British Brooks's Four Touchdown Performance Leads Ashbrook In Win Over Forestview

                It didn’t start out the way the Ashbrook Green Wave wanted. Running-back Deandre Britt fumbled at the Ashbrook 16-yard line on the first play. The Jaguars took advantage as Jake Lee connected with Javari Rice for the 16-yard touchdown pass. The extra point conversion was mishandled however. It took the Green Wave a couple more drives to get going. But once they did, they didn’t look back.

                British Brooks got Ashbrook on the board with a one-yard run for a touchdown. Korbin Proctor’s extra point gave the Green Wave a 7-6 lead. Brooks would score again from ten yards out. After that, quarterback Hayden Welle got in on the fun when he attempted a quarterback sneak from the Green Wave 32-yard line. That ended up being a 68-yard touchdown run and before you knew it, the Green Wave was up 20-6. The Jaguars did strike back before the quarter ended. Jake Lee found Jalen Neely-Baldwin on a short pass that he took 26 yards for a touchdown. Holt Cloninger’s extra point cut it to 20-13. That would be the half-time score.

                Things would get worse before they got better for Forestview in the second half. A one-yard quarterback sneak by Welle and a seven-yard touchdown run by Brooks gave Ashbrook a 34-13 lead. The Jaguars would go into their bag of tricks to get back into this one when tailback Aaron Bennett threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Jake Long. The extra point was blocked so the score stood at 34-19. Forestview opted for the onside kick, but it was unsuccessful. That just gave Ashbrook a shorter field to work with. Brooks would put it away with a 17-yard touchdown run. That extra point was also blocked. Not content to go away, the Jaguars put one more score on the board. Lee connected with Long for a 71-yard touchdown pass to get the Jaguars closer. But they would not get any closer. The Green Wave wins their second consecutive game 40-26 and are 1-0 in conference play.

                British Brooks led Ashbrook’s power run game with 176 yards and four touchdowns. Hayden Welle pitched in with 115 yards and two touchdowns. The Green Wave’s offense amassed 456 total yards (429 yards rushing). Jake Lee led Forestview 233 yards passing and three touchdowns and one fumble. Jake Long led all receivers with 144 yards and two touchdowns. The Jaguars would amass 283 yards of total offense. Most of it was through the air.

                “We’re still trying. Some things are getting better but there some things we need to get better at.” said Forestview head coach Chris Medlin “(Ashbrook) is a great team. They are a much better team than they were week 1. We need to eliminate the bad plays and make more good plays. We have to overcome penalties.”

                “I’m proud of our guys tonight. There are some things I’d like to have back. We fought for all four quarters and just made some advances on becoming more of a team.” said Ashbrook head coach Brian Andrews “Our practices have become a little more intense because we pretty much laid it on the line for our players and told them what’s at stake and how we want things done. We are not going to settle for anything less. We’ve been healthier than we’ve been in the first two games as well.”

“I was proud of Coach Eccles and the offensive staff.” Andrews said of Ashbrook’s 40-point offensive performance “They all worked really hard. Our running-backs ran hard. Our quarterback had a great game and made some good decisions on pitches. He kept it when he needed to. I’m just proud of our offense by taking care of that second half like we needed to finish them off.”

Ashbrook will have a bye week next before traveling to Burns. Forestview will travel to Providence Day.

Gaston, Lincoln and Cleveland Week 4 Picks

Forestview 14 @ Ashbrook 21

Clover, SC 17 @ South Point 24

Crest 14 @ Shelby 28

Hickory 7 @ Hunter Huss 48

East Gaston 27 @ Lincolnton 31

North Gaston 21 @ East Lincoln 28

West Lincoln 27 @ Fred T. Foard 13

North Lincoln 14 @ Alexander Central 31

Kings Mountain 35 @ Cuthbertson 14

East Rutherford 28 @ Burns 31

Jimmy Draughn 28 @ Cherryville 24

Lake Norman Charter 27 @ Highland Tech 14

Thomas Jefferson 51 @ Trinity Academy 13


　

In The Battle Of The Reds, Devils Spear Tornadoes

It took some time for Newton-Conover to get going. They suffered some red zone woes in the first quarter. They were stopped at the Hickory four-yard line. The Red Tornadoes were not able to get a drive going however. The Red Devils got the ball back inside the 50 and made it to the Hickory red zone again, but did not punch it in until the second quarter.

