Hough defense smothers Providence Day in 30-3 romp
Well, that’s settled.
Hough answered the question about which high school football team is No. 1 in North Carolina, and the Huskies did it emphatically Friday night – 30-3 over Providence Day.
The Huskies’ defense made life miserable for the Chargers, knocking Providence Day quarterback Cole Cater out of the game in the second quarter and allowing the Chargers only one deep drive.
South Carolina commit Davion Jones played perhaps the biggest role in Hough’s romp, intercepting two passes and stripping the ball from Cater on the play in which he was injured.
The loss snapped Providence Day’s 15-game winning streak. The Chargers’ last loss was in the 2024 N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association championship game, to Rabun Gap School from Georgia.
Hough, the defending N.C. High School Athletic Association 8A state champion, dominated nearly from start to finish Friday night. The teams played before a packed house, with ticket sales being curtailed Thursday night. Fans packed the stands and stood three-deep along the fence surrounding the field.
Jones ended Providence Day’s first drive with an interception, but the Chargers’ defense then held Hough on downs inside the Providence Day 10.
That’s when the Chargers launched their only big drive of the night. Cater connected with Ethan Dempsey on a 35-yard pass to the 40. He then completed a pass, off his back foot, to Braylon Clark at the Hough 30. The drive stalled, though, and Kevin Munoz kicked a field goal for a 3-0 lead.
Hough then drove 80 yards, scoring on a 4-yard run by Ethan Royal for a 7-3 lead.
Jones then picked off another Cater pass at the Providence Day 30 and returned it to the Chargers’ 10. On the next play, Jamarion Morrison ran for a touchdown.
Providence Day’s next possession ended with Cater’s injury and another Hough touchdown. Jones knocked the ball out of the quarterback’s hand, and teammate Caleb Dorsett ran 22 yards for a touchdown. With the conversion kick, Hough led 21-3.
Hough had one more possession in the first half, and it ended with a Cole Johnson 29-yard field goal. Three pass interference calls against the Chargers helped the Huskies on that drive.
Junior Gavin Bronikowski replaced Cater at quarterback, and he was able to get Providence Day’s offense going at times in the second half. But when the offense would start moving, someone on Hough’s defense – Jones, Dorsett, or any of seven or eight other players – would sack Bronikowski or stop a running back for a loss.
The Huskies got their final score in the third quarter, on a 37-yard pass from Royal to Mason Pearsall-Brown.
Providence Day 3 0 0 0 – 3
Hough 0 24 6 0 – 30
PD – FG Kevin Munoz 34
H – Ethan Royal 4 run (Cole Johnson kick)
H – Jamarion Morrison 10 run (Johnson kick)
H – Caleb Dorsett 22 fumble recovery (Johnson kick)
H – FB Johnson 29
H – Mason Pearsall-Brown 37 pass from Royal (kick failed)
