From staff reports
Now here’s a shock. West Rowan tailback K.P. Parks is bearing down on another state record.
There’s a twist to this one, however. This one isn’t about his amazing four-year career.
It’s about his senior season.
Parks has rushed 344 times for 3,348 yards and 50 TDs to lead West to a 14-0 record. He needs 131 yards to break the state rushing mark for a season.
The record belongs to Greenville Rose’s Andre Brown, who rushed for 3,478 yards in 2003. Between Brown and Parks is Goldsboro’s Montrell Coley, who amassed 3,456 rushing yards in 1996.
West is 51-5 during Parks’ career, with a pair of 11-2s, followed by 15-1 and 14-0.
Parks has rushed for at least 100 yards 53 times in 55 career outings (he sat out a 2007 game after he was suspended for a flip into the end zone).
He’s rushed for more than 200 yards 23 times and has topped 300 twice.
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CATCH OF THE DAY: West senior receiver Jon Crucitti caught two passes in a 28-14 win against Asheville on Friday and had another long reception called back by penalty.
Crucitti has tied the county record for catches in a season with 68. North’s Tony Walker set the mark in 2002.
Crucitti has 1,107 receiving yards this season, third on the all-time list, and his first catch this Friday could break the county’s season mark for receiving yardage.
Record-holder Johnny Yarbrough (East) had 1,117 receiving yards in 13 games in 1969.
East’s Nick Heard is second with 1,110 receiving yards in 13 games in 1997.
Crucitti, who missed the season opener, also has played in 13 games.
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4,000 CLUB: West junior QB B.J. Sherrill threw only three times in the second half Friday ó his lone completion was a big one to KaJuan Phillips ó but he now has 4,130 yards of total offense for his career.
Rowan County’s 4,000-yard club is pretty exclusive. Members include West’s Parks, Tim Hogue and Wade Moore; North’s Mario Sturdivant, Sakelo Lilly, Mitch Ellis, Alfonzo Miller and Carvie Kepley; Boyden’s Eddie Kesler; East’s C.M. Yates; and South’s Blake Houston.
Sherrill has thrown 35 TD passes the past two seasons.
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ROCKY VIII: Give DB John Dunlap credit for recovering a sky-kick by Asheville that was muffed by teammate Quan Cowan.
Dunlap was punched several times while he was at the bottom of the pile, but he held onto the ball.
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MORE LOOSE BALLS: Guard Charles Holloway had an even bigger recovery at the Asheville 2-yard line when Sherrill fumbled on a fourth-and-2 run from the 5 on the final play of the third quarter.
“I just saw the ball laying there and picked it up,” Holloway said. “I thought I scored, but they said I didn’t.”
Holloway did get the ball back, however, and West did have the distance for a first down.
Parks scored on the next play.
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DOMINATION: Three of the four winningest teams in county history have been produced by West in the past five seasons.
West won 15 games in 2008, has won 14 this year and took 13 in 2005.
Running back Dominique Dismuke was Salisbury’s offensive player of the week from a 35-7 win against Pisgah even though he finished with only four carries for 10 yards.
All four rushing attempts came on the Hornets’ first scoring drive, and he converted a third-and-1 just shy of midfield.
“He made some important yards when we had to have them, and he had some important blocks when we had to have them,” Pinyan said.
Fullback Ike Whitaker (16 carries for 94 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown) had another productive game for the Hornets, who have faced defenses that know the threat posed by Romar Morris.
Morris, who won titles in the 100 meters and 200 meters at the 2A state track meet earlier this year, has gained a combined 64 yards the last two weeks. He had 146 in a first-round win against East Burke.
“People are keying on Romar so much, these other guys are having to carry the load, and they’re doing a pretty good job of it,” Pinyan said.
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RANK AND FILE: Darien Rankin leads the Hornets with 127 tackles this season, and his forced fumble on a sack near the end zone against Pisgah led to a touchdown by Chris Bruce.
“I’m so happy for our defense to score down there,” Pinyan said. “Those guys wanted to score, and they’ve just kept coming up short.”
Rankin was Salisbury’s special teams player of the week. The Hornets are missing Joseph Figueroa (leg injury), and Rankin’s 22-yard punt return gave Salisbury possession at the Pisgah 42 with 4:10 left in the first half. A touchdown pushed the Hornets ahead 14-0.
“I think if you let him carry the water bottles out from the timeout, he’d find a great way to do it,” Pinyan said. “He’ll do anything you ask him to do.
“I think he’s starting to understand he’s got a future at this game ó and a big future.”
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LINE OF DEFENSE: Dominique Phillips (cornerback) and Linares Pagan (linebacker) were Salisbury’s co-players of the week on defense.
Phillips has moved from safety to corner since Figueroa got hurt in a second-round win against Shelby. Pagan, who ranks third on the team with 102 tackles, had 12 stops against Pisgah. He forced a fumble that helped the Hornets take a 21-0 lead early in the third quarter.
“I thought our defense played one heck of a football game,” Pinyan said. “That’s what you’ve got to have to win championships. I’m tickled to death for coach (Ryan) Crowder and his part of the staff and those kids on the defensive side.”
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DISTINGUISHED COMPANY: Pete Stout is credited with a winning percentage of .779 at Boyden and Salisbury, the best recorded in Rowan County by a coach with five or more years of service.
Price’s S.W. Lancaster ranks second at .768, and West’s Scott Young (117-37, .760) is moving up quickly.
Rounding out the top five are Salisbury’s Joe Pinyan (65-26, .714) and Boyden’s Bill Ludwig (.650).
Stout, Lancaster and Ludwig are Salisbury-Rowan Hall of Famers.
Carson’s record book got a complete overhaul after a 7-6 season.
The Cougars broke school records for both offense (25.2 ppg) and defense (23.1 ppg).
They also set records for longest winning streak (three games), most points in a game (42) and most passing (199) and rushing yards (399) in a game.
Junior Shaun Warren set school marks for rushing yards in a career (3,169), season (1,977) and game (273) and for touchdowns in a season (20) and career (31).
Junior Cody Clanton set marks for receptions in a season (47) and receiving yards in a season (1,096) and game (153).
Junior quarterback ZackGragg set school marks for completions in a game (13), passing yards in a game (199) and season passing yards (1,456).
While they’ve only played one varsity season, Clanton (receiving yards) and Gragg (passing yards) already hold the school career marks.
Junior QB Jamey Blalock had 1,660 yards of total offense (836 rushing, 824 passing), a season total that ranks fifth at East.
Shawn Eagle set the record in 2007 with 2,046 yards. Next in line are Jason Barger (1996), Josh Brady (1998) and Thomas Lowe (2007).
Other Mustangs with 1,500-yard seasons are Derry Steedley (1976) and C.M. Yates (1970).
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Mike London and Bret Strelow contributed to the notebook.