BY STEVE HANF
SALISBURY POST

SPENCER – Alfonzo Miller ran well and passed even better, and North Rowan’s defense took no prisoners as the Cavaliers pounded out a 42-3 homecoming win over West Iredell on Friday.

“We played well tonight,” North coach Roger Secreast said in something of an understatement. “This is the way the game is supposed to be played.”

Miller, the Cavaliers’ senior quarterback, was at the top of his game, completing 18-of-25 passes for 304 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed five times for 84 yards and another touchdown. In the second half, Miller was a perfect 10-for-10 before relinquishing the quarterbacking duties to his understudy, Jerome Allison, in the fourth quarter.

“Alfonzo never surprises me,” Secreast said. “We give him free reign to run the offense the way he sees fit. For the most part, all the coaches are are cheerleaders and advisers.”

If that be the case, then the Cavalier coaching staff had plenty to cheer about Friday. It took North (7-1 overall, 4-0 in the Central Carolina 2A Conference) just five plays to strike for their first score, Miller carrying in from 39 yards out as Allison delivered a crushing block that secured the touchdown.

The Cavalier scored on their first four possessions, battering the Warriors (2-6, 2-2) with a passing/rushing combination for which West had no answers. In addition to their 304 passing yards, the Cavaliers churned out another 246 yards on the ground on 21 rushing attempts.

Constantly at the center of the show was Miller.

“Alfonzo is always on the money,” said North’s sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah Cauthen, who was on the receiving end of four of Miller’s passes, two of the strikes going for touchdowns.

Cauthen said West’s defense also played a role in the Cavaliers’ offensive prowess.

“Their tackling was sloppy,” he said. “Very sloppy.”

As good as North’s offense was, the team’s defense might have been its equal. In the first half, West generated only 18 yards of offense – 16 coming on the ground and a mere two yards coming via the air.

There was only 6:29 remaining in the third quarter before West finally earned its first first down. For the night, North’s defensive line harassed West quarterback Malcom Harris into a 2-for-11 showing. North defenders Aundray Russell and Jhaun Taylor each snared interceptions.

“We’re trying to bring this type of intensity to every game,” said North defensive lineman Marcus Hayes, a 6-foot-3, 265-pound junior who was a constant thorn in the Warriors’ offensive game plan. “Every game’s a big game for us.”

Aaron Young, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound junior lineman, agreed.

“At this stage of the season, there are no unimportant games,” he said.

For the longest time it seemed as though the Warriors wouldn’t even move the ball past midfield. West’s first five possessions resulted in punts after the Warriors went three-and-out on each occasion.

But trailing 21-0 as the second quarter wound to a close, West finally caught a break when the Warriors dumped Miller at his own 6-yard-line as he looked to pass on third-and-long.

From there, North kicker Alex Gordon shanked a punt off the side of his foot, the ball going out of bounds at the Cavaliers’ 24.

But West wasn’t able to move the ball, going absolutely nowhere in three plays. After that, Warrior kicker Josh Hoke was well off the mark on a 42-yard field goal try.

West’s only score came late in the third quarter when the Warriors managed to put together a trio of first downs and drove to the Cavaliers’ 17. From there, Hoke booted a 34-yard field goal.

“There’s a saying that speed kills, and we took a big dose of that tonight,” said West coach Mark Weycker. “They’ve got so many weapons that they’re almost impossible to stop. It’s like a snowball. Once it gets rolling, it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. They were plenty big tonight.”

As good as the Cavaliers were, with a break here or there, they could have been even better. Thomas Mashore, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound senior running back, finished with 156 yards and one touchdown on eight carries.

But another 80-yard sprint for score by Mashore was called back when the Cavaliers were cited for holding.

Even that penalty failed to rattle Secreast.

“We’re pretty aggressive on offense,” he said. “Sometimes when you play like that, you’re going to get penalties.”

For the night, North was flagged eight times for 85 yards.

In the second half, the Cavaliers’ offense struck particularly fast. It took North only two plays to score on its first possession of the third quarter, Mashore setting sail on a 76-yard touchdown run where he easily out-sprinted the Warriors’ defenders.

The Cavaliers followed that by moving 70 yards in just three plays, James House taking a 44-yard pass from Miller for the touchdown.

North’s final score, coming early in the fourth quarter, came on a 21-yard strike from Miller to Cauthen.

Contact Steve Huffman at 704-797-4247 or shuffman@salisburypost.com .