Saturday football: Hough’s defense stops Northwestern

Hough’s defense looks strong enough to repeat as North Carolina’s Class 8A state football champion. 

The Huskies’ offense?

Well, that will get there, head coach DeShawn Baker said Saturday, after his team won the “game of champions,” downing Northwestern 15-10.

The contest, played at Rock Hill’s District 3 Stadium, matched North Carolina’s 8A champ against the defending South Carolina Class 5A/Division 2 state title-holder.

Northwestern has most key pieces back from an offense that averaged nearly 50 points a game last season.

But on Saturday, that Trojan attack was held pretty much in check by Hough’s defense.

Northwestern quarterback Xavier Means broke loose for a 76-yard touchdown run at the 7:02 mark of the first quarter, and he had a pair of big runs on his team’s final possession.

Otherwise, Means was scrambling much of the afternoon, and the Northwestern running attack was shut down.

Hough sacked Means five times in the first half and added two more in the second half. One of those first-half sacks resulted in a safety midway in the second quarter.

Baker told media members after the game that he wasn’t satisfied with his team’s offense, but that he expects improvement.

The Huskies won’t have much time to make that improvement.

They play again next Saturday evening at Bank of America Stadium, facing Raleigh’s Cardinal Gibbons in an 8 p.m. game.

That’s the same Cardinal Gibbons team that pummeled perennial Greensboro power Dudley 45-14 Saturday.

(Northwestern, by the way, faces Indian Land in the 4 p.m. opener of the Keep Pounding Classic next Saturday at Bank of America Stadium).

The Trojans jumped to a 7-0 lead on Means’ score, but Hough tied the game on its next possession, scoring on a 25-yard touchdown pass by Ethan Royal.

Hough had the next big opportunity, blocking a Northwestern punt early in the second quarter. The Huskies got the ball at the Trojans’ 25, but their drive was stopped on downs at the 6.

Two plays later, Means was sacked in the end zone for a safety, and Hough went ahead 9-7.

Northwestern regained the lead in the third quarter, after Dash Holley blocked a Hough punt.  The Trojans took over at the Huskies’ 27, but the drive stalled, and Alex Bendt kicked a go-ahead field goal with 1:56 left in the period.

Hough then made a big error, fumbling away the kickoff at its own 25.  Northwestern’s golden opportunity ended in a hurry, though, when Hough’s five-star defensive back, Josh Dobson, intercepted a Means pass.

Two plays later, Royal connected with Jahmere Anderson on a 71-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion failed, and Hough led 15-10 with 15 seconds left in the third quarter.

Hough drove to the Northwestern 21 late in the game, but the Trojans blocked a Huskie field goal try.

Means then had two big runs, taking Northwestern to the Hough 30 with about 90 seconds left.  But Hough’s defense held, forcing an incompletion on a fourth-down pass.

From there, the Huskies ran out the clock.

SATURDAY ROUNDUP

In other area games Saturday:

Charlotte Latin 27, Mitchell County 18: Troy Logan scored a key third-quarter touchdown on a 46-yard run, and Jack Lilly added a pair of fourth-quarter field goals in the Hawks’ season-opener at home.

Logan’s TD run put Latin up 21-6, but the Mountaineers scored late in the third quarter and cut the deficit to 21-12. Lilly kicked field goals of 31 and 32 yards late in the game, keeping his team ahead by more than one score.

Corvian Community 31, Asheville School 24: The Cardinals posted a big home victory, knocking off the defending N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association’s Division 2 champion. Corvian Community faces Independence next Friday.

Crest 28, Burns 14: The host Chargers won this Cleveland County rivalry before a sellout crowd on a Saturday afternoon.

Brock Melton’s second-quarter touchdown run put Crest up 7-0, but Burns tied the game in the third quarter on Markalen Camp’s 75-yard run.

Malachi Gamble ran 35 yards early in the fourth quarter for a Crest score, but Burns tied the game with 8:09 left on a 3-yard run by Romelo Wells.

