By Ryan Bisesi
rbisesi@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — With a double move rarely seen from a sophomore and nothing but goal posts in front of him, Seth Wyrick was gone.
As was the perception of East Rowan being the county doormat.
Seth’s touchdown catch from twin Sam was the defining play in a 20-14 stunner against Salisbury Friday night. East coach Danny Misenheimer made several good calls to get his first win, including the one to call the Wyricks up from JV on Monday. Sam had 153 yards passing and Seth gained 100 yards receiving.
“Everybody says we have connections,” said Seth after his first varsity touchdown. “I guess they’re right.”
The Mustangs walked out of Ludwig Stadium victorious for the first time since 1996 when Misenheimer was a freshman at East. It was a heck of a lot different from last year’s result, a 51-0 loss on the way to a 1-9 season.
“This is real big for our program,” Misenheimer said. “We knew we had a tough game in front of us, but we felt well-prepared.”
Junior Calvin Edwards had 101 yards on 14 carries and gave East the lead for keeps with under a second left in the first half. A 1-yard plunge made it 13-8 at halftime and let Salisbury know that the threat of the Mustangs was quite real.
“We’re in it this year,” Edwards said. “We’re coming to win.”
East’s defense forced three turnovers on downs and got a pair of turnovers, including a fumble recovery from Dustin Mowery that stalled a Salisbury drive in the red zone. The next play, the Wyrick connection became a hit in Granite Quarry on a 82-yard touchdown pass. Sam, starting his first game at quarterback, found Seth behind the secondary and hit him in stride for the longest play for scrimmage and a 20-8 lead.
“It changed momentum big- time,” Sam Wyrick said. “That’s what got us the win. Our linemen were amazing too.”
Seth Wyrick only needed three catches to reach triple digits in yards and Sam completed five of seven passes for 153 yards.
“Sam’s just got to keep getting better,” Misenheimer said. “None of us have arrived, so 1-0 is great. Hopefully, we’ll be 10-0 by the time we start playoffs.”
East linebacker Tyler L’Hommedieu had a tackle for loss and a sack. Dock Corpening had a sack as well.
Salisbury QB Brian Bauk overcame a pair of turnovers for a 128-yard rushing night. His 70-yard keeper brought Salisbury within six late in the third quarter. The Hornets lost despite compiling 270 yards on the ground. Max Allen ran for 62 yards and Justin Ruffin had 60 yards.
“We had a play here and a play there, but never really pieced anything together,” Salisbury coach Joe Pinyan said. “We were shooting ourselves in the foot a lot.
Salisbury got the ball back with under a minute left and was 23 yards from the end zone with 21 seconds remaining. Four long pass attempts sailed away, the final one signaling the end of the game.
“Hold ‘em one more time was all I was thinking,” Misenheimer said.
Justin Ruffin put Salisbury up on the Hornets’ initial drive by turning the corner and heading 41 yards downfield. A botched extra point spelled doom, but Bauk corralled it and found Ruffin in the end zone for a 8-0 lead.
Salisbury was moving the ball two possessions later when East defensive back Donte Means picked off a long pass intended for Ben Ritchie.
The Mustangs’ biggest defensive stand came after Salisbury recovered a fumble at the East 19-yard line. East stopped Bauk at the line on first down and hit Ruffin for a loss on second down. The Hornets turned it over on downs two plays later.
“Overall, we’re happy with this win and we’re going to enjoy it,” Misenheimer said.