PILOT MOUNTAIN — East Surry improved to 4-1 on the season and 3-0 in the Northwest 1A Conference with a 49-0 win over North Stokes.
In a special high school edition of Monday Night Football, North Stokes made the trip to Pilot Mountain after Friday’s homecoming game was postponed. The Cardinals win marks the team’s ninth-consecutive victory over North Stokes, dating back to the 2012 season.
East Surry set the tone with a huge passing touchdown on its first play from scrimmage. Sophomore quarterback Folger Boaz, who set new career highs in yards passing and passing touchdowns in the win, found Layton Allen for a 65-yard TD pass. Derek Sutterby converted the PAT to make it 7-0.
Boaz finished the game with 318 yards passing and three TDs. The QB helped Allen set a career high of his own with 169 yards on six receptions.
North Stokes faced heavy opposition from the Cardinals’ defense in the first quarter. On North’s third play from scrimmage, QB Elijah Cone was picked off by East Surry’s Tye Needham. Needham took the pick-6 nearly 50 yards to the house.
On the Vikings’ second drive, Victor Martinez was dragged down for a loss of 12 yards by East’s Benji Gosnell. Cone went on to complete a short pass to Dylan James, but was then sacked by East’s Braden Bottoms and Tristan Harless.
East Surry quickly extended the lead with a Luke Bullington rushing touchdown with 6:45 left in the opening quarter.
North Stokes made its biggest play of the game to start the next drive. Martinez found a hole and ran for 50 yards before being pulled down in Cardinal territory.
Martinez went on to rush 19 times for 154 yards.
A short run from Jacob Murray and a 13-yard pass from Cone to James put the Vikings in the red zone. East Surry responded by sacking Cone twice, with Sutterby and Will Hiatt getting to the QB the first time and Kaleb Tilley the second, and forcing an incomplete pass.
East Surry’s Stephen Brantley would pick up the team’s fourth sack by pulling Cone down in the third quarter.
Tilley’s sack forced a turnover-on-downs and gave East the ball on its own 28. Bullington ran for eight yards, then Boaz found Allen for a 54-yard gain to enter the Viks’ red zone. Boaz connected with Gosnell for a 19-yard TD and Sutterby hit the PAT to make it 28-0.
The Cardinals regained possession after a three-and-out. Boaz hit Carson Hawks twice for a combined 57 yards on the drive, with the second pass going from the 15-yard line to the end zone.
Similar to its previous drive, North Stokes quickly entered Cardinal territory with two big rushes. Martinez ran for 19 yards, followed by a 17-yard gain by Murray. If East’s Needham didn’t tackle Murray when he did, the Vikings would’ve reached the end zone.
The Cards’ defense buckled down after the second run and forced a punt soon after. This allowed East to march down the field and score again. Bullington scored his second TD of the night and Sutterby hit his sixth PAT to make it 42-0.
Big stops from Kyle Zinn gave East the ball deep in Viking territory. Boaz found Allen to get inside the five. North Stokes freshman had a big hit on Bullington to force a loss of seven yards, but Gosnell ran in a touchdown on the next play. Sutterby’s PAT rounded out East Surry’s 49 points.
Carson Hawks played QB for East during the second half, which was contested with a running clock. The senior completed two passes for 23 yards to give East Surry 341 total yards passing on the night.
Allen’s 168 yards receiving led the Cardinals. He was followed by Hawks with three receptions for 93 yards and a TD, Gosnell with three receptions for 56 yards and a TD, Will Hiatt one reception for 17 yards and Tyler Mabe one reception for 5 yards.
The Cardinals also had 97 yards on the ground, led by Bullington’s seven carries for 49 yards and two TDs. Gosnell added two rushes for 17 yards and a TD, followed by Luke Bowman’s eight carries for 22 yards and Hawks’ one carry for 9 yards.
North Stokes only attempted two passes in the second half to bring Cone’s total to six completions for 37 yards and one interception. Nate Knight had three catches for 6 yards, followed by James’ two catches for 15 yards and Murray’s one catch for 16 yards.
The Vikings’ run-heavy offense racked up 198 yards on the ground.
In addition to Martinez’s 19 carries for 154 yards, Murray had nine rushes for 41 yards and Cone finished with seven rushes for three yards.
East Surry looks to stay undefeated in the Northwest 1A Conference with a home game against South Stokes (2-3) on April 2. The Vikings play their third-straight road game the same night against Winston-Salem Prep (3-2).
Scoring
North Stokes– 0, 0, 0, 0 = 0
East Surry – 28, 21, 0, 0 = 49
1Q
11:32 ESHS 7-0 – Folger Boaz pass to Layton Allen 65-yard TD reception, Derek Sutterby PAT
10:06 ESHS 14-0 – Elijah Cone’s pass is intercepted by Tye Needham and returned 46-yards for a TD
6:45 ESHS 21-0 – Luke Bullington 14-yard rush TD, Derek Sutterby PAT
1:54 ESHS 28-0 – Folger Boaz pass to Benji Gosnell 19-yard TD reception, Derek Sutterby PAT
2Q
10:44 ESHS 35-0 – Folger Boaz pass to Carson Hawks 15-yard TD reception, Derek Sutterby PAT
5:49 ESHS 42-0 –Luke Bullington 16-yard rush TD, Derek Sutterby PAT
1:28 ESHS 49-0 –Benji Gosnell 9-yard rush TD, Derek Sutterby PAT
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com