By ROB HAMILTON
Mount Gilead picked up their first league win of the 2015 season on Friday by topping Elgin by a 58-12 margin in a road contest.
The Indians scored first, getting a 39-yard pass from Deondre Cook to Austin Vanderkooi and a two-point run by Jonah Barnett to take an 8-0 lead. After the Comets scored to get within two points, MG went on a huge run, scoring 44 straight.
Barnett picked up a touchdown on a 52-yard run to give the Indians a 14-6 lead after the first quarter. In the second, they would get a 92-yard punt return for points by Cook, a 35-yard run by Barnett and a 10-yard scramble by Cook for three more scores. Barnett also added a two-point conversion.
Cook would add two more touchdowns in the third quarter, running for a one-yard score and adding an interception return. Barnett would then score on runs of 51 and 40 yards in the final period to provide two more touchdowns to the MG tally.
Barnett ran for 195 yards, while Cook added 82. Cook completed three passes for 64 yards in the contest, with three different receivers each snaring one reception.
Highland Scots
A fourth-quarter surge boosted Highland past host Centerburg on Friday, moving the Scots to 3-3 overall and 3-0 in league play.
In their 22-18 win, the Scots took an early lead as Max Schreiber hit Garrett Mentzer for a 62-yard pass and Satchel Denton added the extra point to make it 7-0 after one period of play.
The Trojans would score 18 straight points over the middle quarters to lead 18-7 entering the final 12 minutes, but the Scots had an answer. Dakota Bunting scored on a five-yard run and Andrew Stillwell added a two-point conversion to bring Highland within an 18-15 margin. Bunting would then score again, taking the ball 64 yards for a touchdown to give his team the lead. Denton’s kick provided the final four-point margin of victory.
The Scots finished with 211 yards on the ground, with Jared Limings rushing for 95 of that total. Schreiber completed five passes for 110 yards, with Mentzer catching two for 69 yards.
Rob Hamilton can be reached at 419-946-3010, ext. 1807. Connect with him on Twitter at @SportsMCS
