Senior Ty Sparks makes a Heritage defender miss on Friday, March 19. He caught three touchdown passes in the win. (MNJ photo/Cory Spiers)
The Mitchell High varsity football team beat rival Mountain Heritage for the first time since 2014, doing so convincingly in a 35-14 romp on Friday, March 19.
The Mountaineers (4-0, 2-0) took the wind out of the visitors’ sails by scoring the game’s first 28 points. The Cougars (2-1, 0-1) stopped the bleeding with a touchdown in the waning seconds of the first half but Mitchell’s commanding lead was too much to overcome.
Mitchell was powered by an efficient performance from sophomore quarterback Ty Turbyfill who completed 6-of-8 passes for 113 yards and three touchdowns— all of which went to senior Ty Sparks who racked up 99 receiving yards on four catches.
Turbyfill got the scoring started in the second quarter by capping a 16-play, 74-yard drive with a two-yard plunge into the end zone.
Turbyfill and Sparks connected twice for passing touchdowns in the second quarter— one from five yards out and another from 30 yards— to push the lead to 21-0.
Senior defensive back Harrison Horney again brought the Mitchell fans to their feet late in the second when he stepped in front of an errant pass from Heritage quarterback Gabe Silver and scampered 59 yards down the sideline for another touchdown that put the hosts up 28-0.
The Cougars scored late in the second to make the halftime score 28-6 but Turbyfill and Sparks connected again for a 60-yard score just seconds into the third quarter to push the lead to 35-6.
Heritage added a touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter that made the final score 35-14.
In addition to his gaudy receiving numbers, Sparks was the team’s leading rusher with four rushes for 41 yards, including a 26-yard run.
Turbyfill ran 15 times for 39 yards and a touchdown and senior Tanner Duncan carried nine times for 23 yards. Senior receiver Caius Arrington caught a pair of passes for 14 yards.
Junior Gabe Brandt anchored the Mitchell defense with a team-high 11 tackles, including two for a loss. Cole Sparks and Xander Gardner also each registered a pair of tackles for a loss.
Carter Hoyle had seven tackles and recorded the team’s only sack of Silver.
Mitchell hosts Polk on Friday, April 2. Mitchell's game originally scheduled for Friday, March 26 at Madison has been canceled due to COVID concerns at the host school.
The Mountaineers wrap up the regular season at Avery on Friday, April 9 before the state playoffs begin the following week.
Polk (3-1, 2-0) and Avery (2-0, 1-0) also remain undefeated in Western Highlands Conference play while Heritage (2-1, 0-1), Owen (2-2, 0-2) and Madison (0-4, 0-2) round out the bottom of the conference standings after Week 4.