By David Shaw

For Salisbury Post

CHINA GROVE — Try not to snicker, West Rowan football fans.

All of a sudden, putting the Falcons and an SPC championship in the same sentence isn’t a laughing matter. Despite losing their first three games by an average of four touchdowns, the well-nourished boys from Mount Ulla sent a resonating message Friday night when they racked up 405 yards and brushed aside host Carson, 32-14 in their conference opener.

“I think we just got tired of playing bad and tired of losing,” wide receiver Evan Kennedy offered, shortly after West emerged unscathed from a mistake-filled, three-hour scrap with the Cougars. “It made us mad. But there’s still a long way to go and we have the guys who can get us there.”

One of them is junior Jaylen Neely, a workhorse ball-carrier whose running style is part 18-wheeler and part Corvette. Despite his less-than-ideal stature (5-foot-7, 170 pounds), he’s been a pleasant surprise for second-year coach Louis Kraft.

“(Neely) was a really good jayvee player for us last season,” he said after Neely bumped and bruised his way for 175 straight-ahead yards and three touchdowns. “In the summer we had him as kind of a Swiss Army knife, playing a little wideout and a little running back. He was our third back coming in, behind Kayvone (Norman) and Kennedy. Then Kayvone got hurt. Jaylen stepped in and tonight he showed what he can do.”

Norman’s injury — a torn ACL suffered on Day 6 of pre-season practice — meant Neely’s commute from JV to varsity would be an arduous one. He was abruptly thrown into the starting rotation without a chance to warm up in the bullpen.

“It’s been a tough transition,” Neely acknowledged. “But I feel like I’m ready for this. It’s a good opportunity.”

He’s made the most of that chance through four games this season, rushing for 459 yards and seven touchdowns. He enjoyed his third 100-yard performance against Carson, with eight of his 31 carries producing double-digit gains. Included was a 40-yard burst that sparked West’s first scoring drive and a 37-yard gallop that helped the Falcons melt away the game’s last four minutes.

“Losing Kayvone was a brutal blow,” Kraft said in that soothing, NPR voice of his. “And we’re still feeling the effects, personnel-wise. We like to move Kennedy around as much as we can, but it’s a little tougher when he’s the running back. He’s our top receiver.”

That’s where Neely entered the equation. A “fast, explosive player,” in Kennedy’s estimation, he rushed for 221 yards in a JV game at Concord last season, then had an eye-opening summer as a varsity candidate — when his rising-young-star luster became clearly visible. “He got a little quicker, put on about 10 pounds and made himself into someone we feel good about,” said Kraft. “We like the idea of handing the ball to him.”

Carson didn’t. The Cougars (1-3, 0-1 SPC) spent the night narrowly missing tackles and inexplicably jumping offside. Neely was able to lower his shoulders and grate between the tackles, accumulating real estate in small parcels. When he found daylight or swept past an unmanned edge, he produced more electricity than a downed power line.

“I think he’s as fast as lightning, a track guy,” said Carson coach Jonathan Lowe, reminding us of Neely’s success as a sprinter and hurdler. “And speed kills. He made things difficult for us.”

That became evident on his second rushing attempt, when he took a first-down handoff from quarterback Brant Graham and chugged 40 yards to the Carson 37. Eight plays and three Carson penalties later, Graham hit Kaden Feaster with a 16-yard TD pass to open the scoring. The Cougars rallied back and grabbed a 14-13 lead early in the second half, when senior QB Michael Guiton found back-pedaling receiver Colin Ball on a 65-yard touchdown play. West responded quickly and efficiently, marching 50 yards and reclaiming the lead when Neely jitterbugged into the end zone on a 3-yard run.

“We were just getting what we could,” Neely said with a relaxed smile. “You know, taking the easy way instead of forcing anything. It will get better. We just have to keep grinding this thing out.”

He’s made a friend in Graham, the 6-foot-3 sophomore who balanced West’s attack with 218 yards passing and two scores.

“I love giving him the ball and watching him go to work,” the QB said. “It’s what he sees. He seems to read every hole correctly, and if one closes, he’ll find another one. He’s that elusive. He’s certainly playing a big role, being a starter for us right now.”

While this victory may soon disappear into the sands of time, it seemed to pump new life into West’s season. With Neely entrenched as a go-to option in the backfield, the Falcons hope to ride his momentum into post-season contention.

“I’m just trying to run it hard, trust my offensive line and believe in myself,” he said. “And this game was a great example. It was a motivator.”

It was — and nothing to snicker at.