The Red Devils were able to reach the end zone on the first play in the second quarter. On fourth and goal from the 18, quarterback Shamar Baker hit Ernie Squarles for the 18-yard touchdown pass. The Red Devils went for the two-point conversion and Baker was able to run it to give Newton-Conover the 8-0 lead. The Red Tornadoes would get a drive going. A 53-yard pass from quarterback Derrien Phillips to Kevin Shuford ignited Hickory and they were able to cap it off with a Phillips 16-yard pass to Antonio Parks. The Tornadoes tried to match the Devils point for point on the two-point conversion try but were unsuccessful.

Hickory stopped Newton-Conover on the ensuing drive and made it near the Red Devil ten-yard line. But the drive was stopped when Phillips was intercepted by James Woods near the goal line. The Red Devils would strike again when Baker hit Jahiem Mullen for a short pass that he took 53 yards for a touchdown. Addison Hayes’s extra point kick made it 15-6.

The Red Tornadoes would once again turn to big plays to get back into the game. Derrien Phillips would hit Jaekwon Staton for a 36-yard pass that bounced off a Red Devil defender’s hand. Phillips would take the ball in himself from the two-yard line to put Hickory’s next touchdown on the board with just eight seconds to go. Harrison Boston’s extra point kick cut the lead to 15-13. But that was enough time for Myles Baker to return the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown before half-time. The extra point kick by Addison Hayes was good and the Red Devils took the 22-13 lead to half-time.

In the second half, things continued to right for the Red Devils and continued to go wrong for the Red Tornadoes. Tylor Stinson extended the Red Devils’ lead with a 25-yard touchdown run. Shamar Baker ran it in for the two-point conversion. The Red Devils fumbled on their next drive, but the Red Tornadoes would fumble it back a few plays later. Stinson would score another touchdown for the Red Devils, this time from 24 yards out. Baker would hit Ernie Squarles for the two-point conversion to make the score a dominant 38-13 score.

The defense would get in on the scoring when defensive end Jordan Thompson took a Hickory fumble seven yards for a touchdown. The Red Tornadoes would score two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to make the score a little closer. Phillips connected with A.J. Chisholm for a nine-yard touchdown pass and took the last one in himself for a one-yard scoring run. The final score was 45-26.

Hickory will face another tough challenge next Friday as they travel to Hunter Huss. The Huskies narrowly lost to Clover 42-41 in overtime. Newton-Conover will travel to face East Burke. East Burke lost to Freedom 48-8.

Week 3 Capsules and Scores

No moral victories for Hunter Huss: Though the Huskies stood toe-to-toe with a very strong South Carolina 5A team in Clover, that wasn’t much consolation for the Huss crew.

“I’m not disappointed in my kids one bit. Our kids played their hearts out. We are a small 3A school coming down here to play a 5A school.” said Hunter Huss head coach Jamar McCoy “Right now, the kids are not feeling any moral victory type feeling. They’re definitely down because they lost. We expected to come down here and win. That’s how we practice. I don’t care if it’s a 5A school out of SC or a 6A school out of Texas. We expect to win on Friday night.”

High Praise For Clover Quarterback, Garrett Miller: “Garrett Miller raises that bar every week.” said Clover head coach Brian Lane “I’m so proud of what he’s been through the past five months getting him ready to run this offense and he’s shining with it. I’m proud of him.”

