By By BRIAN HAINES
Sports Writer
YEATESVILLE — When it rains it pours, and in the second quarter that expression held true both figuratively and literally for Northside on Friday.
After going score-for-score with Plymouth in the first quarter, the flood gates opened for the Panthers in the second as they moved the chains on all five of their possessions, but turned the ball over each time under a steady rain. The Vikings and their high-powered offense capitalized on every free possession to score 30 unanswered points en rout to a 58-27 Four Rivers Conference victory.
Big plays was the theme of the night for both teams. Plymouth running back Ronnel Blount scored on touchdown runs of 65 and 75 yards respectively, while catching a 9-yard TD pass from quarterback Kevin Purkett (3-7-77). Teammate Dylan Watts racked up scoring runs of 15 and 65 yards, while freshman Carl McCray dashed for TD runs of 42 and 26 yards late in the fourth quarter.
The Vikings (3-1, 1-0) put forth their best rushing effort of the season, as their small but speedy backs darted out from behind their large offensive line to the tune of 506 yards on 22 attempts.
“Offensively I thought we blocked pretty good,” Plymouth coach Robert Cody said. “They blocked well downfield, when they get down (field) they expect to get in.”
Northside’s offensive looked good all game, as it kept the Plymouth defense off balance with good play calling that mixed the pass and run effectively.
It was the Panthers’ passing that got them on the board early as QB Isaiah McCullor hooked up with Derrick Warren for a 47 yard TD pass to go up 6-0. McCullor threw his second TD pass of the game a little later when he found TE William LaBarge for a 39-yard TD pass that put them up 13-6.
Down 16-13 to start the second, Northside (2-3, 0-1) was plagued with turnovers that killed a few impressive drives. Panthers’ coach Keith Boyd said he views the glass as half full.
“I look at this game as very positive,” Boyd said. “You’re talking about going against a team that for the last four or five years has been ranked in the state and won a state championship. It’s definitely a positive, especially offensively where we kind of stopped ourselves.”
Plymouth Northside
7 First Downs 19
22-506 Rushes-Yards 35-261
77 Passing Yards 142
3-7 Pass-Comp-Int 4-9-1
x Punting x
3-1 Fumbles-Lost 4-2
4-25 Penalties 6-50
Plymouth 16 30 0 12 — 58
Northside 13 0 7 7 — 27
Scoring Summary
N — Derrick Warren 47 pass from Isaiah McCullor (Cecilio Cota kick failed), 7:08, 1st.
P — Ronnel Blount 65 run (Dylan Watts two points) 6:51, 1st.
N — William LaBarge 39 pass from McCullor (Cota kick), 6:51
P — Blount 75 run (Watts two points), 2:34, 1st.
P — Watts 15 run (Watts two points), 6:38, 2nd.
P — Watts 63 run (Watts two points), 2:24. 2nd.
P — Kevin Purkett 2 run (Blount two points), :54, 2nd.
P — Blount 9 pass from Purkett (two points failed, 27.9, 2nd.
N — McCullor 8 run (Cota kick), :45, 3rd.
P — Carl McCray 42 run (two points failed), 8:27, 4th.
N — Dee Martin 26 run (Cota kick), 3:45
p — McCray 68 run (two points failed), :45, 4th.