The Chargers went ahead to stay with five minutes left, on a 61-yard pass from K.J. Bell to Majay Thompson.  The Chargers added a score on Khali Clark’s 15-yard interception return in the closing minutes.

Hopewell 43, East Mecklenburg 20: Antonio Jenkins threw five touchdown passes, including tosses of 80 and 50 yards, as the visiting Titans rolled. The Eagles scored on a Tiras Meaders kickoff return and two Tyler Willis touchdown runs.

Saturday’s games  

Nonconference

Charlotte Latin 27, Mitchell County 18

College Prep & Leadership (1-9) at Albemarle (5-7)

Corvian Community 31, Asheville School 24

Crest 28, Burns 14

Hopewell 43, East Mecklenburg 20

Hough 15, Northwestern 10

Trinity Christian 14, Covenant Day 0

West Stanly 34, South Stanly 13

Monday’s games  

Nonconference

Mountain Island Charter (7-6) vs. Lincoln Charter (3-7), at Lenoir-Rhyne Univ., 6 pm

Thursday scores

Mecklenburg nonconference

Berry Academy 19, West Mecklenburg 13

Bradford Prep 6, Thomas Jefferson Academy 0

Chambers 43, Gray Collegiate (SC) 21

Christ the King 36, Metrolina Christian 33

Garinger 28, Winston-Salem Prep 22

Greensboro Grimsley 24, West Charlotte 0

Greensboro Page 56, Charlotte Christian 23

Indian Land (SC) 49, Harding 0

Lake Wylie (SC) 41, Ballantyne Ridge 35

Mallard Creek 45, Rolesville 25

Providence 24, Hickory Ridge 21

Area nonconference

A.L. Brown 42, Porter Ridge 10

Anson County 42, Red Springs 0

Bunker Hill 47, Draughn 0

Central Cabarrus 21, Montgomery Central 14

Cherryville 41, North Stokes 6

East Gaston 34, North Gaston 8

East Lincoln 35, South Iredell 7

Forest Hills 49, Salisbury 7

Fred T. Foard 26, West Wilkes 13

Lake Norman 47, Sun Valley 0

Marvin Ridge 77, Cox Mill 13

Monroe 28, Hoke County 6

Mount Pleasant 35, Concord 6

Northwest Cabarrus 35, West Cabarrus 20

Parkwood 47, Piedmont 32

Pine Lake Prep 47, Bessemer City 14

South Point 34, Hickory 28

South Rowan 41, Union Academy 14

Stuart Cramer 42, Forestview 6

Statesville 36, East Surry 22

T.C. Roberson 48, Hunter Huss 12

West Forsyth 42, Davie County 13

West Iredell 43, East Burke 6

West Rowan 33, North Rowan 18

Wilkes Central 63, North Iredell 0

Friday scores

Mecklenburg nonconference

Ambassador Christian 21, Mountain View Prep-SC 14

Ardrey Kell 50, Cuthbertson 7

Butler 27, Olympic 14

Charlotte Catholic 24, South Mecklenburg 0

Hickory Grove Christian 19, Bonnie Cone Academy 0

Independence at Duncan Byrnes-SC, canceled due to bad weather

Jay M. Robinson 28, Charlotte Country Day 2

Lake Norman Charter 21, SouthLake Christian 10

North Mecklenburg 48, Rocky River 0

North Stanly 24, Community School of Davidson 21

Palisades 42, Ashbrook 28

Providence Day 49, Myers Park 13

Area nonconference

Alexander Central 49, Newton-Conover 28

East Lincoln 35, South Iredell 7

East Rowan 7, Wheatmore 7

Jesse Carson 41, Central Davidson 24

Lincolnton 30, Maiden 10

North Lincoln 7, West Lincoln 0

Shelby 28, Kings Mountain 21

Weddington 49, Mooresville 17