By Ed Phillipps
The Mount Airy News

TOAST — When North Surry’s Joston Phipps took a punt 60 yards for a score on the Greyhounds’ first play of the second half Friday against Starmount, it gave the home team the lead and the momentum.

But, as North Surry coach Brian Hampton noted, the Greyhounds have had a hard time keeping up with momentum this season. That turned out to be the only score for North Surry (0-3) in a 36-7 loss that saw the Rams (1-2) rack up 30 points in the second half.

“We got momentum and then they returned the kickoff to the (Greyhounds’ 45),” Hampton said, “and that just took all the wind out of us. We can’t capitalize on momentum and that’s killing us.”

Unfortunately, Hampton saw the same downfall twice before last night.

“It’s happened numerous times already this year in three games,” he said. “As soon as we get momentum, they take it from us. Forbush, we got down and scored; big kickoff return takes the momentum away. Elkin, we get things going a little bit; a big play takes it away.”

Quarterback Joston Phipps led North Surry with 97 yards on the ground, but he topped a list that Hampton would rather not have by the end of the game: The injured. Phipps tweaked an ankle and missed time in the second half. Running back Nik Morgan suffered from an ankle sprain and cramps. Running back Terry Adams had a high ankle sprain.

“Everybody’s banged up right now,” Hampton said. “We’re just the walking wounded. I wish the open date was (this) week so we could heal up.”

Injuries are the last thing the Greyhounds can afford with quarterback Tanner Hiatt already out the first three games with a high ankle sprain.

“We have no offense without Tanner, Joston, Terry and Nik....that’s our backfield,” Hampton said.

Starmount ground out 355 rushing yards, including two football fields’ worth in the second half. After starting 0-2, the Rams, whose ground attack has been solid all year, won this week by forcing turnovers. Twice in the first half the Greyhounds were on the verge of scoring. Twice the Rams came up with interceptions.

But the first half was a distant memory by the time Phipps turned the Greyhounds’ first play of the second half into a lead.

“He made that play,” Rams coach Scott Johnson said. “We had three guys hit him and I thought one guy stripped him, but he pulled it out of his arms.”

The Rams returned the ensuing kickoff to the North Surry 45 and were forced into a fourth-and-short. Rams quarterback Jake Barr ran around the right end for a 17-yard game that signaled the beginning of the end for North Surry.

From that point on, the Rams’ power-running game that featured several backs beat up the injured Greyhounds.

By Starmount’s stat book, Israel Murphy (111 yards) and M.J. Bryant (102 yards) crossed the magical 100-yard plateau. Barr finished with 84 yards on seven totes.

Murphy had a hat trick of touchdowns, including on runs of 28 and 11 yards in the third quarter. Christian Hurt hauled in Barr’s only completed pass of the night, covering 25 yards.

Defensively, Barr, Eugene Billips, Nick Kimmer and Jac McCracken each made interceptions for the Rams. M.J. Bryant had 12 tackles to lead the hits. Barr finished with 11 tackles. McCracken and Kyle Weatherman had eight tackles each. Weatherman made one sack.

North Surry’s Hampton pointed out that players like Morgan and junior running back Dillon Hawks played hard despite injuries and adversity. He did not say the same about others.

“There’s certain kids that never quit,” Hampton said. “There’s some I think (that) did. And I told them they’re going to have to do a little soul searching and their either going to have to get in or get out and that’s how it’s going to have to be.”

Starmount will go on the road again this Friday, traveling to East Bend for the annual Unifi Bowl contest against the Falcons. The Rams have won the last two Unifi Bowls after losing in 2006.

Starmount 36,

North Surry 7

Friday • at Toast

Starmount 6 0 15 15 — 36

North Surry 0 0 7 0 — 7

First Quarter

ST — Israel Murphy 11 yd run (kick failed), 6:42

 Third Quarter

NS — Joston Phipps 60 yd punt return (Jacob Hauser kick), 10:02

ST — Murphy 28 yd run (Murphy run), 7:04

ST — Murphy 11 yd run (Steven Hemric kick), 4:08

 Fourth Quarter

ST — MJ Bryant 25 yd run (Hemric kick), 10:23

ST — Jake Barr 17 yd run (kick failed), 6:19

ST — Safety, punter tackled in end zone, 3:41

 

Statistics

STARMOUNT

Rushing: Murphy 12-111; Bryant 7-102; Barr 7-84; Nicholson 5-24; McDaniel 1-18; Weatherman 3-13; Gray 1-3; TOTALS: 36-355

 Passing: Barr 1 of 3 for 25 yds’

 Receiving: Hurt 1-25

 Total Yards: 380 yds

Penalties: 3-30

Turnovers: 1

 

NORTH SURRY

Rushing Leader: Phipps 20-93; TOTALS: 40-134

Passing: Phipps 4 of 11 for 50 yds

 Total Yards: 184 yds

Penalties: 7-70

Turnovers: 4 INTS (Barr, Billips, Kimmer, J. McCracken)

Fund-raising softball tourneys

An area men's softball team has won a bid to the NSA World Series in Las Vegas and is holding a couple of tournaments in Mocksville to raise money for their trip.

The first tournament was played Sept. 5. The second will be Sept. 26. USSSA rules apply. The entry fee is $150. Teams are allowed five home runs.

For more information on either tournament, contact Frank Dotson at (336) 655-4629.