North quarterback Mario Sturdivant enjoyed one of his best game’s of the season in Friday night’s 29-13 win against South Rowan.

He completed 65 percent of his passes (20-for-31) for 184 yards and scored once on a 2-yard run. His passing in key situations helped North amass 21 first downs and control the game’s tempo.

“He runs their offense tremendously well. He’s not the No. 1-rated quarterback in the state for nothing,”South head coach Rick Vanhoy said. “You put him back 8 yards in the shotgun it’s hard to put pressure on him.”

While Sturdivant thrived in the mobile shotgun situation, North head coach Roger Secreast also praised the linemen protecting him and forcing the Raider rush in other directions. Jarrett Wishon, Omar Jackson, Marcus Hayes, DavidEverhart, Anthony Nguyen and Ben Motley allowed only one sack while playing against, for the most part, bigger and better rested South players who didn’t pull double duty on both lines.

When the front five gave their QBtime to get outside, that only put more pressure on South.

“We were trying to move the pocket tonight, trying to get him to the corner and stretch the defense,”Secreast said. “It gives an added dimension to our passing game because if you let him run he can hurt you in another dimension.”

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flag on the play: After committing just two penalties for 10 yards in the first half, Secreast knew things could only get worse. But he didn’t know the half of it.

North’s first drive of the second half stalled after a 28-yard holding penalty. The Cavs had to punt again on their next series after an unsportsmanlike penalty and another holding call led to a second-and 27 situation that ended with fourth-and-25.

In all, the Cavs collected 82 yards of penalties, a season-high by 1 yard over last week at Salisbury.

“It’s like a rash sometimes. They get in your way and you can’t get rid of them,” Secreast said.

East Rowan bounced back from a season-low 65-yard rushing effort against West Rowan to pile up a season-high 303 ground yards in its 38-0 massacre of Harding.

East’s previous best rushing output was 280 yards against Mount Pleasant.

East continues to have four backs listed in the county’s dandy dozen.

Cal Hayes Jr. has produced 489 rushing yards, followed by Thomas Hendrickson (311), Jason Powles (246) and Chris Faavesi (191 yards).

East has scored 22 rushing touchdowns, the most in the county.

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KILLERKICKER: East’s Hunter Kepley leads the county’s kickers in scoring with 26 points.

Kepley has 23 PATs and booted his first field goal of the season Friday in the romp over Harding.

South’s Robby Basinger is second with 20 points, including three field goals.

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PLAYINGHURT: East receiver Brent Lambert is battling a partially torn medial colateral ligament but still managed to haul in a 50-yard pass reception against Harding.

It was Lambert’s longest play of the season.

A preseason loaded with optimism has come crashing down in the form of a 1-6 record with four games left to play for South Rowan.

But as the Raiders enter their off week following a 29-13 loss to North Rowan, positives still can be found.

“It’s more important that we get ourselves together,”Vanhoy said. “We’re very frustrated, we felt we’d be a lot better right now, and we are a lot better football team from a year ago, the wins just haven’t come for us. I’m sure it’s driving the kids crazy.”

Not to mention the coaches. But any team that finishes high in the conference season can go to the playoffs, even a squad with a 1-6 record in nonconference action. That will be Vanhoy’s message as his Raiders prepare for the 4ACentral Piedmont Conference season in games at Davie County and West Forsyth and at home for R.J. Reynolds and Mt. Tabor.

“It’s a four-game season and we need three wins and we’re in the playoffs,”Vanhoy said. “It’s a tall order by any stretch of the imagination, but teams have done it before.”

Even in another loss, this time 21-12 to Lexington, Ken Drye proved himself the Hornet leader Friday night. He had two interceptions and two touchdowns.

“Ken always plays well,” said Salisbury coach Raymond Daugherty. “If he isn’t all-conference and all-county, then there isn’t one.”

Quarterback Terry Johnson was certainly impressed.

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STAYINGUP: Johnson went only 9-of-27 passing against Lexington but he held his head up afterward.

“I try to think of positive things,” said the first-year signal-caller. “I don’t get down on myself because a quarterback can’t do that. Every game is a competition so I try not to show my emotions.”

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LITTLEWILLIE: They call Willie Hosch’s father Big Willie, so naturally, his son is called Little Willie.

But the 5-foot-7, 140-pound junior waterbug played big Friday night against Lexington. He finished with three catches for 43 yards and played well in the defensive backfield.

His biggest play was a 30-yard catch-and-run down to the Lexington 21 with four minutes left to give Salisbury a chance. The Hornets trailed 14-12 at the time.

“Willie came through when I needed him,” said Johnson.

Falcons head coach Scott Young said that West’s 21-14 loss to Northwest Friday night could turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the Falcons if they react in the right way.

“Some kids might have been getting complacent,” said Young. “Some might have started believing they were better than they were. These are good boys, but we didn’t have a good week of practice last week. We lost a day and a half to the rain and we had a lot of other distractions.”

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DISAPPOINTMENT: None of the Falcons played any better than defensive lineman J.D. Watkins, who put heat on Northwest QBRyan Woodham and made some big hits at the line of scrimmage.

None of the Falcons took the loss any harder than Watkins, either.

“We had this game and we let it go,” he said. “It’s on the players, not the coaches. We didn’t do what the coaches told us to do.

“We’re trying to keep our heads up, but it’s tough. It hurts to lose that homecoming game.”

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FASTCOMPANY: Despite Friday’s loss, West is still on line to accomplish some historic things this season.

Only six West teams in the school’s first 40 years won as many as six games. The current team (5-1) can join that group with just one more victory.

Only two West teams (1967, 1994) have won as many as eight games. The school record is nine by the 1994 team.

Twenty-seven of West’s first 40 teams had losing seasons. The current Falcons definitely won’t be joining that group.

It didn’t matter much, but Wonders receiver Blair Hardin was shut out for the first time this season in Friday night’s 70-0 win at Piedmont.

During his prep career in Kannapolis, Hardin has scored in four different ways. He’s found the end zone on punt returns, pass receptions, fumble returns and interception returns.

The Comets’ defense was shredded for more than 40 points for the fifth straight game in Friday’s 45-16 loss to Ledford.

The Comets were steamrolled by Madison Hedgecock, the 230-pound tailback/tobacco farmer, who has verbally committed to the University of North Carolina.

Hedgecock, returning after missing two weeks with a separated shoulder, scored three touchdowns in the rout.

The Comets got their only TDs on a 5-yard run by O.J. Owens and a 23-yard run by Kamal Watkins.