiting Wonders’ relentless attack in a 42-20 A.L. Brown victory in the conference opener for both teams.
The game was played in a driving rain from start to finish.
Wodners running back Sandon McCoy carried 23 times for 138 yards and three touchdowns and caught a pass from quarterback Damon Johnson for another as A.L. Brown ran away with the game in the second half to remain undefeated.
Burroughs’ 93-yard dash with the kickoff with 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, just after McCoy had given A.L. Brown a 28-14 lead, brought the Vikings as close as they would get after halftime.
The Wonders looked like they were ready to dominate early, getting out to a 21-0 lead on touchdown runs by Johnson and McCoy and a 29-yard Johnson scoring toss to Lewis Harris.
But the Vikings got new life just 34 seconds before halftime when Burroughs, taking a pitch from quarterback Kendall Coles, briefly considered a halfback pass downfield but instead found an opening and dashed to the end zone. Coles passed to tight end Yancey Hairston for the two-point conversion and a 21-8 halftime score.
The loss was the first for the Vikings since a season-opening 37-35 setback at Lake Norman, breaking a four-game winning streak.
Quote: “All in all I think we did a good job. We got off to a good start, but let them (North Meck) back in it a little. I was proud of the way we stepped up. I was disappointed in some of the penalties that were called in the second half.” — A.L. Brown coach Mike Newsome.
Records: A.L. Brown (5-0, 1-0 MECKA 4A); North Meck (4-2, 0-1 MECKA 4A)
Observation: How ready were the two teams to get out of the miserable weather at the game’s end? With the outcome long since settled,the Wonders and the Vikings formed the handshake line with 15 seconds still on the clock.
Worth mentioning: Considering it was played in a downpour, the game was relatively turnover-free with each team throwing one interception and losing one fumble.
What's Next: A.L. Brown is at Vance and North Meck hosts West Charlotte in MECKA 4A game, both at 7 p.m. Oct. 2.
This story was originally published September 25, 2015 at 11:14 PM with the headline "A.L. Brown’s attack as relentless as rain in 42-20 win over North Mecklenberg."