Over the weekend, North Stanly’s varsity football team opened up Yadkin Valley Conference play with a 21-7 home win over Union Academy inside R.N. Jeffrey Stadium.
It marked a needed victory for a North team that had lost two of its past three games prior to the conference stretch of the 2024 campaign.
The Comets (4-2, 1-0 YVC) found themselves trailing the Cardinals (4-2, 0-1 YVC) 7-0 heading into halftime before flipping the script with 21 unanswered points, starting with a six-yard touchdown from running back Juice Lilly early in the third quarter.
Later in the quarter, North defensive back Justice Grambling notched a 50-yard pick six thrown by Cardinal quarterback Parker Frashier to put the Comets up 14-7.
It wasn’t long before North had a two-touchdown lead over Union Academy, thanks to a five-yard touchdown rush from running back Jaden Little. The Comets’ varied ground game featured three players — Lilly, Little, and Aden Allsbrook — who each had over 45 rushing yards.
Comet quarterback Charlie Shaver completed nine of 16 pass attempts for 87 yards, with his top target being tight end Gavin Helms.
North will now hit the road to face undefeated Lake Norman Charter (5-0, 1-0 YVC), who was defeated by the Comets last year in a 57-20 blowout in New London.
West Stanly 33, Piedmont 20
In a Rocky River Conference-opening matchup, the West Stanly Colts (1-5, 1-0 RRC) got their first win of the season as they picked up a 13-point road victory over the Piedmont Panthers (2-4, 0-1 RRC) on Friday.
The Colts had been outscored 167-75 in their first five games of the season — all losses — as they entered their must-win conference matchup with the Panthers.
West is now set to host Forest Hills (3-3, 0-1 RRC), who opened its RRC schedule with a 34-9 home loss to Monroe (5-0, 1-0 RRC) over the weekend.
Lake Norman Charter 24, Albemarle 8
In Huntersville, the Albemarle Bulldogs (2-4, 0-1 YVC) were handed a conference road loss by the undefeated Lake Norman Charter Knights on Sept. 30.
The Bulldogs found themselves down 18-0 at halftime and trailing by 24 points before adding eight points in the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Dre Davis finished with more interceptions (two) than passing yards (one) as the Bulldog passing game failed to launch. On the ground, the team’s three-head rushing attack of Kaine McLendon, Vincent Gregory, and Shoddy Pergee combined for 207 yards.
Albemarle will now host South Stanly as the two teams look for their first conference victory of the season.
Mount Pleasant 35, South Stanly 30
Coming off back-to-back wins, the South Stanly Rebel Bulls (3-2, 0-1 YVC) opened YVC play with a 35-30 home loss to the Mount Pleasant Tigers (5-1, 1-0 YVC).
The Tigers’ 35 points marked the most allowed by a South team so far this season, as Mount Pleasant topped their average of 31.4 points per game heading into the matchup.
Hoping to bounce back following a narrow loss, South now has a chance to regroup on the road against Albemarle, who has lost two of its past three contests.