Mount Airy’s speed too much for East Surry
Mount Airy football had just too much speed on this night as they jumped out in the first half to a 34-0 lead over East Surry, and threw it on cruise control in the second half to win 34-0.
Mount Airy scored touchdowns on their first five possessions, starting with a five-play, 64-yard drive that ended when fullback Aaron Culler ran through a wide gap on the way to a 31-yard touchdown just 2:12 into the game. After an East punt, Mount Airy faced third and 14 from its 31 when Aaron Wheeler hit E.J. Valentine - who got behind two defensive backs - for a 69-yard touchdown pass that helped the Bears go ahead 13-0. After East’s second three-and-out possession, Mount Airy took over at the East 27.On the fourth play of the drive, Michael Dobson broke into the clear down the left seam and pulled in a 23-yard touchdown pass from Wheeler. Mount Airy marched 65 yards on the next possession, and Dobson scored from the 2 to help make it 27-0. And after Mount Airy took over at East’s 30 with 3:10 left in the half, Wheeler rushed for 13 yards and then connected with Culler on a 16-yard pass to the 1. Culler carried for the touchdown on the next play, and Alex Wright made his final extra-point attempt for a 34-0 lead.
Wheeler completed 7 of 12 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 66 yards. Dobson, finished with 106 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. Mount Airy’s defense carried as much of the load as it could, limiting East to 11 yards in the first half. Nearly all of the Cardinals’ 80 total yards - and all five of their first downs - came on the last drive of the game.
Terril Hargrave, East Surry’s junior running back, rushed 22 times for 58 yards, and the Cardinals only completion came on a fake punt, when Ethan Boles shuffled a pass to Hunter Diamond to keep East’s final drive alive.
Dorian Gwyn’s interception near the goal line in the waning seconds helped Mount Airy preserve the shutout and beat East Surry for only the second time in the past nine meetings. Mount Airy moves to 6-0 on the season, while East Surry suffers their first loss and moves to 6-1. Mount Airy has another tough match up on paper next week as they host North Stokes who has a record of 6-1. East Surry has an off week before traveling to North Stokes. The Northwest 1A conference will get interested in the next couple of weeks as North Stokes is currently 4-0 in conference play, while Mount Airy and West Wilkes are 3-0 and East Surry is 3-1. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top when all is said and done.
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