Staff report

TROUTMAN — South Iredell quarterback Cullen Smith enjoyed a career game on Friday, as the Vikings overwhelmed Carson, 51-21, to close the regular season.

Playing his last home game on a frosty Senior Night, Smith accounted for 317 yards passing and rushing. He threw for three touchdowns, ran for two touchdowns and also intercepted two passes.

South Iredell led 41-0 at one point.

The win wrapped up third place in the North Piedmont Conference for South Iredell (5-6, 3-2). South Iredell stood 2-6 after being flattened by West Rowan, but closed the season with a huge comeback victory against East Rowan and romps against North Iredell and Carson.

Only two teams in the six-team NPC (Statesville and West Rowan) got automatic berths for the upcoming playoffs, but the victory helped South Iredell secure one of the at-large berths. Seeded No. 16 in the 3AA West bracket, South Iredell will travel to face Weddington, the No. 1 seed, next Friday.

While South Iredell kept a long Senior Night winning streak going and made the playoffs for the 15th straight year, Carson (2-9, 1-4) last reached the playoffs when it went 4-8 in 2016. The last winning season for Carson was 7-5 in 2015, when the Cougars lost to West Rowan in overtime in the first round.

Darius Smyre had a rushing touchdown and two receiving TDs for South Iredell. He was on the receiving end of a 69-yard touchdown pass that gave the Vikings a 41-0 lead in the second quarter.

Carson QB Alex London scored on a 3-yard run with 1:38 left in the first half to put Carson on the board, but South Iredell still had enough time to add a field goal as time expired in the first half. The Vikings took a 44-7 lead to the break.

London scored on a 10-yard run in the third quarter, while senior Hunter Courtney got the last touchdown of a fine career for the Cougars on a 15-yard carry with 6:40 left to play.

Courtney rushed for 126 yards on 14 carries.

First-year Carson coach Daniel Crosby should have better days ahead. Carson’s jayvees went undefeated in the NPC this season.

*Thanks to Statesville Record and Landmark’s Tanner Boggs for information.

S. Iredell   28    16   7   0   — 51

Carson      0       7    7    7   — 21

First Quarter

SI— Smith 8 run (Hazleton kick), 9:04

SI—Smith 19 run (Hazleton kick), 6:50

SI— Smyre 2 run (Hazleton kick), 4:16

SI—  Sherrill  13 pass from Smith (Castorena kick), 1:01

Second Quarter

SI—Smith 20 run (Hazleton kick), 6:36

SI—Smyre 69 pass from Smith (PAT failed), 3:40

C— London 3 run (Beaver kick), 1:38

SI—Hazleton FG 38, :00

Third Quarter

SI—Smyre 5 pass from Smith (PAT failed), 6:13

C—London 10 run (Beaver kick), 3:29

Fourth Quarter

C—  Courtney 15 run (Beaver kick), 6:40