Kelly Mills Westmoreland | Special to The News
East Surry’s R.J. Lawson (40) gets a big pickup for the Cards on a special-teams play. Blocking is Jeremy Gilley (15).
Kelly Mills Westmoreland | Special to The News
Surry Central’s Raymond Salazar picks off an East Surry pass in the red zone and makes a long return upfield. This was one of the few mistakes for QB John Dickenson who picked up 218 yards passing and two TDs.
DOBSON — East Surry’s Cardinals launched a potent aerial offensive Friday to fuel a 35-13 victory over the Golden Eagles at Surry Central High School.
“John Dickenson threw the ball really well,” commented Surry Central Coach David Diamont. “We had to throw the ball well because Surry Central stopped our running game. Coaches Darren Haywood, Randy Marion, John Carpenter and Joe Reid Denny really did well preparing the team for the option. They knew their assignments. I also thought the defense played well.”
The Cards lit up the scoreboard at the nine-minute mark in the first quarter and added on a successful extra point kick to nab an early seven point lead, with a Jeremy Gilley touchdown. Central roared back minutes later with a TD by Kenyon Martin to knot the score at seven all with 6:04 on the clock. The contest went back and forth for the remainder of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Cardinals chose to go for it on fourth down at the Eagle 23-yard line at the 10:43 mark in the period. The Eagle defense stiffened, keeping pressure on East. Cardinal quarterback John Dickenson ran in from the outside to add another touchdown to East’s column and the extra point kick was good to earn the Cards a 14-7 lead.
The Cardinal offense had put together the combinations to work the ball deep into Eagle territory with 6:03 left in the quarter. A hand off to Zach Koons moved the ball up the 15, but the effort was snuffed with an interception by Golden Eagle Raymond Salazar. The Eagles got the ball back on their own 38.
Both teams battled evenly until the very end of the quarter as Dickenson gained 17 yards on a run to give the Cards a first down on the Eagle 47 with under a minute left before the half. A long pass to R.J. Lawson connected and the extra point kick was good to send the Cardinals to the lockeroom at the half with a score of 21-7.
The third quarter opened up with the Cardinals setting up a drive on a pitch out from Dickenson to Koons which earned East a first down on the Golden Eagle 39. Dickenson ran the ball up to the 34 before being brought down by Central’s Stephen Bruner. A face mask penalty call on the Eagles and another carry by Koons pushed the ball to the Eagle 22 with 7:40 left in the third stanza.
A total of 4:08 was left in the quarter as the Eagles once again steeled their defense as the Cardinals had worked the ball up to the 13-yard line. Dickenson’s pass to Lawson was incomplete and on the next play Eagle Raymond Salazar tackled Dickenson in the back field for a loss of eight yards. East’s field goal attempt was short and the score remained 21-7.
Salazar followed that up with a big play with 1:35 left to play in the third as he steamed up the middle of the field only to be stopped by Cardinals Chase Brewster and Jeremy Gilley at the nine-yard line for a first down. Central’s momentum wained temporarily moments later on a fumble, but the Eagles recovered the ball. Chilton connected with Luke Haymore for a touchdown. The two point attempt by Jared Dimmette was stopped by the Cards and the score was 21-13 as Central showed signs of gaining steam.
Central’s Chilton pulled down a long pass with less than a minute left in the third quarter but time ran out in the period.
In the top of the fourth quarter, a pass interference call on the Cardinals set the Eagles on their own 40, but a fumble stalled the drive as Central recovered the ball on the Eagle 37 but could not put together the combination to score. At the 6:15 mark, Zach Koons ran the ball up the middle to the Eagle 15 for a 1st-and-10 and Lucas Koons followed that by punching the ball up to the 12.
Lucas Koons was stopped on the next play by Central’s Salazar but a penalty call gave the Cardinals the ball at the Eagles’ three at the 4:50 mark. Zach Koons ran it up the middle for six points and the kick was good. East led 28-13. At the 4:38 mark, another offensive effort by the Eagles was chilled when Chase Brewster intercepted a Central pass with 3:48 left in the game. The Cards again pushed up to Central’s two-yard line before they scored again and added another six points. The kick was good to seal the win with a 35-point total.
Central’s offense appeared to kick into overdrive minutes later as Dimmette ran a kick back for an apparent touchdown that was nullified by a holding penalty.
East had 15 first downs to the Eagles three. The Cardinals had 144 yards rushing and Central had 74. The Eagles connected on 14 of 20 aerials, while Central connected on two of 10. East passed for 218 yards, while Surry Central had 62. The Cardinal offense totaled up 362 yards offense and Central had 136.
Reach David Broyles at dbroyles@heartlandpublications.com or 719-1952.
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