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KM offense, defense
rout Ashbrook 41-0
(March 24, 2021 Issue)
Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers scored on six of their seven first half possession and rolled over the Ashbrook Green Wave 41-0 in a Big South Conference game Friday in Gastonia.
With that lead coming just before halftime, the game went to a running clock the entire second half. The Mountaineers used that time to rest their starters and get everyone else some playing time.
While the KM offense was riding the Wave for 390 total yards, the Wave’s offense wasn’t as much as a ripple with just two first downs and minus yardage for the night. Both of those first downs came late in the fourth quarter against KM’s reserves.
“It was a great effort,” said Mountaineer head coach Greg Lloyd. “I thought we showed a lot of improvement. It was the best game we’ve played. Both lines played the best since the Stuart Cramer game.
“And I thought our defense was phenomenal. We tackled well and showed a lot of improvement. The special teams played well also. “
The defense showed its stuff on Ashbrook’s opening drive. Ashbrook running back Elijah Antis picked up a yard on the game’s first play from scrimmage, but it was followed up by an incompletion and then an interception by KM’s Deandre Hoyle at the KM 47. Seven plays later quarterback Ethan Reid hit Orlando Odums with a 16-yard touchdown pass and Jayden Ellis kicked the point after for a 7-0 KM lead.
Yet another Ashbrook three and out set KM up at its own 45. It took just an 11-yard pass from Reid to Rashaard Brooks and three carries for 44 yards by Jalen Mims, the final one for 11 yards and a TD for a 14-0 lead.
After another three and out by Ashbrook, KM took over at midfield on a punt and seven plays later Brooks went in from the three to make it 21-0.
A quarterback sack by Chris Ruffalo forced yet another Ashbrook three and out, and KM took over at its own 24. Nine plays later Brooks scored from a yard out, but the PAT was wide left and KM led 27-0.
The Ashbrook defense was able to force a loss of downs on KM’s next possession. But after the KM defense held the Green Wave to three and out again, Coach Lloyd reached into his bag of tricks and had Reid throw a lateral pass to Chance Cannon who then threw to Payton Fisher 20 yards behind the Ashbrook defense for a 44-yard touchdown reception and a 34-0 lead with 2:23 left in the half.
On Ashbrook’s first play following the KM kickoff, freshman Robert Kendrick recovered a fumble at the Ashbrook 21 and it took just one run by Brooks to get the final TD with 2:10 to go in the half.
“I thought Rashaard ran the ball very well,” Coach Lloyd noted. “Our offensive line was good, and the defense played well, too. I thought Trey Crawford had a really good game, and so did AJ Richardson. It was just a good all-around game by all.”
Most KM starters were taken out at the half but the defense still held Ashbrook without a first down until late in the fourth quarter. It came on a four yard reception by Antis at the Ashbrook 20. They added another first down at the 30 from which point they threw three incomplete passes and a run for zero yards by Brandon Lewis to end the game.
It was the second straight shutout for the KM defense against a Gastonia team (the other a 35-0 win over Hunter Huss the week before) and the second straight game that the D held its opponent to minus rushing yards.
See more photos in this week's issue of the KM Herald (3-24-21)
Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers scored on six of their seven first half possession and rolled over the Ashbrook Green Wave 41-0 in a Big South Conference game Friday in Gastonia.
With that lead coming just before halftime, the game went to a running clock the entire second half. The Mountaineers used that time to rest their starters and get everyone else some playing time.
While the KM offense was riding the Wave for 390 total yards, the Wave’s offense wasn’t as much as a ripple with just two first downs and minus yardage for the night. Both of those first downs came late in the fourth quarter against KM’s reserves.
“It was a great effort,” said Mountaineer head coach Greg Lloyd. “I thought we showed a lot of improvement. It was the best game we’ve played. Both lines played the best since the Stuart Cramer game.
“And I thought our defense was phenomenal. We tackled well and showed a lot of improvement. The special teams played well also. “
The defense showed its stuff on Ashbrook’s opening drive. Ashbrook running back Elijah Antis picked up a yard on the game’s first play from scrimmage, but it was followed up by an incompletion and then an interception by KM’s Deandre Hoyle at the KM 47. Seven plays later quarterback Ethan Reid hit Orlando Odums with a 16-yard touchdown pass and Jayden Ellis kicked the point after for a 7-0 KM lead.
Yet another Ashbrook three and out set KM up at its own 45. It took just an 11-yard pass from Reid to Rashaard Brooks and three carries for 44 yards by Jalen Mims, the final one for 11 yards and a TD for a 14-0 lead.
After another three and out by Ashbrook, KM took over at midfield on a punt and seven plays later Brooks went in from the three to make it 21-0.
A quarterback sack by Chris Ruffalo forced yet another Ashbrook three and out, and KM took over at its own 24. Nine plays later Brooks scored from a yard out, but the PAT was wide left and KM led 27-0.
The Ashbrook defense was able to force a loss of downs on KM’s next possession. But after the KM defense held the Green Wave to three and out again, Coach Lloyd reached into his bag of tricks and had Reid throw a lateral pass to Chance Cannon who then threw to Payton Fisher 20 yards behind the Ashbrook defense for a 44-yard touchdown reception and a 34-0 lead with 2:23 left in the half.
On Ashbrook’s first play following the KM kickoff, freshman Robert Kendrick recovered a fumble at the Ashbrook 21 and it took just one run by Brooks to get the final TD with 2:10 to go in the half.
“I thought Rashaard ran the ball very well,” Coach Lloyd noted. “Our offensive line was good, and the defense played well, too. I thought Trey Crawford had a really good game, and so did AJ Richardson. It was just a good all-around game by all.”
Most KM starters were taken out at the half but the defense still held Ashbrook without a first down until late in the fourth quarter. It came on a four yard reception by Antis at the Ashbrook 20. They added another first down at the 30 from which point they threw three incomplete passes and a run for zero yards by Brandon Lewis to end the game.
It was the second straight shutout for the KM defense against a Gastonia team (the other a 35-0 win over Hunter Huss the week before) and the second straight game that the D held its opponent to minus rushing yards.
See more photos in this week's issue of the KM Herald (3-24-21)