By Dave Shaw For the Salisbury Post

SPENCER — North Rowan running back Jaemias Morrow did everything but sell popcorn at halftime Friday night, but teammate Jeremiah Alford made the biggest splash in a 48-6 homecoming night rout of visiting West Davidson.

While Morrow summoned his inner Barry Sanders and scored four touchdowns — including two on long punt returns — it was Alford, North’s junior quarterback, who raised eyebrows for being disqualified after scoring on a 6-yard touchdown run on the final play of the first half.

“I hate that that happened,” first-year coach Josh Sophia said after the Cavs (7-1, 4-0 CCC) won their sixth straight game and settled into second place. “There was some kind of scrum in the end zone and (the officials) claimed Jeremiah threw a punch. We’ll look at the film, I guarantee he did not do that. He’s not that kind of kid.”

Alford, who passed for 94 yards and his 11th touchdown, may or may not be able to play in North’s home game against Lexington next Friday. His explanation offered more insight. “After I scored to make it 36-6, someone from West Davidson was holding onto my leg and someone pulled my face mask,” he said.

“All I did was remove the guy’s arm from my face mask. I didn’t throw a punch.” According to Sophia, Alford quickly returned to North’s huddle for an ensuing 2-point conversion attempt. “He was clueless to the whole thing,” the coach said. “He didn’t know anything was being called.”

Alford was replaced by his brother, freshman QB Mike Alford, in the second half. The left-hander steered North to a pair of third-quarter touchdowns, including a 43-yard TD strike to wideout Ason Best (3 receptions, 112 yards) that triggered a running clock.

Morrow got the party started when he returned a West Davidson punt 75 yards for a TD before the game was two minutes old. Midway through the second quarter he went 72 yards for another touchdown and a 20-6 lead. He added additional scores in the second and third periods.

“On the first (punt return), the ball just rolled to a stop on the grass,” said Morrow, who rushed for a game-high 71 yards on 11 carries. “I saw lots of hats around the ball, but nobody was picking it up. So I waited, then snuck in and grabbed it and took off. I ran like a dog was chasing me.”

On his second punt return, Morrow was confronted by two would-be tacklers. “But I juked one and ran past the other,” he said matter-of-factly. “That was it.”

North’s defense lost an opportunity to post its first shutout when West Davidson (0-8, 0-4 CCC) used a short-field drive to inch within 8-6 early in the second quarter. The Cavs limited the  Green Dragons to 103 total yards — 41 in the second half — and recorded five sacks, three of them by defensive end George Maxwell. Jordan Bailey and Yasir Wactor had the others and teammate Jaiden Brown intercepted a pass on the guests’ final play from scrimmage.

“We did our job,” said Bailey, a senior DE. “We got it done up front and everything went from there.”

Ulises Torres-Sanchez was crowned Homecoming King and Zoey Rutherford Homecoming Queen.

 

West Davidson     0     6     0     0 — 6

North Rowan       8     28    12    0 — 48

NR — Morrow 75 punt return (Morrow run), 10:49 1st

WD — Journigan 7 pass from Calderone (pass failed), 9:25 2nd

NR — Alexander 46 pass from J.Alford (run failed), 8:31 2nd

NR — Morrow 72 punt return (J.Alford run), 6:31 2nd

NR — Morrow 23 run (Charleston run), 3:46 2nd

NR — J.Alford 6 run (run failed), 0:00 2nd

NR — Morrow 17 run (run failed), 5:04 3rd

NR — Best 43 pass from M.Alford (run failed), 0:23 3rd

 

Stats

Rushing — WD: Baker 17-58; Clark 5-17; Broom 1-2; Calderone 9-(minus 30). NR: Morrow 11-71; Miller 4-11; J.Alford 5-9; Charleston 1-8; Norman-Jackson 1-6; Kelly 1-(minus 1); M.Alford 2-(minus 5).

Passing — WD: Calderone 3-12-1, 58; Broom 0-5-0. NR: J.Alford 5-11-0, 94; M.Alford 3-7-1, 98. Receiving — WD: Phillips 1-25; Je. House-Carmona 1-24; Journigan 1-7. NR: Alexander 4-66; Best 3-112; Kelly 1-14.