N&O roundup: Lopsided results lead Labor Day football games
No. 18 Cleveland 42, Apex Friendship 0: The Rams (2-1) were coolly efficient behind the running of Tyson Dew and passing of Caiden Norman Monday night on the road at Apex Friendship (1-1). The Rams used a balanced first half to pile up a 42-0 halftime lead.
Dew scored three first half touchdowns on the way to 111 yards on 13 carries to lead all rushers in the game. Norman completed 14 of 19 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns.
Jakob Scott caught a 10 yard pass from Norman in the first quarter and Griffin Duck scored on a 21 yard reception. Duck paced all receivers with eight catches for 93 yards. Joseph James also scored for the Rams with a 4-yard touchdown run.
Fred Dry
Clinton 62, Smithfield-Selma 0: The Dark Horses found the end zone on their first five possessions and were never threatened en route to securing the convincing non-conference road decision. Clinton (2-0), which reached the N.C. High School Athletic Association 2A East Regional final last season, received 110 yards on just 10 carries from senior standout Ryheem Skinner, who also tacked on three touchdowns.
By halftime, the Dark Horses were rolling at 34-0. Seven different Dark Horses scored touchdowns, and Clinton’s defense would limit the Spartans (0-3) to 123 total yards. Smithfield-Selma’s Ziggy Durogene returned a pair of kickoffs for potential touchdowns, but both scores were nullified by an illegal block infraction
Geoff Neville
East Wake 55, Cary 28: East Wake’s 21-point halftime lead against Cary vanished quickly as the Imps put up 21 straight third-quarter points to tie the game. The Warriors gained control after Tyshawn Milam ran for a score and threw for another in a five-minute span to the end the third and start the fourth quarter.
East Wake (1-2) notched their first win of the season with the help of some big offensive plays early. Milam scored his first of five touchdowns with a 24-yard pass to Justin Harrington, and later had a 59-yard passing score to Matthew McIntyre in the second.
Leading by 14, Milam put the game out of reach with a 37-yard run up the middle with 6:28 left in the game.
Cary (0-3) seized momentum at the start of the third quarter when Darrion Burnett took the opening kickoff 80 yards to the house. On the ensuing kickoff, East Wake fumbled, and on one play, Christopher Washington had a nine-yard score. Keeyon Hicks scrambled for a 26-yard run, one of his three touchdowns.
Cale Colosimo
Fike 21, Kinston 20: After scoring a total of seven points through three quarters on Thursday, Fike and Kinston combined for 34 points in the fourth quarter with the visiting Golden Demons on Monday. Fike senior quarterback Gage West scored three touchdowns – all in Monday’s final quarter – to pace the Golden Demons to the victory.
Kinston (1-2) had a chance to tie the game with 1:30 remaining after the third touchdown pass from Kam’Ryn Webster to Daenard Branch. However, the middle of the Fike defensive line blocked the Vikings’ point after to preserve the victory.
Bryan Hanks
No. 9 Heritage 50, Knightdale 6: The Huskies (3-0) rolled over the Knights (0-3) behind the legs of junior running back Ricky Person. Person rushed for 183 yards and four touchdowns, and the Huskies rushed for 313 total yards. The Heritage defense held the Knights to just 74 net yards, which accounts for the Knights’ 74-yard touchdown run by C.J. Gray.
Andrew Tie
No. 24 Northern Durham 20, No. 20 Holly Springs 13: The Knights hadn’t won a regular-season nonconference game on the field since 2002 (they picked up a forfeit win in 2014 from Dudley), but broke through against the Golden Hawks.
Luke Fenlon completed seven of 13 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Both teams are now 1-2 after the Knights avenged last season’s 25-20 road loss. Daylan Fenton and Cade Barnhill caught the TD passes, while De’Shi Atkins ran for the Knights’ final score in the third period.
Bryce Wheaton scored both Golden Hawks touchdowns, one on a fumble recovery in the end zone in the first quarter and the other on a 20-yard Austen Wiegers pass with 44 seconds to play. Holly Springs attempted a final onside kick, but it went out of bounds.
