Staff report

CONCORD — East Rowan lost to Concord, 39-20, in the South Piedmont Conference opener for both teams here Thursday at Bailey Stadium.
The game was moved up from Friday due to weather concerns related to Hurricane Hermine, but the teams still encountered a late start because of lightning strikes. Scheduled for 7 p.m., the game finally got under way after 8.
East’s offense couldn’t move the ball in the first half, but the Mustangs hung in the game with stout defense and special teams.
Jacob Irby’s 23-yard scoring pass to Ikym Hall put Concord ahead 6-0 with 8:27 left in the first quarter.
East (1-2, 0-1 SPC) got a break on a bad snap on a Concord punt and recovered at the Concord 1. Max Wall threw a TD pass to Christian Bennett, and Gabe Hinceman’s PAT put East ahead 7-6 at the end of the first quarter.
A 2-yard scoring run by P.J. Hall followed by his conversion run gave the Spiders a 14-7 lead.
Irby’s TD pass to Ikym Hall on the final play of the first half proved a backbreaker. It pushed the Spiders’ lead to 21-7.
Concord pushed to a 27-7 lead when Jay Wilkerson, a former Carson Cougar, took a swing pass and romped 54 yards to score with 2:17 remaining in the third quarter. Wesley Porter blocked the PAT.
Concord took a 33-7 lead when P.J. Hall got loose for a 45-yard run.
Concord made it 39-7 when Larken Lancaster threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Zyoin Boger on a faked field goal.
East cut the deficit to 39-14 when Porter returned the ensuing kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown.
Wall scored on a 77-yard run on the game’s final play to make it 39-20.
Concord (2-1, 1-0 SPC) has won 40 of its 44 meetings with East. Besides winning three times (the last time was in 2009), the Mustangs have tied the Spiders once.