Prep football notebook …

DB Jaleel Hitchens came through with his second pick-six in three weeks to spark North Rowan’s 27-10 CCC win against East Davidson on Friday.

North Rowan has scored frequently on special teams in recent years, but Hitchens is the first Cavalier since Javon Hargrave in 2010 to score two defensive TDs in the same season. Hargrave had two fumble-return TDs that year.

• Trae Clark accounted for a special-teams score against East Davidson with the second kickoff return TD of his career. He also returned a kickoff all the way against South Davidson as a sophomore.

• North Rowan has won 11 straight conference games — eight in a row since moving up to the CCC, plus its last three league games in the 1A Yadkin Valley Conference in 2012.

Carson

Sometimes the stats don’t tell the whole story.

Carson coach Joe Pinyan said QB Andy Lear had one of his best games in Friday’s 49-10 romp against Northwest Cabarrus — even with zero passing years.

“He got the ball in the right places and made the right decisions,” Pinyan said. “He was productive.”

• Carson special teams player of the week Cole Howard was 7-for-7 on PATs, but he was even more valuable for his kickoffs.

“We’re asking him to kick the ball to certain places on the field, and he executed,” Pinyan said. “He was a big positive.”

• Linebacker Anthony McCurry was Carson’s defensive player of the week. He had nine solo tackles and four assists. Alex Lyles had seven solos, seven assists and a sack. Conner Wilson had two tackles for loss. Austin Lear and Jonathan Rucker picked off passes. Rucker also had four breakups.

Salisbury

The Hornets’ 8-7 CCC road win against Thomasville was the first one-point win for Salisbury since a 36-35 victory against High Point Andrews in the third round of the playoffs in 2012.

• Salisbury (4-5, 3-0) won at Thomasville’s Cushwa Stadium for the first time since an overtime victory in 1981.

• Salisbury prevailed despite a season-low 39 rushing yards. Sacks contributed to the low rushing total. QB Riley Myers was sacked several times and had minus-44 yards rushing.

• Salisbury’s defense allowed the fewest points it’s allowed since a 39-7 victory over West Davidson midway through the 2012 season. Salisbury’s defense hasn’t recorded a shutout since a 59-0 walloping of West Davidson in 2011.

• Ryan Jones had a season-high seven catches, including the touchdown reception that gave the Hornets a chance to win on Antwond Glenn’s 2-point conversion run.

• Myers threw his 12th TD pass of the season and 16th of his career.

• D.J. Alexander had his third fumble recovery of the season. Jordan Oglesby and Robbie Slate produced sacks that cost Thomasville 26 yards.

South Rowan

Alex Parham, mostly a defensive lineman, produced a 98-yard rushing day in a 44-14 SPC loss to Hickory Ridge.

• Aaron Kennerly threw the 16th TD pass of his career for the Raiders (2-7, 1-6 SPC).

• Alex Helms caught that TD pass and has scored in three different ways this season. He also has a rushing TD and a pick-six.

• South Rowan has lost six straight since beating Northwest Cabarrus on Sept. 12 and is 7-44 since it went 9-3 in 2009.

• South Rowan has a chance for a win on Friday when Central Davidson, also 2-7, visits. South Rowan has played a significantly tougher schedule.

West Rowan

Harrison Baucom needs 78 yards for 1,000 for the season. If he reaches the milestone, that would extend a streak. The Falcons have produced at least one 1,000-yard rusher every season since Scooter Dalton got things rolling in 1999.

• The Falcons (6-3, 4-2) had a tough time running the ball against Concord in Friday’s 32-6 loss. Baucom had 13 rushing attempts for 1, 0 or negative yards and lost 10 yards attempting a halfback pass.

Jovon Quarles was thrown for losses three times, as the Spiders, who have only one league game remaining, clinched a share of the league title.

• West Rowan is successful at picking up first downs on a high percentage of its faked punts, but Concord was ready and stopped L.J. Robinson less than a yard from the sticks when the Falcons tried it on Friday.

• It appeared West Rowan’s streak of not being shut out might end, but Kacey Otto’s rushing TD with 5:15 left to play extended that string to 165 games, dating back to a shutout by Mooresville in 2002.

• Some of the positives for the Falcons came from the jayvees. Bryant Young, son of coach Scott Young, had his first varsity completion, and Maravio Rankin ran the ball with some success late in the game. Rankin would’ve had his first varsity TD but fumbled into the end zone.

East Rowan

East Rowan players talked about Ledford having a sturdy defense last week, and that scouting report proved accurate. The Mustangs (4-5, 3-3) lost 19-13 to the Panthers on Friday despite a strong defensive effort led by DB Willie McCree.

McCree was credited with 11 solo stops three straight weeks against Carson, Concord and Hickory Ridge and added a bundle of assists.

• East had not held an opponent under 20 points — and still lost — since a 14-0 setback against Hickory Ridge in 2010.

• Sal Sanchez has kicked 69 PATs for the Mustangs the past two seasons.

• Samuel Wyrick threw two TD passes against Ledford, including one on the final play of the game to Naquis Caldwell.

Wyrick has 27 TD passes this season and 63 for his career. The county records held by West Rowan’s B.J. Sherrill are 31 for a season and 66 for a career.

• Seth Wyrick’s seven receptions boosted his career total to 145. The county record is Lamont Savage’s 158. Savage had 57 catches for North Rowan (2002-03) and 101 for West Rowan (2004-05).

  

Davie County

Junior Ben Ellis had his third straight 100-yard receiving game in Friday’s 58-6 CPC romp against Parkland and went over 1,000 receiving yards for the season for the War Eagles (5-4, 1-3 CPC).

Ellis has six 100-yard games to his credit and has been held under 90 yards only by Reagan.

• Davie’s prolific offense hasn’t been held under 25 points all season.

• Senior QB Parker Correll had a big rushing game against Parkland. He’s accounted for 24 TDs this season — 16 passing and eight rushing — and over 2,500 yards of offense.

• Not unexpectedly, Davie County’s defense posted its best numbers of the season against Parkland.

A.L. Brown

A.L. Brown coach Mike Newsome said his team played about as well as it could offensively in Friday’s 52-35 loss to powerhouse Mallard Creek.

Newsome wasn’t exaggerating. The Wonders rushed for a season-high 374 yards and averaged 8.3 yards on running plays against the strong Mavericks. QB Damon Johnson broke loose for a career-best 170 yards, while Sandon McCoy plowed for 123 on 19 carries.

Jayln Cagle scored his seventh and eighth TDs, one on a kickoff return. Brylan Weaks, who has emerged as the go-to receiver, caught his sixth TD pass.

• The Wonders (4-5, 2-3 MECKA) are unlikely to play at Memorial Stadium the rest of the season. They’re in the Lions’ Den at West Charlotte Friday, and it’s obviously a huge game. The teams are tied for fourth place.

• Mo Collins, a former NFL player in his first year as West Charlotte’s head coach, passed away on Sunday. Collins had made the Lions better. They entered this season on a 15-game losing streak.