Brian Lane On Second Half Adjustments “We felt like they were going man. We felt like if we empty the backfield some, we can get the matchups like we wanted. Jaylin Lane did a good job catching two touchdown passes there to get our momentum going and Garrett Miller ran the football well over sprint outs. That’s kind of what happened there on offense. On defense, (Hunter Huss) changed quarterbacks so we had to get somebody spying that quarterback. After he gashed us for two long runs, we got somebody spying him and that’s what helped us in the end.”

Crawford Chandler led the Huskies offense with 161 yards rushing, 62 yards receiving and 5 touchdowns (3 rushing, 2 receiving). Zo Wallace amassed 118 yards passing and 2 touchdowns, 1 rushing touchdown and 1 interception. Garrett Miller led Clover’s offense with 177 yards passing and 5 touchdowns (2 passing and 3 rushing).

Happy But Not Satisfied: South Point head coach Adam Hodge was happy with his Red Raiders’ 42-0 shutout over Forestview. That was his first shutout as a head coach. But he was not satisfied as he spotted some ‘little things’ that they need to get better at.

“You just find the little things you did wrong. Instead of looking at the score, look at how many yards they got.” Hodge said “Why’d they get so many yards? Because they ran up field or because you didn’t do this or because you didn’t play this coverage correctly and you didn’t get lined up. You just have to find every little detail you can find and say ‘We can’t do that.’ We got to get better. That’s the goal. Doesn’t matter what the score is, you still want to get better. As what coach (Mickey) Lineberger used to say, the biggest room in the world is room for improvement.”

Jake Alexander led the Red Raiders offense with 115 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns. Scottie Lee passed for 167 yards and 2 touchdowns. All but 23 of those yards went to Ray Grier. Mario Brandon came up with two inteceptions on defense.

Week 3 Scores:

Stuart Cramer 51 – East Gaston 13

West Lincoln 52 – Cherryville 20

Fred T. Foard 40 – North Lincoln 26

Bessemer City 35 – Chase 0

Shelby 48 – Burns 7

Kings Mountain 38 – T.C. Roberson 21

Ashbrook 18 – East Lincoln 3

South Point 42 – Forestview 0

Thomas Jefferson 44 – Chatham Central 12

South Davidson 31 – Highland Tech 14

Clover, SC 42 – Hunter Huss 41 (OT)

Huskies Fall Short In Overtime Defeat To Clover

                We have all heard the saying “Football is a game of inches” and that the one yard you are trying to get is the toughest yard. Those statements couldn’t be any truer as the Hunter Huss lost 42-41 in overtime to Clover off a failed two-point conversion play that was just inches short of the goal line.

                Football is also a game of momentum swings, opportunities and missed opportunities. There were plenty of those throughout the game. A Clover fumble early in the game put the Huskies in business. The Huskies made it to Clover’s four-yard line but were backed up with penalties that pushed them to the 30-yard line. But it didn’t seem to matter as quarter Zo Wallace connected with WR/backup QB Crawford Chandler for a 30-yard touchdown strike.

Later in the first quarter, the Huskies would return the favor. They would also fumble deep into their own territory setting the Blue Eagles up in great field position. Blue Eagles quarterback Garrett Miller answered the score with a one-yard touchdown run. The Huskies put themselves in grave danger with a fumble on the kickoff return. But two plays later, the Huskies would still it back with a sack and forced fumble of Miller. But Hunter Huss would not be able to capitalize.

 Miller would give the Blue Eagles the lead in the second quarter with a 24-yard touchdown run. Miller would use his arm late in the quarter to extend the lead when he connected with Jaylin Lane for a 43-yard touchdown pass. Nick Sciba was 3-for-3 on extra points in the first half.

The second half would see a huge momentum swing as it became the Crawford Chandler show. The Huskies stuck to the ground and pound game for most of the second half, but it was a 12-yard touchdown pass from Wallace to Chandler that got the second half party started. The Eagles would answer immediately with another Miller touchdown pass to Lane. This one was from 43 yards out. The score was 28-14.

