By Bryan Meadows
sports@salisburypost.com
STATESVILLE – Statesville’s Stewart Sherrill saw the unattended ball bouncing on the ground. He wasn’t about to fall on it. Not less than 10 yards away from the end zone.
Defensive linemen don’t get this opportunity often.
When the Greyhounds’ Rayshawn Ivory jarred the ball loose from Carson quarterback Austin McNeill, Sherrill pursued it determined to score. He scooped it up and drug a tackler across the goal line for a 6-yard fumble retur
“My eyes got real big,” Sherrill said. “I saw Torrie Sharpe try to fall on the ball and I said ‘If it pops out, it’s mine.’ Something like that happens once in a blue moon.”
The sequence was part of a scintillating 1 minute, 20-second stretch for the Greyhounds late in the first quarter. They scored three times in that span, opening up a 28-point lead on their way to a 56-13 homecoming victory Friday.
Statesville running back Treon Allison carried the ball 17 times for 143 yards and four touchdowns, including a 45-yarder to punctuate the scoring early in the fourth quarter.
Allison’s 13-yard touchdown run with 4:35 remaining in the first capped a seven-play, 57-yard drive following an interception. That made it 14-0.
Sherrill’s defensive score 45 seconds later made it 21-0, and then Carson coughed up the ball again on the ensuing kickoff.
Statesville (6-1, 3-0 North Piedmont Conference) scored two plays later. Allison punched it across the goal line from 1 yard out following his 14-yard run.
Carson (1-6, 0-2 NPC) turned the ball over five times in the first half. The Greyhounds converted four of those into touchdowns.
“It was a good homecoming victory,” Statesville coach Randall Gusler said. “I thought everybody came out really focused.”
Statesville’s Tristan Mumford, making his third start at quarterback since Carlis Parker sustained a knee injury, was very efficient in the first half. He hooked up with nine different receivers for 124 yards on 13 of 19 passing.
The Greyhounds outgained Carson 287-55 in the opening 24 minutes.
Carson found a spark early in the third quarter. Daren Isom’s 10-yard TD run capped an eight-play, 71-yard opening drive to break up the shutout. He finished with 72 yards on nine second-half carries.
Statesville committed its only turnover on the following possession.
K.J. Pressley hauled in a 37-yard TD pass from McNeil on the ensuing play to make it 35-13.
Mumford answered to kill the Cougars’ momentum. The East Carolina-bound senior scampered 42 yards for a score, and Allison tacked on a 3-yard TD run in the third quarter, nine plays after Marquis Willis picked off McNeil for the second time.
Mumford finished with 139 yards and two scores on nine carries and 168 yards on 15 of 22 passing.
His 32-yard TD pass to Jaylan Williams opened the scoring Friday.
Carson tries to bounce back next week at home against South Rowan.