No. 5 Hough makes a big statement with a blowout win over No. 6 West Charlotte

Hough High’s conference schedule for the last eight seasons has had the Huskies face perennial powers West Charlotte and Mallard Creek in back-to-back weeks.

After Thursday’s convincing 40-14 win at West Charlotte, for the Huskies it’s one down and one to go.

“We played pretty well but we also want to get better,” said Hough coach DeShawn Baker, whose team hosts Mallard Creek next Friday in a contest that likely will determine the 2024 Queen City 3A/4A Conference champion. “We also know what’s ahead.”

Hough came out impressively as it scored on its first six possessions — four touchdowns and two field goals — and held West Charlotte scoreless until it had built a 33-0 lead.

Senior quarterback Trey Blakeney and a ballhawking defense led the Huskies to the win.

Blakeney and backup Ethan Royal directed a 390-yard offensive attack that churned for 23 first downs, with Blakeney completing 12 of 23 passes for 191 yards with three touchdowns and rushing five times for 41 yards.

Baker says his coaching staff has so much confidence in Blakeney that they let him script plays to start the game each week.

“On Wednesday at practice, we come up with the first six plays we want to run,” Baker said. “We feel like if he likes those plays then he’ll be comfortable running them.”

On Thursday, three of the Huskies’ first six plays went for first downs, including a 36-yard throw to Tyran Evans that set up Kandler Happe’s 25-yard field goal on the game’s opening drive.

Defensively, lineman Ledarrion Menter, linebacker Ayden Bell, end Cameron Cyr and linebacker Edward Conover led a defense that limited the Lions to 171 yards total offense, including 14 in the first half and 12 net yards rushing overall due to nine tackles for losses (five of them quarterback sacks).

“I thought the whole defense played great as a unit,” Baker said.

Three who made a difference

Trey Blakeney, Hough: Completed 12 of 23 passes for 191 yards with three touchdowns and rushed five times for 41 yards.

Sean Brady, Hough: Caught seven passes for 104 yards and one touchdown.

Jamouri Nichols, West Charlotte: Completed 11 of 18 passes for 159 yards and a 44-yard touchdown pass to Rakim Finch.

Notable

▪ Hough scored on each of its five first-half possessions with three touchdowns and two field goals, then scored a touchdown on its first second-half possession.

▪ The game was delayed for 10 minutes in the third quarter as West Charlotte cornerback Jamari Smith was taken off on a stretcher. Lions coach Sam Greiner said Smith had concussion symptoms and his prognosis was good.

▪ Not many schools have an all-time series advantage over West Charlotte, which has 38 state playoff berths, 23 conference titles, two state titles and six state runner-up finishes since its first season in 1938. But after losing the first game between the schools in Hough’s first year of 2010, the Huskies have beaten the Lions 14 straight times by an impressive 484-99 margin.

They said it

“They’re a team that’s been there and done that. We weren’t ready for the moment. They’re a very talented team that can run, can pass and can play defense.” — West Charlotte coach Sam Greiner

GAME SUMMARY

Hough 10 17 6 7 - 40

West Charlotte 0 0 0 14 - 14

FIRST QUARTER

H: Kandler Happe 25 FG

H: Jycen Anciso 13 pass from Trey Blakeney (Happe kick)

SECOND QUARTER

H: Happe 27 FG

H: Tyran Evans 18 pass from Blakeney (Happe kick)

H: Anciso 3 pass from Blakeney (Happe kick)

THIRD QUARTER

H: Sean Brady 27 pass from Blakeney (Pass failed)

FOURTH QUARTER

WC: K.D. Cotton 4 run (Kick failed)

WC: Rakim Finch 44 pass from Jamouri Nichols (Cotton pass from Nichols)

H: Ethan Royal 5 run (Happe kick)

--