Then Crawford Chandler went to work. Taking a direct snap from center at the 20-yard line, he found a big hole and took it the distance for an 80-yard touchdown run. His 27-yard run early in the fourth quarter tied the game. His 42-yard touchdown run gave the Huskies the lead for the first time since the first quarter with seven minutes to go. Trevor Hargett was 5-for-5 on extra point kicks.

The Blue Eagles did not go away however. David Hall answered the bell for Clover with a 23-yard touchdown run. Sciba’s extra point kick tied it with just under three minutes to go at 35-35. Backed up at their own three-yard line, Wallace completed a deep pass to Chase Nixon that put it just inside the 50 at the Clover 49-yard line. But an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty would back them up to the 36. The Huskies could not move it any further and were forced to punt close to the end of regulation.

In overtime, the Blue Eagles got the ball first and on the first play, Miller took it the whole ten yards for a touchdown. Sciba would remain perfect with his kicks at 6-for-6. With the help of a Clover facemask penalty on the first play, the Huskies were set up at the five-yard line. Dallas Danner was just one-yard short of getting in, but Zo Wallace finished it with a quarterback sneak into the end zone.

An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Clover moved the Huskies half the distance on their extra point try and they opted for the win on the two-point conversion. But the Blue Eagles defense stifled the attempt. The Blue Eagles have defeated all their Gastonia opponents, Ashbrook (56-26), Forestview (41-5) and Hunter Huss (42-41), but they face another Gaston County opponent next week as they travel to South Point in Belmont. Hunter Huss will face Hickory on Friday.

Red Raiders Blank Jaguars

                The South Point Red Raiders came to Forestview’s Joe Alala Stadium wearing their white jerseys and black pants. The last time South Point came to Forestview with that combo was in 2009 and that was the only time they lost at Forestview. The score was 21-20. Tonight would see no such repeat as it was all South Point tonight 42-0.

                The Red Raiders received the ball and did not miss a beat. Fullback Jake Alexander capped off the drive with a one-yard touchdown run. Cade Ratliff’s extra point made it 7-0. The Jaguars stalled on their first drive and that would be a constant problem the entire night. On the Red Raiders next drive, they went to the air. Quarterback Scottie Lee connected with Ray Grier for a 40-yard touchdown reception. Ratliff’s extra point made it 14-0.

                Down 14-0, the Jaguars knew they had to get something going. Being forced to punt, the Jaguars faked it when punter/kicker Holt Cloninger instead ran it 40 yards into Red Raiders territory. That would unfortunately be the biggest play for Forestview offensively in the first half. The Jaguars were also able to force a South Point fumble in the first quarter.

                The Red Raiders put another touchdown on the board in the second quarter when Lee connected with Grier again, this time with a 49-yard touchdown pass. The extra point kick was good. Both teams missed field goals in the second quarter. The score would remain 21-0 at half-time.

                The Jaguars did start to come to life in the second half. Sparked by a 44-yard pass from Jake Lee to Jake Long, the Jaguars were able to make it deep into Red Raiders territory at the five-yard line. But Lee would be intercepted in the end zone by Mario Brandon. He would have two on the night. That seemed to knock out what life Forestview did have.

                Late in the third quarter, a big mistake doomed Forestview. The Jaguars would fumble a punt return deep in their territory and South Point’s Nathan Hamilton returned it 20 yards for a touchdown. The Red Raiders would continue the onslaught in the fourth quarter. Alexander scored on a three-yard touchdown run and wingback/backup fullback Ty Tinker finished it off with a four-yard touchdown run.

                Forestview will travel to play Ashbrook next week. South Point will host Clover. Clover plays at home against Hunter Huss tonight.

Stormy Night For East Gaston As Stuart Cramer Rolls To 3-0

                You could get the feel of how the game would go early on. Even though the weather conditions at the time were calm and no stormy weather was in sight, the action on the field was a different story. Three plays and 42 seconds into the game was all it took for the Stuart Cramer Storm to set the tone. Quarterback Luke Carpenter capped off the three-play 50-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown run. Devin Baldwin’s kick made it 7-0. East Gaston would contribute to their demise early. A bad snap on the punt pinned them at their own ten-yard line. But the defense would get a moral victory as the Warriors held the Storm out of the end zone. Cramer had to settle for a Baldwin 28-yard field goal to make the score 10-0.