Mike Potter
No. 22 Lee County 22, Laney 0: Lee County’s defense looked as good as ever and Jahmir Smith ran for three touchdowns and 133 yards as the Yellow Jackets moved to 3-0 and took out the Bucs in Wilmington. A week earlier, Laney had upset J.H. Rose 14-13.
Staff reports
Midway 46, Rosewood 13: Midway remains unbeaten after recording 405 yards in total offense over winless Rosewood Monday night and cruising to a win.
Midway running backs Sha’king Warren and Luke Clark eclipsed the century mark for rushing yards, with 136 and 116 yards on the ground respectively while scoring a touchdown each. Quarterback Austin Raynor threw for three touchdowns as Midway improved to 3-0.
Ty Johnson
Northwood 47, Jordan-Matthews 0: Northwood (1-2) held county rival Jordan-Matthews to just 8 total yards in the Chargers’ first win of the season. The Jets fell to 0-3 for the first time since 2003. Northwood junior Alex Parker threw for five touchdowns and 203 yards, while Tyrell Baldwin caught and ran for a score.
“I give all the credit to my O-line and receivers,” said Parker. “I just needed to make the right reads and throw the ball, and those guys would make the plays. We just played a really good team game tonight.”
Senior captain Michael Hayes recorded two sacks and two fumble recoveries to pace the Northwood defense.
“The kids played tight the first two games, but we told them they just needed to loosen up and play fast,” said Northwood head coach Brian Harrington. “This is the culmination of that.”
Dave Malenick
No. 10 Orange 14, Riverside 0: Orange (3-0) found a way to win its 18 consecutive regular season nonconference game despite no first downs in the second half and Riverside (1-2) holding it to no offensive touchdowns and 61 yards of offense.
Junior Payton Wilson returned a punt 48 yards for a touchdown and senior cornerback Alex Long returned an interception 40 yards for the Panthers’ only scores. Earlier in the game, Wilson replaced Rodney Brooks as punt returner. His touchdown was only the second time he had returned a punt.
“I worked out during my freshman year doing it,” said Wilson, who led Orange with just 29 yards rushing. “I would have liked to have tried it last year, but I broke my ankle on the first day of practice.”
It was another night where the Orange defense carried the freight. Riverside could only muster 93 yards total offense.
Jeff Hamlin
Ravenscroft 24, T.W. Andrews 22: The Ravens were down 22-21 with 36.8 seconds left but got down the field quick enough for Zach Murphy to kick the game-winner with 6 seconds left.
Staff reports
No. 2 Wake Forest 48, Southeast Raleigh 13: Wake Forest moved to 3-0 thanks to seven interceptions by the Cougars’ defense – including two apiece by Will Jones and Darius Hodge. Hodge, an N.C. State linebacker recruit, was one of two Wake Forest players to return an interception for touchdown, the other 270-pound lineman Jeremy Johnson.
Wake Forest’s Drew Homschek blocked a punt and Marquis Dunn ran for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Southeast Raleigh’s Tyler Williams had a pick-six himself for an early 7-0 lead.
J. Mike Blake
MORE SCORES
Ayden-Grifton 28, North Pitt 13
Beddingfield 35, Greene Central 12
No. 13 Cardinal Gibbons 28, Green Hope 24
C.B. Aycock 44, North Lenoir 36
Cedar Ridge 47, East Chapel Hill 6
Clayton 26, No. 25 South Johnston 25
No. 4 D.H. Conley 44, Washington 7
East Wake 55, Cary 38
Farmville Central 46, Pamlico County 6
Grimsley 27, Athens Drive 6
TUESDAY GAMES
Goldsboro at Southern Wayne, 7 p.m.
Harnett Central at Triton, 6:30 p.m.
Overhills at Western Harnett , 6:30 p.m.
Halifax Academy at Cary Christian, 6 p.m.
Rocky Mount Academy at Community Christian, 6 p.m.
SouthWest Edgecombe at South Central, 6 p.m.
Warren County at Northampton County, 6 p.m.
This story was originally published September 5, 2016 at 11:15 PM with the headline "N&O roundup: Lopsided results lead Labor Day football games."