From staff and wire reports

The All-MECKA football team was released on Saturday after Mallard Creek completed its run to the 4AA state championship.

The MECKA Coach of the Year honor went to the late Mo Collins of West Charlotte.

A.L. Brown’s Daveon Perry was named MECKA Special Teams Player of the Year.

The offensive player of the year was Mallard Creek QB James Smith.

The defensive player of the year was Mallard Creek linebacker Tyheim Bremby.

Hough’s Bryce Deering was the league’s kicker/punter of the year.

Also making the All-MECKA team from A.L. Brown were quarterback Damon Johnson, running back Sandon McCoy, offensive linemen Cameron Peters, Pierre Mills, Josh Barlow, linebacker Logan Miller and DB Devin Gray.

 

8th-grade hoops

Knox’s girls won 49-27 against Erwin.

Bryanna Troutman scored 20 points for the Trojans (8-0). Taccora Robinson scord 10, Endeef Grant had eight, and Taylor Bailey scored seven.

Lauren  Weisensel scored 11 points for the Eagles.

FCS: Coastal falls

FARGO, N.D.  — North Dakota State has built its reputation around defense, but the Bison needed a career game by running back John Crockett to hold off Coastal Carolina 39-32 Saturday in the Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinals.

The three-time defending champion Bison, who will play at home again next Saturday against Sam Houston State, survived a rare shootout, by their standards. The last time they gave up more points was Dec. 11, 2010, in a playoff loss to Eastern Washington.

Crockett rushed for 227 yards and two touchdowns, including a game-winning 45-yard scamper with less than 10 minutes to play. It was his best performance in a single game and broke the NDSU playoff record of 207 yards, by D.J. McNorton in 2010.

NDSU (13-1) and Coastal Carolina (12-2) combined for nearly 900 yards of total offense in front of more than 18,000 fans at the Fargodome.

FCS: Illinois State wins

CHENEY, Wash.   — Illinois State coach Brock Spack said his physical football team was determined to “bring the fight to the center of the ring” against Eastern Washington. The Redbirds’ plan worked to perfection Saturday afternoon, thanks largely to the one-two punch provided by Marshaun Coprich and Tre Roberson.

Coprich ran for 258 yards and four touchdowns, and Roberson passed for 206 yards and two TDs and ran for 62 yards and another score in a 59-46 win in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs.

FCS: Villanova ousted

VILLANOVA, Pa.  — After coming down with the flu at the worst possible time, quarterback Jared Johnson was quarantined in his hotel room for 36 hours by his coaches.

They let him out just in time for him to lead Sam Houston State into the FCS semifinals.

In a wild, back-and-forth quarterfinal matchup at Villanova Stadium on Saturday, Johnson threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns, and orchestrated the game-winning touchdown drive.