                The Storm would continue to thwart the Warriors. The Storm got the ball back at the 50 once again. This time it only took one play to reach the end zone. Jaylen Rocquemore, Cramer’s other quarterback, ran the ball 50 yards for a touchdown. Baldwin’s kick made it 17-0. But soon, Cramer would start making mistakes. Penalties and turnovers would stop the Storm’s ensuing drives. A fumbled quarterback-tailback exchange and a muffed punt by Jaylin Truesdale kept East Gaston in the game. The Warriors would give momentum right back when quarterback Kobe Creamer was intercepted in the end zone by the Storm’s Landon Helton.

                The Storm made them pay. Early in the second quarter, Kaiser Kayton got on the board with a 24-yard touchdown run. Big plays were plenty for the Storm as Demarrick Floyd scored on a 60-yard touchdown run. The Storm did use some pass plays by their two quarterbacks, Carpenter and Rocquemore. Rocquemore connected with Ethan Lurry with a 62-yard touchdown pass. Many of those yards came after the catch.

                Down 37-0, the Warriors finally answer back. A 45-yard pass play from Kobe Creamer to his brother, Jalen Creamer, and a personal foul on the Storm set the Warriors up at the three-yard line. Kobe Creamer took it in himself on a three-yard run play to get East Gaston on the board. Caleb Hager’s extra point made it 37-7.

                The Storm stormed back with another touchdown pass. This time it was from Carpenter to tight-end Kendall Karr from 33 yards out. Baldwin was 4-for-5 on his extra point kicks in the first half. 44-7 would be the half-time score. The third quarter was a stalemate.

                Carpenter scored the Storm’s final touchdown in the fourth quarter from three-yards out and the clock started to run continuously. East Gaston was able to get one final touchdown on the board as the final seconds ticked away. Creamer scored his second touchdown of the night with a six-yard run. No extra point conversion was attempted. The final score was 51-13.

                Robert Truesdale, Caleb Clemmer, John Griffin, Dylan Collins, Denorrian Lindsay, Sam Julen and Jackson Concannon each reginstered tackles for loss for the Storm. Truesdale and Will Waddell each registered a sack while Collins and Griffin combined for a sack. Landon Helton, Gabe Washington and JyKise Booker each got an interception. Washington and Griffin each recovered Warriors fumbles. East Gaston’s Chase Blackburn registered one sack, three tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries.  Caleb Hager and Preston Osborne also had fumble recoveries.  Donnell Maultsby grabbed the Warriors only interception in the game.

                “Stuart Cramer is a good team. They have an effective offense and a defense that gets after it.” said East Gaston head coach Sean Joyce “I felt like our guys fought hard. We’re still having a hard time moving the ball. It was a combination of youth and injuries. We’ve got several injuries.”

                Chase Blackburn’s big night on defense looked to be one of the few highlights for East Gaston “Chase Blackburn makes a lot of plays defensively. He’s got a motor that does not stop.”

                “I thought our guys played hard. It’s still early in the season. We got some things to clean up and get better at. Hopefully we can do that.” Said Cramer head coach Ben McMillan “Our guys on defense are swarming around getting to the ball. Those guys got a lot of experience over there and play hard. It’s good to see them making plays.”

“I think we got a few weapons there on offense. We were able to run the ball and threw it around more tonight than we did the last couple of weeks. We got some good talented receivers but they are still kind of young so we’re still trying to break them in. Our runningbacks did a great job and our offensive line paved the way for us.”

East Gaston travels to play Lincolnton next week. Stuart Cramer has a bye week, but will be on the road for the first time this season as they travel to play cross-town rival, South Point.