Gryphons battle tough in losing effort to Southern Nash

BAILEY — Rocky Mount High football coach Jason Battle was upbeat as he walked off the Southern Nash football field on Thursday following his team’s 35-21 loss to the Firebirds with a rare smirk.

The Gryphons (7-1, 3-1) mounted an effort that forced the Firebirds to grind out possessions, a rare feat as Southern Nash has won every game this season by at least 21 points until Thursday.

In fact, the last time Southern Nash won a regular season game by fewer than 14 points was back in 2016 in a 10-point win over Nash Central on Nov. 4 of that year.

“Our kids performed tonight,” Battle said. “We knew how good they were, and I think we challenged them tonight. It was a great high school football game.”

The hype that filled Twitter timelines and school hallways throughout the week was real as the game lived up to its billing. Firebirds running back and N.C. State recruit Zonovan Knight broke the school’s career rushing total, and running mate Quinton Cooley rushed for more than 100 yards.

RMH, too, had its own share of big offensive plays, rambling runs and downfield passes. And despite the Firebirds collecting 460 rushing yards, the Gryphons defense made keys plays that shifted the tide of the game.

Southern Nash scored touchdowns on three of its four first-half drives, but found no easy passage in the second half. After RMH cut the deficit to 21-14 with a 57-yard touchdown drive out of the break, the defense showed up.

On back-to-back possessions the Gryphons’ defense forced a pair of fumbles that they turned into seven points. RMH couldn’t make use of the first turnover and punted four plays later, drove 70 yards as Antwain Dunston reeled off a 55-yard gain to set up Tashaun Lawrence’s second touchdown of the game which tied the score at 21-21.

“It felt like the line did a good job and it was a good gap and I hit it with all I got,” Dunston said of his run. “It was a good result.”

Southern Nash (7-0, 3-0) went back to Knight and Cooley who each added a touchdown to put the game out of reach.

Three things

1. Despite Knight rushing for a game-high 284 yards on 24 carries, the future Wolfpack was kept out of the end zone until late in the fourth quarter.

Knight punched in the final score from 7-yards out with 3:26 remaining.

“We had to stay together, and look to the next play and move on,” RMH linebacker Cedric Baker said. “We missed some key assignments, but it was a game where you just have to do your job.”

2. Lawrence, who rushed for 91 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Gryphons, was the first to find a crack in the Firebirds’ defense. RMH was stymied throughout the first quarter to the tune of 1 rushing yard, before Lawrence added a 34-yard touchdown run in the second frame.

The speedy back proved to be the Gryphons answer to moving the ball.

“You miss him because everybody watches Rodell (Bridges),” Battle said. “But he works hard and he played hard and he carried us for a while.”

3. Running hard is a staple of Dunston’s game. The Gryphons junior even has a nickname to go with his bruising style — Bo. As in Bo Jackson.

Dunston led RMH with 101 yards on the ground and, though he didn’t find the end zone, set up the tying score at 21-21 with a 55-yard punishing run through the heart of the Southern Nash defense.

“That’s my style,” Dunston said of running into contact. “I like the way this game was played.”

Scoring plays

First quarter

SN – Daylon Whitley 5 run (Carlos Garcia kick), 2:05

Second quarter

SN – Daniel Batchelor 9 pass from Matt Foster (Garcia kick), 7:35

RMH – Tashaun Lawrence 34 run (Saylor Newton kick), 3:50

SN – Quinton Cooley 7 run (Garcia kick), 31.9

Third quarter

RMH – Lawrence 8 run (Newton kick), 9:38

RMH – Jaquan Lynch 1 run (Newton kick), 1:35

SN – Cooley 30 run (Garcia kick), 51.5

Fourth quarter

SN – Zonovan Knight 7 run (Garcia kick), 3:26