Mountaineers will play at Robbinsville in Round 2
Junior Ethan Willis drags a Christ the King defender with him during a running play. (MNJ photo/Cory Spiers)
LEDGER — The Mitchell High varsity football team started the state playoffs with a bang in the form of a 56-0 first-round home win Thursday, April 15 over Huntersville Christ the King.
The Mountaineers (7-0) racked up 538 yards of total offense while holding the visiting Crusaders (4-4) to just 217 total yards.
Mitchell’s offensive onslaught was led by a balanced rushing attack. Senior Tanner Duncan carried seven times for 119 yards, junior Carter Hoyle ran twice for 99 yards and a score, senior Austin Hudgins carried eight times for 69 yards and a touchdown and sophomore Gage Young had four carries for 57 yards and a touchdown.
Sophomore quarterback Ty Turbyill completed 5-of-7 passes for 98 yards and three touchdowns to senior receivers— one to Grant Phillips, another to Cole Sparks and one to Ty Sparks.
Turbyfill also ran three times for 35 yards and a touchdown.
Phillips led the way with two receptions for 66 yards. Cole Sparks caught one pass for 26 yards, Ty Sparks had one reception for nine yards and Duncan added a catch for three yards.
Hoyle and Ethan Willis anchored the stingy Mitchell defense with five tackles each. Cole Sparks recorded the team’s lone sack and Ty Sparks, Gabe Brandt and Young all had one interception each.
Senior kicker Cole Woodard was 8-for-8 on extra-point attempts and averaged 64.5 yards per kickoff while registering four touchbacks.
Mitchell got the scoring started early when Turbyfill connected with Ty Sparks for a nine-yard touchdown less than two minutes into the game.
The big first quarter continued when Hoyle broke free for a 91-yard rushing touchdown just minutes later and Ty Sparks followed by picking off a pass and scampering 39 yards down the middle of the field for another score.
Mitchell added three more touchdowns in the second quarter to push the lead to 42-0 at halftime.
Young scored a third-quarter touchdown and Hudgins found the end zone in the fourth quarter to make the final score 56-0.
No. 3-seeded Mitchell continues its playoff quest with a trip to No. 2-seeded Robbinsville on Friday, April 23.
Robbinsville (8-0) survived in the first round by beating Winston-Salem Prep 42-40 in double overtime.
The Black Knights scored first in the second overtime and allowed Winston-Salem Prep to score a passing touchdown in their half of the second overtime but Robbinsville stopped the visitors on the ensuing 2-point conversion to hang on.
Kickoff between Mitchell and Robbinsville is set for 7:30 p.m.