![KM’s DeAndre Hoyle returns one of his three pass interceptions in Friday’s game with North Gaston at KMHS. Photos by Gary Smart Screen shot 2021 09 29 at 3.43.58 pm](https://d14tal8bchn59o.cloudfront.net/ujLsfqVjaQyVlqrzdhDhOiYrSqb5YZsximdk8gH79so/w:960/plain/https://02f0a56ef46d93f03c90-22ac5f107621879d5667e0d7ed595bdb.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/sites/28919/photos/1950109/Screen_Shot_2021-09-29_at_3.43.58_PM_original.png)
Mountaineers rout
Wildcats 56-0,
Hoyle ties pass
interception record
After having to punt on their first possession, Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers scored on eight of their next nine possessions and rolled to a 56-0 running clock victory over North Gaston Friday night at John Gamble Stadium.
Meanwhile, the KM defense was turning the Wildcats every way but loose. They had only 30 yards total offense in each half with 20 of their second half yards coming on their last possession.
“We played well, for sure,” noted Coach Greg Lloyd. “Everybody played really well but the competition ramps up this week, for sure” when the Mountaineers host a solid Gastonia Forestview eleven.
KM’s offensive assault began after a Peyton Fisher punt was downed at the North Gaston nine. The visiting Wildcats were held to three and out and had to punt. KM then began the rout when Zay Smith returned the kick 34 yards to the Wildcats’ 24 yard line.
A holding penalty during that run caused the Mountaineers to start on the ‘Cats 35 yard line. After a 19-yard run by Thomas Feemster and a six yard pass reception by Fisher, Robert Kendrick took a handoff from quarterback Lamont Littlejohn and scored from 10 yards out. Jaden Ellis’ point after touchdown made it 7-0 and the rout was on.
The two teams traded 15-yard penalties and a sack by Seth Neal forced the Wildcats to punt from their own five yard line. The Mountaineers took just six plays to score with AJ Richardson going in from six yards out for a 14-0 lead.
Two plays later, Deandre Hoyle recorded the first of his record-tying three interceptions on the night and returned it from the 50 to the North Gaston 23. Four plays later quarterback Jonah Patrick found Peyton Fisher wide open in the end zone for a 22-yard TD pass and a 21-0 lead.
The Mountaineer defense held North to three and out again and after a partially blocked punt took over at the Wildcats’ 32. A 13-yard reception by Hoyle and a nine-yard rush by Smith set up AJ Richardson’s eight-yard TD run for a 28-0 lead.
After the kickoff, Hoyle made his second interception on North’s first play, but North later picked off a Patrick pass. The Wildcats were able to pick up a first down and have five offensive touches, but the fifth resulted in Hoyle’s third interception at the 48 and return to the North 23. On second and six, Kendrick went 19 yards around left end to make it 35-0. (Former Mountaineers with three interceptions in a game were Chris Johnson vs. North Gaston in 1975, Petie McNeil vs. Burns in 1989 and Tyrese Crawford vs. Burns in 2011).
On the Mountaineers’ first possession of the third quarter, Jake Lloyd got off a 21 yard run to the North 12. Feemster’s seven-yard TD run was called back on a holding penalty, but he got off a 10-yard run to set up a two-yard TD run by Smith. That put the running clock rule into effect.
On second and eight from their own 22, the Wildcats coughed up the ball at the 17. Feemster covered the distance in two runs – the latter for a yard – and Ellis’ PAT made it 49-0. Feemster then left the game with a team-leading 75 yards on 12 carries.
North was able to pick up a first down, but sophomore Bryson Brown intercepted a pass with 10:45 left in the game. Sophomore Micah Ward carried the ball four times for 33 of his 55 rushing yards. After Patrick kept it for a 10-yard gain, Ward carried it four more times for 22 yards to set up Patrick’s three-yard TD with 4:25 remaining. Max Thompson’s PAT accounted for the final 56th point. For the game the Mountaineers were perfect on extra points, with Ellis kicking six and Thompson two.
North was finally able to pick up two first downs and get the ball to the KM 41 before the clock ran out.
Meanwhile, the KM defense was turning the Wildcats every way but loose. They had only 30 yards total offense in each half with 20 of their second half yards coming on their last possession.
“We played well, for sure,” noted Coach Greg Lloyd. “Everybody played really well but the competition ramps up this week, for sure” when the Mountaineers host a solid Gastonia Forestview eleven.
KM’s offensive assault began after a Peyton Fisher punt was downed at the North Gaston nine. The visiting Wildcats were held to three and out and had to punt. KM then began the rout when Zay Smith returned the kick 34 yards to the Wildcats’ 24 yard line.
A holding penalty during that run caused the Mountaineers to start on the ‘Cats 35 yard line. After a 19-yard run by Thomas Feemster and a six yard pass reception by Fisher, Robert Kendrick took a handoff from quarterback Lamont Littlejohn and scored from 10 yards out. Jaden Ellis’ point after touchdown made it 7-0 and the rout was on.
The two teams traded 15-yard penalties and a sack by Seth Neal forced the Wildcats to punt from their own five yard line. The Mountaineers took just six plays to score with AJ Richardson going in from six yards out for a 14-0 lead.
Two plays later, Deandre Hoyle recorded the first of his record-tying three interceptions on the night and returned it from the 50 to the North Gaston 23. Four plays later quarterback Jonah Patrick found Peyton Fisher wide open in the end zone for a 22-yard TD pass and a 21-0 lead.
The Mountaineer defense held North to three and out again and after a partially blocked punt took over at the Wildcats’ 32. A 13-yard reception by Hoyle and a nine-yard rush by Smith set up AJ Richardson’s eight-yard TD run for a 28-0 lead.
After the kickoff, Hoyle made his second interception on North’s first play, but North later picked off a Patrick pass. The Wildcats were able to pick up a first down and have five offensive touches, but the fifth resulted in Hoyle’s third interception at the 48 and return to the North 23. On second and six, Kendrick went 19 yards around left end to make it 35-0. (Former Mountaineers with three interceptions in a game were Chris Johnson vs. North Gaston in 1975, Petie McNeil vs. Burns in 1989 and Tyrese Crawford vs. Burns in 2011).
On the Mountaineers’ first possession of the third quarter, Jake Lloyd got off a 21 yard run to the North 12. Feemster’s seven-yard TD run was called back on a holding penalty, but he got off a 10-yard run to set up a two-yard TD run by Smith. That put the running clock rule into effect.
On second and eight from their own 22, the Wildcats coughed up the ball at the 17. Feemster covered the distance in two runs – the latter for a yard – and Ellis’ PAT made it 49-0. Feemster then left the game with a team-leading 75 yards on 12 carries.
North was able to pick up a first down, but sophomore Bryson Brown intercepted a pass with 10:45 left in the game. Sophomore Micah Ward carried the ball four times for 33 of his 55 rushing yards. After Patrick kept it for a 10-yard gain, Ward carried it four more times for 22 yards to set up Patrick’s three-yard TD with 4:25 remaining. Max Thompson’s PAT accounted for the final 56th point. For the game the Mountaineers were perfect on extra points, with Ellis kicking six and Thompson two.
North was finally able to pick up two first downs and get the ball to the KM 41 before the clock ran out.