Mount Ethereal linemen Reece Deaton (4), Logan Dowell (7), Sao Lennon (66) and Mason Hill (70) pave the best way for operating again Tyler Mason (5) early in Friday night time’s playoff win.
Zach Colburn | Particular to the Information
MOUNT AIRY – Mount Ethereal steamrolled East Wilkes 48-0 on Friday to maneuver on to the Candy 16 of the 1A State Playoffs.
The Granite Bears celebrated a brand new faculty file of eight shutouts in a single season on Nov. 5, then prolonged that by holding East Wilkes scoreless on No. 12. The 48-point loss is East Wilkes’ largest margin of defeat this season and is barely the second time the 2021-22 Cardinals had been held scoreless.
Mount Ethereal’s second-round playoff win over East Wilkes places the No. 2-ranked Bears at 12-0. That is the ninth season – out of greater than a century of Granite Bear soccer – by which the workforce has reached 12 wins, and is the second below coach J.Okay. Adkins.
Friday marked the Bears’ second assembly this season in opposition to the Cardinals of Wilkes County. In the course of the common season, Mount Ethereal traveled to Ronda and defeated East Wilkes 45-6. In that recreation, East Wilkes grew to become the one workforce all season to attain on Mount Ethereal within the first quarter and held the Bears to only 19 first-half factors. The Bears regrouped after halftime and outscored the Playing cards 26-0.
The one factors Mount Ethereal has given up since Sept. 24 got here from East Wilkes’ two discipline objectives in that recreation. Mount Ethereal minimized errors this time round to submit an much more lopsided victory.
Mount Ethereal’s offense completed with 376 whole yards, which was balanced between 195 yards speeding and 181 yards passing. 5 of the Bears’ touchdowns got here on the bottom, and two had been within the air.
Each passing touchdowns noticed quarterback Ian Gallimore join with Zeb Stroup: as soon as for 51 yards after which once more for 26 yards. Zeb completed with three catches for 90 yards. Gallimore rounded out his 181 yards passing with three completions to Walker Stroup for 31 yards, one completion to Mario Revels for 34 yards and one completion to Tyler Mason for 26 yards.
Walker Stroup additionally transformed 6-of-7 PATs for Mount Ethereal.
Mason led Mount Ethereal’s floor recreation with 11 carries for 97 yards and three touchdowns. His 97 yards speeding put Mason over the 1,000-yard mark for the season. Mason’s 20 speeding touchdowns this yr are tied for second within the 1A West and twenty first within the state amongst all classifications.
The Bears utilized six totally different gamers within the floor recreation. Mason led the workforce in carries, yards and touchdowns, then Gallimore was subsequent in all three classes with 9 carries for 75 yards and a landing. Caleb Reid rushed 5 occasions for 27 yards and a TD, Josh Penn had six carries for five yards, and Brison George and Traven Thompson every rushed as soon as for a loss.
After giving up 183 yards to East Wilkes in Ronda final month, the Granite Bears protection held the Cardinals to only 89 whole yards on Friday. The Playing cards rushed 33 occasions for 28 yards and accomplished six passes for 61 yards.
East Wilkes quarterback Briggs Gentry accomplished 6-of-14 passes for 61 yards and was picked off twice. Zeb and Walker Stroup every had an interception, bringing each their season totals as much as 4.
Most of Gentry’s yards passing got here from 4 completions to Brennan Arnder, who led the Playing cards’ receiving corps with 64 yards. Brody Martin caught one cross for two yards, and Weston Brown had one reception for a lack of 5 yards.
Easton Martin led East Wilkes’ floor recreation in yards with 40 on six carries. Martin was subsequent with 16 rushes for 23 yards, and Brown and Anthony Graham every ran as soon as for no achieve. Gentry had the Cardinals’ remaining carries, however went for a lack of 35 yards. Nic Isom, Payton Fonville and Reece Deaton every sacked Gentry, and Deaton and Josh Chavis every recovered a Cardinal fumble.
Mount Ethereal will run into one other Northwest 1A Convention opponent within the third spherical: Starmount. The No. 7-ranked Rams (8-4) defeated No. 26 South Stanly 65-8 within the first spherical, the topped No. 10 Andrews 27-20 within the second spherical.
The Bears defeated the Rams 43-0 on Oct. 1 for Starmount’s solely NW1A loss. Starmount is 5-0 since dropping to Mount Ethereal.
The winner of Mount Ethereal/Starmount will face the winner of No. 3 Mitchell (10-2) and No. 6 Thomasville (9-2) within the West Regional Semifinal.
Scoring
East Wilkes – 0, 0, 0, 0 = 0
Mount Ethereal – 20, 21, 0, 7 = 48
1Q
7:30 MAHS 7-0 – Ian Gallimore cross to Zeb Stroup 51-yard TD reception, Walker Stroup PAT
4:21 MAHS 14-0 – Tyler Mason 12-yard speeding TD, Walker Stroup PAT
3:25 MAHS 20-0 – Ian Gallimore cross to Zeb Stroup 26-yard TD reception, PAT no good
2Q
11:12 MAHS 27-0 – Ian Gallimore 16-yard speeding TD, Walker Stroup PAT
5:44 MAHS 34-0 – Tyler Mason 15-yard speeding TD, Walker Stroup PAT
2:05 MAHS 41-0 – Tyler Mason 9-yard speeding TD, Walker Stroup PAT
4Q
7:15 MAHS 48-0 – Caleb Reid 5-yard speeding TD, Walker Stroup PAT
