The South Stanly varsity football team did something it hadn’t done in nearly two years on Friday: It won.
The Rebel Bulls used pairs of touchdowns from quarterback Drew Gaddy and running back I’key Holt to beat South Rowan 27-19 in Norwood, ending a 12-game losing streak and winning for the first time since Oct. 29, 2021.
Defensively, the Bulls were able to stop the run but struggled with Raiders quarterback Brooks Overcash, who had three touchdown passes.
New South Stanly coach Terry Shankle earned his first win with the school in his second game leading the team as it evened its record at 1-1. South Rowan dropped to 1-1 on the season.
The Bulls will travel this Friday to face Lexington (1-1), which is coming off a 32-16 road win over Carver.
West Stanly 28, Carson 20 (OT)
West Stanly moved to a 2-0 record for the fifth consecutive year as it defeated Carson 28-20 in overtime at home on Friday.
Running back Caleb Bumgarner scored the go-ahead touchdown for the Colts and defensive back Jahmere Blyden sealed the win with a game-ending interception.
Much like last week, the Colts found success early and often running the ball as Breyden Lambert, Rene Salazar and Jacob Starnes combined for 216 yards on 35 carries.
Lambert had two touchdown runs in the first half, while quarterback Jett Thomas connected with wide receiver Roman Huneycutt for a touchdown. The Cougars fell to 0-2 on the season.
The Colts next head to Albemarle to face the 0-2 Bulldogs.
North Stanly 37, East Rowan 31
Two games under new coach Chad Little have now resulted in a pair of hard-fought wins for North Stanly.
While the Comets (2-0) let a 20-point halftime lead dwindle to six in the third quarter against East Rowan (0-2), they used their rushing attack to stay ahead in the back-and-forth offensive action for the rest of the game.
Running back Jay Jackson rushed for 253 yards on 24 carries with a pair of touchdowns, and quarterback Chance Blake was 8 of 14 for 119 yards passing.
Blake also connected with wideout Jordan Stewart in the end zone for a second straight week.
North will travel to Western Alamance to challenge the Warriors (1-1) on Friday.
Trinity 29, Albemarle 19
In a battle of the Bulldogs, Albemarle suffered a 29-19 road loss to Trinity to fall to 0-2 on the season.
Senior quarterback Ander Artis was 13 of 24 for 196 yards — including 85 yards and a touchdown to wide receiver Jason Wall — while junior Ja’Zyion Geiger had 64 receiving yards and a score.
It was a modest night rushing the ball as Albemarle running backs Kaine McLendon and Malik Watkins combined for 68 yards on 15 carries.
The Bulldogs will hold their home opener and look for a win on Friday when they host West Stanly. Last season, the Colts came away with an 18-6 home win in a matchup between the two teams.