OAKBORO — West Stanly’s football woes continued Friday as the Colts surrendered seven unanswered touchdowns and suffered a 48-0 loss to Monroe.
During the homecoming shutout that extended the Colts’ (2-5, 0-3 YVC) losing streak to five games, West Stanly crossed midfield only twice and generated just 114 yards of offense.
The Redhawks (5-1, 3-0 Yadkin Valley Conference) now lead the conference standings, while the Colts have fallen into a last-place tie with the Anson Bearcats (3-6, 0-3 YVC). The Colts opened their season with back-to-back wins but have since been outscored 160-26 during the five-game skid.
West Stanly coach Brett Morton had a simple message for his players after the game: “Rally, finish strong, and do what you have to do to finish the year out the right way.”
His squad will get a chance to end its season with a victory when the Bearcats travel to Oakboro on Friday for a matchup of two teams that are winless in conference play. Morton said he wants his offensive linemen to have an encouraging performance in their next game.
“I’d really like to see them come out and end the season with a bang,” he said. “We’ve been trying to fight through and move a lot of pieces all year, so I’d like to see them jell on the last game of the year.”
Against the Redhawks, the Colts’ defensive line failed pressure quarterback Khamoni Robinson, who carried his team down the field with repeated connections to wide receivers Elliott Reed, Shaleak Knotts and Jaikhob Covington.
Nearing the end of the first quarter, Covington gave the Redhawks a 14-0 lead after a 78-yard touchdown run. Three minutes later, Knotts’ 12-yard catch pushed Monroe’s lead to three scores.
Running back Nate Crosby added a touchdown on the next drive before Knotts had his second touchdown catch of the night. By the fourth quarter, Monroe held a 41-0 lead as the running time clock counted down.
In a desperate final effort, West Stanly attempted and failed an onside kick, placing the Redhawks back in scoring range for their final touchdown drive.
Colts quarterback Jett Thomas converted just 1 of 3 passes in the game as West Stanly focused on establishing the running game. Senior Carter Miller led the Colts with 42 yards on 11 carries, while senior Braden Hartsell finished with 10 carries for 36 yards.
West Stanly, which entered the game averaging 209 yards per game on the ground, managed a season-low 84 rushing yards in the loss.