Staff report
Will add quotes, stats, clarifications, etc.
GRANITE QUARRY — West Rowan wiped out a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter and rallied for a 35-33 South Piedmont Conference win at East Rowan on Friday.
East quarterback Julian Cauble threw for almost 250 yards, with Jason Bonds catching three touchdown passes.
Jayden Peters and Jaxon Lyons had short scoring runs for East, but it was tough to run against the Falcons. Lyons carried 25 times for 56 yards.
CJ Macon had an interception for East. Kaleb Whiteous set up a score with a long punt return.
West (4-3, 3-1) scored a touchdown barely a minute into the game when Cooper Martin broke a 72-yard run.
But then it was all East (3-4, 1-3) for a long time.
Cauble hit Bonds with nine seconds left in the first half to take a 20-7 lead to the break, but a PAT that would prove crucial later was blocked.
West had over 170 rushing yards in the first half alone, but that wasn’t translating into points on the scoreboard.
East peaked when it went up 27-7 in the third quarter on a 4-yard scoring run by Lyons.
One more East score likely would have finished off the Falcons, but Kaden Sanders picked off a Cauble pass and returned it 50 yards.
West made it 27-14 on Brant’s Graham’s 17-TD pass to Sloan Stewart on a middle screen.
West got back to 27-21 with a sudden defensive score. East was backed up and Cauble was hit in the end zone as he started to throw and fumbled. West head coach Louis Kraft wasn’t 100 percent sure who recovered the fumble on Friday night. He’ll have to watch the film to confirm, but he believes Davidson made the strip and Trenton Freeman made the recovery.
West made it 27-all on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Graham to Brennon Stevenson, who was running free behind the East defense, and Carter Durant’s fourth PAT gave the Falcons the lead.
West made it 28 unanswered points when Ja’mih Tucker rolled 40 yards with a pick-six for a 35-27 lead, but the Mustangs weren’t done.
Cauble’s third scoring connection with Bonds made it 35-33 with under two minutes left. East tried for a 2-point conversion, but West stuffed an inside running play. After West recovered East’s onside kick, all the Falcons had to do was kneel for the final minute.
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SPENCER — North Rowan destroyed Thomas Jefferson 58-0 in a Yadkin Valley Conference game.
Mike Alford had a sensational night with 8-for-11 passing for 337 yards and five TDs. Tristen Brown came in and threw a TD pass as well.
A’son Best had one of the biggest receiving games in program history with six catches for 224 yards and three TDs. Jo Jo Tarver had a 39-yard rushing TD and an 89-yard receiving TD. Dyaon Norman-Jackson and Khi Walker also had long touchdown catches.
Shakeel Monroe scored on a 68-yard kickoff return for the Cavaliers (4-3, 4-0). Jaiden Brown had a long punt return,
Jordin Moreno kicked a field goal and seven PATs.
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LANDIS — Robinson overpowered South Rowan 42-0 in SPC play, although the Raiders, who are pretty banged up right now, battled for a long time. It was 21-0 at the half.
Landon Deal played quarterback with Lincoln Carlberg out. Standout back Nic Woolf was injured on South’s first series, although Jayden Arthur went in the game and did well. Brayden Mahaley also played well for the Raiders (3-4, 0-4).
Robinson (6-1. 4-0) amassed 264 rushing yards and 178 passing yards and stayed tied for first with Northwest Cabarrus.
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SALISBURY — Salisbury (1-6, 0-4) got rushing touchdowns from Isaiah Foxx and Da’Rrius Jefferies and hung with Northwest Cabarrus (6-1, 4-0) in the early going, but the Trojans rolled 44-14 in SPC action.
NWC led 30-14 at halftime and pulled away in the second half to put a damper on homecoming festivities.
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CONCORD — A.L. Brown (4-3, 3-1) got another huge rushing game from Lemar Grier and won 39-21 at Central Cabarrus in Greater Metro Conference action.
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CONCORD – Carson got a great defensive effort, but lost 20-7 at Concord in SPC action.
Carson (3-4, 1-3) marched 80 yards on a six-minute drive early in the game and scored on a Griffin Barber to Colin Masingo pass for a 7-0 lead.
It was 7-all at halftime.
Concord took a 10-7 lead on a 52-yard field goal and added another field goal to lead 13-7. The Spiders (5-2, 3-1) tacked on a touchdown late to put the game away.
The Cougars played short-handed. They didn’t have Damo’n Broussard, Rosean Perkins on offense and were missing Konnor Karriker on defense.
