Staff report

GRANITE QUARRY — West Rowan’s Aubree Robinson accepted the opening kickoff and promptly took it 85 yards to the house for his third return touchdown of the season.

Robinson put the Falcons in control in the opening seconds on East Rowan’s Senior Night, and they had their way with the Mustangs in Friday’s 57-13 South Piedmont Conference victory.

“Played dominant tonight — old-school Falcons,” West head coach Louis Kraft said.

West’s defense contributed two pick-sixes, with cousins Cameron Martin and Deiondre Martin romping to the end zone.

West led 57-0 in the third quarter of the running-clock game, before Tijon Everhart scored twice for the Mustangs. Everhart got his second one on a 2-yard run on the last official play of the game.

East (0-10, 0-7) had nothing to lose and gambled on its first offensive possession, but the playoff-bound Falcons (5-5, 5-2) stuffed a fourth-and-short running play and took over at the East 34.

Jaylen Neely got the first of his three touchdowns from the 5-yard line on the fifth play of the short-field drive, and Carter Durant’s PAT made it 13-0.

East’s second offensive possession ended with a punt. West had to go 80 yards, but had no issues doing it. Neely scored on a 22-yard run to finish the drive.

East picked up two first downs on its next possession, and had advanced the ball to the West 31, but that’s when a screen pass went awry, Cameron Martin went 65 yards and the Falcons had the first of their pick-sixes and a 27-0 lead after a quarter.

Things continued to snowball against East the rest of the half.

Brant Graham hit Evan Kennedy on a 56-yard scoring play for 33-0.

East got a red zone stop at the Mustang 10, but Durant’s field goal made it 36-0.

Then East fumbled the kickoff after returning it near midfield.

West kept the pressure on, with Neely adding a 34-yard touchdown and Kennedy breaking a 69-yard scoring run before halftime. It was 50-0 at the half, and a brisk second half was played with a running clock.

Deiondre Martin intercepted a short pass for West’s second pick-six and went 40 yards to make it 57-0.

Gavin Walker threw a 9-yard scoring pass to Everhart in the third quarter.

Then Everhart scored on the ground for East’s final touchdown of the season.

Everhart had 86 of East’s 154 rushing yards, and the Mustangs added 80 yards through the air, but East experienced a winless season for the first time since 2003.

Neely made his nine touches count for 115 yards.

Graham came out hot, completing his first five throws and was 12-for-19 for 150 yards.

Many of West’s starters were able to rest after halftime.

The Falcons, seeded 21st in 3A West, will play at No. 12 seed Northwest Cabarrus (9-1) on Friday.

That’s not an ideal matchup for the Falcons, who lost 49-9 to the Trojans during the regular season, but West has improved since that game and won its last three.