High School roundup: Palisades turns back Myers Park; Mooresville QB sets school record

Myers Park found some hope Saturday night.

Palisades got the victory, though, downing the host Mustangs 20-7 in a SoMeck 4A football game.

The Pumas (4-2, 1-0), playing their third season of varsity football, set a school record for victories in a season and downed Myers Park for the second year in a row.

This wasn’t the Myers Park team that started the season as an area power, though, and Palisades took advantage of it.

Mustang senior quarterback Jared Lockhart, who had passed for 731 yards in his first four games, suffered a season-ending knee injury two weeks ago. Myers Park coach Chris James has alternated between sophomore Cam Guy and freshman Ryan Rizutti as Lockhart’s replacement.

Palisades got on the scoreboard just 3:20 into the game when senior defensive back Corey Pettigrew stepped in front of a Guy pass and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown. The extra point kick failed.

On Myers Park’s next possession, Palisades senior defensive end Caleb Taylor picked off a Rizzuti pass and appeared to return it 45 yards for a touchdown, but the score was negated by a Puma penalty.

That was the story for Myers Park, which ran the ball much of the time or settled for short passes after the early interceptions. Palisades’ defense crowded the line of scrimmage, and the Mustang offense struggled.

Palisades made it 13-0 shortly before the half, when Addison Rowland connected with Jayden Clyburn on a 22-yard touchdown pass.

The Pumas made it 20-0 midway through the third quarter, on a 76-yard pass from Rowland to Tristin Frazier.

But Myers Park fans got some hope — not only for Saturday night’s game, but for future weeks — in the closing minutes.

The Mustangs, who didn’t get into Palisades territory until the next-to-last play of the third quarter, came alive when Rizzuti connected on a 27-yard touchdown pass with Mauriangelo Skanes. That made it 20-7 with 2:55 left.

Then Myers Park successfully converted an onside kick, and Rizzuti completed a 28-yard pass to Chaz Portis, to the Palisades 22 with 1:20 left.

But Rizzuti’s next pass was picked off, Palisades converted a first down, and the Pumas prevailed.

Rowland finished with 8-of-12 passing for 157 yards.

Scoring summary

Palisades 6 7 7 0 — 20

Myers Park 0 0 0 7 — 7

P — Corey Pettigrew 28 interception return (kick failed)

P — Jayden Clyburn 22 pass from Addison Rowland (Isaiah Fredericton kick)

P — Tristin Frazier 76 pass from Rowland (Fredericton kick)

MP — Mauriangelo Skanes 27 pass from Ryan Rizutti (James Remsen kick)

Regional roundup

Mallard Creek 50, Hopewell 0: The Mavericks (4-1, 2-0 Queen City 3A-4A) celebrated homecoming with their biggest victory of the season. Curtis Clark led the victors with two touchdowns. Hopewell fell to 3-2, 1-1.

Butler 28, Providence 10: Zach Lawrence and DeQuadre Currence connected on two long touchdown passes, and the visiting Bulldogs (2-4, 2-0 Southwestern 4A) won their second in a row. Butler took a 7-0 lead midway in the first quarter on a 40-yard fumble recovery return, but the Panthers (1-3, 0-2) tied the game on a 2-yard run by Chase Taylor late in the period.

Lawrence then tossed a 39-yard scoring pass to Currence late in the second quarter. A 46-yard field goal by Jamison Causey brought Providence to within 14-10 midway in the third period, but Demarion Thomas-Wright scored for Butler on a 50-yard run three minutes later. A 44-yard Lawrence-to-Curence pass with four minutes left in the game sealed the victory.

Ardrey Kell 74, Ballantyne Ridge 7: The Knights (2-3, 1-0 SoMeck 4A) rolled to a 34-0 first-quarter lead in winning their conference opener. Ballantyne Ridge (0-5, 0-2), a first-year school playing mostly with freshmen and sophomores, got its first touchdown in school history.

Mooresville 56, Hickory Ridge 7: Brody Norman set a Mooresville program record for most touchdown passes in a game, tossing five scores, as the Blue Devils (4-1, 2-0) steamrolled to a victory. Norman also ran for a touchdown. Eric Heal got the Blue Devils off to a big start, returning the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. Hickory Ridge fell to 0-6, 0-2.

North Iredell 14, St. Stephens 7: North Iredell lost its first two games of the season, falling to South Iredell and Alexander Central. Since then, however, North Iredell has gotten rolling. Saturday’s win was its third in a row, following wins over Mountain Island Charter (21-7 on Sept.12) and Fred T. Foard (23-16 on Sept.20).

St. Stephens, which beat West Iredell 56-40 last week, fell to 1-4.

Statesville 34, East Lincoln 21: Statesville won for the ninth time in the teams’ 10 meetings Saturday. The Greyhounds are 4-1, 1-1 in the Western Foothills 3A. East Lincoln fell to 3-2, 0-2, after losing to defending 3A state champ Hickory last week.

Eastern Randolph 41, Parkwood 6: Eastern Randolph scored on a pick-6, a fumble recovery return, and a punt return, dropping Parkwood to 1-4.

Saturday’s scores

Queen City 3A-4A

Mallard Creek 50, Hopewell 0

SoMeck 4A

Ardrey Kell 74, Ballantyne Ridge 7

Palisades 20, Myers Park 7

Southwestern 4A

Butler 28, Providence 10

Charlotte Catholic 25, Independence 22

Greater Metro 4 4A

West Rowan 50, South Rowan 6

Western Foothills 3A

Statesville 34, East Lincoln 21

St. Stephens 14, North Iredell 7

Nonconference

Eastern Randolph 41, Parkwood 6

Statewide

Dudley 48, Atkins 0

Hayesville 37, Concord Christian (TN) 16

Hoggard 48, Laney 14

Jack Britt 28, Lumberton 0

Lee County 24, Hoke County 20

Mount Airy 17, Starmount 14

New Hanover 21, Topsail 0

North Surry 51, Forbush 21

Reagan 21, Glenn 6

Walkertown 14, T.W. Andrews 6