Middle Creek blanks one of NC’s last unbeaten HS football teams as playoffs loom

Something happened to previously unbeaten Cary High School football on its way to a final-week showdown with Cardinal Gibbons for a shot at a conference title.

That “something”? Middle Creek.

The Mustangs’ rushing attack was too strong for the Imps’ defense as visiting Middle Creek dominated the line of scrimmage in a 42-0 road win over Cary Friday night.

Middle Creek will go on the road to winless Holly Springs next week with an outside chance at a Triangle Six 6A/7A conference crown. Cary will look to regroup against Cardinal Gibbons, though the Imps would much rather have been squaring off with the Crusaders as fellow conference unbeatens.

Cardinal Gibbons has one loss on the season, to Charlotte-area power Mallard Creek. Its average margin of victory over conference teams this fall has been 46.7 points, including a 26-point win over Middle Creek on Oct. 17.

If Cary can rebound and win that matchup, though, and Middle Creek can topple Holly Springs, Middle Creek, Cary and Cardinal Gibbons would have identical 3-1 conference records.

Friday in Cary, it was all Middle Creek. Already leading by 35 at the half, the Mustangs’ defense remained staunch to the end, stuffing the Imps’ opening drive inside the 10-yard line. Middle Creek tacked on another score in the fourth quarter to close the scoring.

Mustangs roll in first half

Middle Creek got on the board early and often, staking itself to a two-touchdown lead with a heavy dose of the run game, first about four minutes into the game on a short TD run, and then again about four minutes later, also from inside the 5-yard line.

Despite starting at midfield, Cary’s ensuing drive stalled and the Imps had to punt. On its next possession spanning into the second quarter, Middle Creek again marched into Cary territory, Lex Sevilla cross the line from a yard out to push the Mustangs’ advantage to three scores.

Cary thought it had scored and climbed back into the game after a bizarre sequence in the second. After its third touchdown, Middle Creek tried for an onside kick, which it recovered.

The Mustangs then fumbled the ball, and Cary returned it to the end zone for what the Imps thought was their first touchdown of the game. But an illegal block in the back penalty negated the Cary score, and the Imps punted the ball back to Middle Creek four plays later.

The Mustangs inserted the dagger moments later when Tracy Harrington plunged into the end zone from 2 yards out, and they added another TD before halftime to push the margin to 35-0.