HobbsDailyReport.com
CHERRYVILLE – Cherryville High’s defense made the play it had to on Friday night to beat visiting Draughn.
Ben Deviney tackled Daniel Melton on a potential game-winning two-point attempt as the Ironmen nipped the visiting Wildcats 29-28 in a non-conference game.
CHERRYVLLE 29
DRAUGHN 28
Draughn had pulled within a point on a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Christian Campbell but fell to 0-4 when Cherryville’s defense stepped up.
“Our defense plays well at times, and other times we give up the big chunk yardage plays, and tonight it was their run game,” Cherryville head coach Tim Pruitt told The Gaston Gazette after the game. “But we made a play at the end, and I hope that gives us some confidence that we can stop people when we have to.”
Justin Lemons ran for 158 yards on 30 carries and Jacob Harden threw for two scores for Cherryville, The Gazette reported.
Draughn had an early 6-0 lead after Will Copeland opened the scoring with a 6-yard TD run about 10 minutes before halftime.
Cherryville had a 22-14 lead at one point but the Wildcats tied it in the fourth quarter when Campbell broke a run 28 yards for a TD and Melton added a two-point conversion.
Lemons’ 2-yard run capped a six-play drive of 67 yards for Cherryville as it went up 29-22 with seven minutes, 15 seconds to play.
The teams were playing for the first time since 2012 and battling for the fifth time.
Draughn’s next game is at home on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. against Avery County. The Wildcats then open their Northwestern Foothills 2A schedule on Sept. 22 by visiting West Iredell.