High school football: NWC pounds Wonders, stays undefeated
Published 3:41 am Saturday, October 20, 2018
Staff report
KANNAPOLIS — Just two seasons ago, Northwest Cabarrus was a 2-9 program, squeaking out a couple of tight wins against South Rowan and Carson and shut out by East Rowan.
Today, the 10th-ranked Trojans are one of the best in 3A. Still undefeated on the season (9-0, 3-0 South Piedmont Conference) and lopsided winners over long-time nemesis A.L. Brown on Friday night.
Northwest Cabarrus thumped the Wonders, 58-27, at Memorial Stadium, a haunted house for the Trojans for many decades.
Northwest hadn’t beaten A.L. Brown since 1976.
Friday’s win by NWC came just 11 days shy of the 20th anniversary of the Wonders’ 97-0 destruction of the Trojans in 1998.
Tyrese Blake scored five rushing touchdowns to lead the Trojans, who never trailed. Blake has 23 rushing TDs for the season.
QB Nick Wilds-Lawing had a rushing TD and threw a scoring pass to Cam Saunders. Jakhiry Bennett had a short scoring run, while Rico Sistoque kicked a field goal and seven PATs.
A.L. Brown QB Jordan Medley scored on a 1-yard run for a 7-all tie with 2:23 left in the first quarter, but that’s the last time the Wonders (4-5, 0-3) were even.
Sistoque’s field goal put NWC ahead 10-7, and by halftime, the Trojans were in charge, 24-7.
Northwest opened up a 38-7 lead in the third quarter, making it 31 unanswered points.
Nick Lyerly finally scored on a 2-yard run for the Wonders late in the third quarter for 38-14, but the Trojans were in the end zone again before the end of the quarter.
Medley and Jaron Cooper had 5-yard scoring runs for A.L. Brown in the fourth quarter.
The Wonders have two league games remaining against Robinson and Concord. The immediate goal now is a winning season. The Wonders haven’t lost more games than they’ve won since 1977.
NWC concludes the regular season against Concord and Cox Mill, before embarking on what should be an interesting playoff journey for the Trojans and coach Brandon Gentry, who should be a candidate for state coach of the year.
Northwest has won 10 games three times in the last two decades — 2007, 2005 and 1999.
