GRANITE QUARRY — The beatings go on for East Rowan’s football team.

Only difference was Friday’s unsightly 42-22 South Piedmont Conference loss to visiting Northwest Cabarrus didn’t leave many bruises.

“It was actually encouraging,” coach Tom Eanes said after the Mustangs (1-4, 2-6 overall) forced five turnovers and saw their Hambone offense rack up more than 300 total yards. “I haven’t been this proud of our team in so long. We really hung in there. Their coach even thanked me for making it interesting.”

The game may have been worth the five bucks admission, but it wasn’t worth remembering. East gave the ball away eight times — four lost fumbles and four Drew Davis interceptions — and played careless defense.

“I can only speak for myself,” said defensive lineman Cody Merrifield. “But I had a bad game. As a team, we basically missed a lot of assignments.”

They missed enough that Northwest (3-2, 5-3 overall) running backs Shelton Rosenboro and Josh Mauney were able to run like a couple bulls at Pamplona. They combined for 337 yards rushing and four touchdowns.

“We were quick off the ball and there were big holes for us,” Rosenboro said after punturing the Mustangs for 203 yards and three scores. “When the offensive line does its job like that, it makes it easy for us.”

As for heralded Northwest quarterback Ryan Woodham, just say that inventor Samuel Morse wouldn’t have had much use for him — he didn’t telegraph anything.

“He hid the ball well,” said East’s Cal Hayes, who played sparingly at defensive back. “He did a good job with counters and fakes. Usually by the time we found the ball, it was too late. That was the biggest thing — not being able to see the ball.”

There was certainly some good news for the Mustangs, who trailed 21-0 early in the third quarter. Hayes scored two highlight-reel touchdowns, one on 55-yard pass from Davis and another on a 74-yard zig-zag run down the left sideline.

“We getting used to the Hambone,” Hayes said after gaining 125 yards on the ground. “We’ve been getting a lot of repititions in practice. We finally got to show what we can do in a game. We showed a lot of heart.”

Davis didn’t. Despite passing for a season-high 129 yards, he was picked off twice in each half and doubled his season interception total.

“There’s no excuse for that many,” he said. “That’s my fault. The offensive line did a great job. I had plenty of time to throw. I just didn’t make the plays I should have made.”

Three of Davis’ misfires set up Northwest scoring drives, including Woodham’s 1-yard TD plunge that closed the scoring with 2:49 to play. Trojan defensive back Brandon Smith offered an explanation.

“(Davis) kind of made it obvious what he was going to do,” said Smith, who knocked down three passes, interecepted two and revovered a fumble. “One play they’d run an option and the next they’d counter back to Calvin. We watched them a lot on film so we were able to figure out their pattern.”

Eanes, for his part, is still tinkering under the hood of a season that’s broken down on the side of the road.

“You give us time in the weight room and time to work on the Hambone and it will come around,” he said in the upbeat East locker room. “We just gotta get the kids to see it every day and start hearing it 365 days a year. It’ll work out.”

That may happen sooner than later. The Mustangs’ ship is on course, but it may take some time to reach their desired destination — the state playoffs.

“They fought and they fought and they fought,” Eanes emphasized. “Maybe Northwest was better tonight, but my kids never gave up. That’s a good sign. It’s all I can ask for.”

NOTES: Jordan Shinn scored East’s final touchdown on a 2-yard run midway through the fourth period. ... Adam Trexler and Mark Misenheimer had interceptions for the Mustangs and teammates Adam Lambert, Josh Greene and Matt Butler recovered fumbles.