Fat Friday rained out, reset for Monday at East Burke
Editor’s note: Game stories on Bunker Hill and Fred T. Foard will be posted separately on the website.
HobbsDailyReport.com
Hibriten High got four rushing touchdowns by McKinley Witherspoon and seven overall on Friday night, blasting visiting Ashe County 56-14 to continue its football win streaks.
Witherspoon scored on runs of 59, 34, 32 and 29 yards and the Panthers (3-0) used interceptions to set up two other scores in the first quarter.
The victory, No. 83 for head coach Clay Lewis, extended three Hibriten win streaks – the Panthers’ have won 19 straight overall, 12 straight at home and 15 consecutive regular-season games at home.
Improving to 9-0 against Avery County, the Panthers have four home wins in the series in which they’ve outpointed the Huskies 194-28.
Witherspoon, who last season (unofficially) averaged 128.3 yards per game, opened the scoring with a 59-yard TD run in the first quarter.
After Ashe County (1-2) got a 12-yard TD pass and 7-all tie, Witherspoon’s 34-yard TD run put Hibriten ahead for good.
Marcus Jones’ interception set up a 20-yard TD run by Marqwone Jones while quarterback Jaylen Scott threw 35 yards to Karson Pilkenton for a score after Noah Isbell intercepted pass to give the Panthers possession.
Skylin Thomas and Aaron Logan each added a rushing TD for Hibriten and Griffin Bryson had a 27-yard field goal in the second quarter that made it 43-7 at the half.
Hibriten goes to South Caldwell for a rivalry game on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and then plays at Newton-Conover on Sept. 14 before opening defense of its Northwestern Foothills 2A title on Sept. 21 with a homecoming game against Bunker Hill.
The Panthers have won two straight over the Spartans by a combined margin of 109-0 but South Caldwell has won four of the last seven matchups.
Patton 35, McDowell 13
Bryson Ratliff scored three rushing touchdowns in Marion, lifting the Panthers (2-1) past previously unbeaten McDowell.
He scored on runs of 4, 3 and 7 yards as Patton beat the Titans (2-1) for the second straight season.
Patton led 28-7 by halftime via Weston Fleming’s 8-yard TD run and his pass of 37 yards to Pierce Memmel for a score.
McDowell quarterback Adam Randolph threw for two TDs, one in the opening quarter and another for the game’s final points.
The Panthers, under new head coach Jonanthan Browning, have won 11 of their last 16 games.
Patton meets Burke County rival Freedom on the road on Friday in their 12th all-time battle (Patton has won once, 2016 at Freedom).
McDowell, 9-17 under head coach Andy Morgan, travels to Mitchell County to play Friday at 7:30 p.m.
After playing Freedom, the Panthers are at home Sept. 14 against East Rutherford and they open their Northwestern Foothills 2A schedule on Sept. 21 at Fred T. Foard.
McDowell is open on Sept. 14, starting Northwestern 3A-4A play on Sept. 21 at Hickory.
Brevard 39, Draughn 8
In a game delayed until a 9 p.m. start by rain and lightning, Brevard raced to a 30-0 lead by halftime and had scored all of its points before the Wildcats (0-3) scored.
Draughn’s only points came on a 12-yard TD pass from Braxton Cox to Mason Mozeley with about 8 ½ minutes to play.
The Wildcats have been outscored 149-8 this season under first-year head coach Chris Powell.
Draughn is at home on Friday at 7:30 p.m., playing Cherryville, and goes to Avery County on Sept. 14. The Wildcats’ first conference game is Sept. 21 at home against West Iredell.
West Iredell 48, West Caldwell 6
West Iredell had a 22-point second quarter and scored the rest of its points in the fourth quarter en route to a home non-conference victory.
Quarterback Eli Kitchens ran for two scores and threw for another as West Iredell improved to 2-1 and left West Caldwell at 0-3.
Emmanual Long had TD runs of 6 and 1 yard for West Iredell, which picked up the 10th win for Monte Simmons as West Iredell’s head coach.
West Caldwell’s only score came in the third quarter with about 9 ½ minutes left in the quarter when Brenden Andrews scored on a 5-yard run.
West Caldwell has been outscored 148-6 in its first three games.
West Iredell is at home Friday at 7:30 p.m. to face Statesville and plays at North Iredell on Sept. 14 before opening its conference schedule Sept. 21 at Draughn.
West Caldwell goes to Ashe County on Friday for a 7:30 p.m., is idle the following Friday and opens Northwestern 3A-4A play on Sept. 21 at Alexander Central.
Fat Friday postponed, game on Monday
The 45th Fat Friday game, pitting Freedom (1-1) at archrival East Burke (1-1), was postponed by rain and rescheduled for Monday at 7 p.m. in Icard.
Freedom leads the series 26-18 and has beaten the Cavs eight straight times.
East Burke has not beaten the Patriots in Icard since 2008, when future NFLer Tyler Shatley (fullback) ran for two scores.
Thursday’s JV game at Freedom was also washed out and it will not be rescheduled.
East Burke will have two games this week – also going to Newton-Conover on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. game while Freedom will be at home Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Patton.
After a game on Sept. 14 at West Lincoln, the Cavs open Northwestern Foothills 2A play at West Iredell on Sept. 21.
After an open date on Sept. 14, the Patriots start Northwestern 3A-4A play at St. Stephens.