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Friday, Sep. 05, 2008

Big wins abound

Solid field position, big plays lead 'Cats

Rock Hill Bearcats coach Joe Montgomery said his team's 45-14 win over Nation Ford on Thursday night at District Three Stadium boiled down to two things.

Field position and making plays. It would be hard to argue either point.

The Bearcats' worst starting mark in the first half was their 15. But the other seven possessions started at the Bearcats' 36 and 47, and at the Falcons' 46 -- twice -- 47, 14 and 1.

"Our defense set us up all night," Montgomery said. "Those guys are doing a great job. They got us the ball back and it's easier to score when all you have to go is 30 or 40 yards."

But it wasn't just field position. Rock Hill's defense accounted for three Bearcats touchdowns that gave them a 32-0 lead at the break.

The first touchdown came when linebacker Mike McClure stripped the ball from Falcons quarterback Mitchell Starnes and returned it 10 yards to the 14. On second down, Jerante Hood raced into the end zone from 10 yards out.

"If I had to grade our defense tonight on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give us an 8.5," McClure said. "We play with a lot of heart and it seemed like we were getting 11 hats to the ball on nearly play.

"We're 2-0 and we're feeling confident. But we have to get mentally and physically prepared for Northwestern next Friday."

The third touchdown was set up by a Jason Cooks fumble recovery that put the Bearcats at the Falcons' 26. Four plays later, Rock Hill backup quarterback Jatavious Stewart kept it straight up the gut for a 14-yard TD.

But the Bearcats (2-0) weren't finished. Nation Ford (1-2) was forced to punt on it next possession. Brandon Jackson blocked the kick -- the second in two games for the Bearcats -- and Rock Hill took over at the 1. Tailback Jamal Tyler scored on the first play, pushing the Bearcats ahead 25-0.

"We were overwhelmed," Nation Ford coach Rusty Jester said. "We had a game plan, and that's our secret, but it was out the window by the end of the first quarter. We dug a friggin hole and couldn't climb out of it."

While Rock Hill's defense continued to shine, the offense was sharper than in last week's 26-0 win over Wando.

Starting quarterback Randall Dixon, Stewart and Trey McCullough combined to pass for 195 yards. The Bearcats added 119 on the ground.

The most exciting play from scrimmage came on the first possession of the third quarter. Dixon had a minor foot injury and Stewart was under center. On fourth-and-nine from the Falcons' 29, Stewart tossed a swing pass to Hood. He made the catch and turned the left corner untouched on his way to a 29-yard TD.

"That is the type of plays have to make," Montgomery said. "Our offense is starting to play well, but there are some things we will work on."

Montgomery pulled his starters in the final quarter, as did Jester. The Falcons' backups beat the Bearcats' second-teamers 14-6.

Third-string quarterback Thomas Condrom led both scoring drives. The first ended with a 1-yard plunge by running back Marcellus Jahkima. The second ended on Ford's 3-yard run.

ROCK HILL 45, NATION FORD 14

Nation Ford 0 0 0 14 -- 14

Rock Hill 13 19 7 6 -- 32

Scoring summary

RH -- Jerante Hood 10 run (Brandon Berger kick)

RH -- Jamal Tyler 18 run (kick failed)

RH -- Jatavious Stewart 14 run (run failed)

RH -- Tyler 1 run (pass failed)

RH -- Xavier McFadden 18 pass from Stewart (Berger kick)

RH -- Hood 29 pass from Stewart (Berger kick)

RH -- Trey McCullough 17 run (kick failed)

NF -- Marcellus Jahkima 1 run (Trevor Witcher)

NF -- Thomas Condrom 3 run (Witcher kick)

TEAM STATISTICS

RHHS NFHS

First downs 14 3

Rushes/yards 24-110 40-81

Passing 0-0-0 6-17-1

Passing yards 185 85

Fumbles/lost 1-1 5-2

Penalties/yards 4-35 3-26

Individual statistics

RUSHING -- Nation Ford: Tony Hall 9-5, Lance Jacobs 4-18, Mitchell Starnes 7-(-13), Jackson Gibson 8-31, J.J. McCullough 5-20, Adam Davis 2-8, Kenyatta Alexander 1-(-3), Condrom 2-12, Jahkima 2-13. Rock Hill: Tyler 9-49, Hood 5-18, Randall Dixon 2-6, Stewart 4-23, McCullough 3-15, Thomas Agurs 1-(-1).

PASSING -- Nation Ford: Starnes 3-14-34-1, Condrom 3-3-51-0. Rock Hill: Dixon 8-18-124-0, Stewart 4-4-51-0, McCullough 2-2-10-0

RECEIVING -- Nation Ford: Will Ford 2-15, Isaiah McCrorey 1-19, Brandon Sturgis 2-38, No. 11 1-13. Rock Hill: Asa Watson 1-16, Xavier McFadden 5-60, Tyler 3-57, Stewart 1-9, Hood 2-33, Kirob Sims 1-13, David Young 1-(-3)

RECORDS -- Rock Hill 2-0; Nation Ford 1-2

Bearcats 45

Falcons 14

For a photo gallery of this game, visit The Herald's Web site at