NEW MARKET — It was a team win, but Southmont’s Carson Chadd stepped up with two of the biggest plays of the night to lift the Mounties past North Putnam 21-14 in the season opener on Friday night.
Trailing 14-13 early in the fourth quarter, Chadd took a hand-off around the right edge 45-yards for a score to put Southmont back on top with 11:50 to play, before helping seal the victory with a sack on a third down play by the Cougars inside the red zone.
The sophomore contributed 49 yards to a balanced rushing attack, as the Mounties (1-0) ran the ball 43 times for 239 yards.
“We knew we were going to play several guys this evening at our back positions and our receiver positions,” Mounties coach Desson Hannum said. “We played quite a few guys this evening and it is probably one of those that you would consider a team effort.”
Isaiah McMasters led the way with 58 yards on 16 carries, while sophomore quarterback Nick Scott carried it eight times for 52 yards, and Trevor Surface added 54 ground game yards.
Southmont jumped out to a quick 13-0 lead, scoring on its first two drives before North Putnam (0-2) could gain their footing. McMasters punched in a 3-yard run, before Surface’s 30-yard scamper made it 13-0 at the 5:49 mark in the first quarter — capitalizing on a North Putnam turnover on the Cougars’ first offensive play. The Mounties outgained the Cougars 105-30 in the first quarter.
North Putnam made it 13-7 at the half, behind a 3-yard score from Gunner Burress with 4:31 left in the second quarter. The junior quarterback added an 8-yard score late in the third quarter to give the Cougars their only lead of the ball game.
Burress connected on 13-of-22 passes for 87 yards and added 36 yards on the ground to lead the Cougars, but was unable to put them back in the end zone after Chadd’s dagger score and eventual sack.
In total the Mounties outgained the Cougars 250-209.
After having their scrimmage and week 1 game canceled, the Mounties are 1-0 to start the season after suffering five-straight losses to end the 2019 campaign.
“To come back and get a win tonight was really important,” Hannum said. “Something that we wanted to start the year off 1-0.”
Southmont host North Montgomery next Friday, while North Putnam travels to South Putnam.
Southmont 21, North Putnam 14
North Putnam 0 7 7 0 – 14
Southmont 13 0 0 8 – 21
Scoring by Quarters
1st quarter
SM: Isaiah McMasters 3-yard run, (Ward kick), 6:13
SM: Trevor Surface 30-yard run, (kick failed), 5:49
2nd quarter
NP: Gunner Burress 3-yard run (Polly kick), 4:31
3rd quarter
NP: Burress 8-yard run (Polly kick), 2:17
4th quarter
SM: Carson Chadd 45-yard run (Scott run/conversion), 21-14
Team Stats NP SM
First Downs 12 12
Rushes-yds 35-122 43-239
Comp-Att-Int 13-22-0 3-6-0
Passing yds 87 11
Total yds 209 250
Turnonvers 1 0
Individual Stats
Rushing:
NP: Robert Greene 10-77, Burress 16-36, Colton Clifford 6-(-3), Noah Claycomb 2-8, Kevin Barger 1-4.
SM: Wyatt Woodall 5-28, Nick Scott 8-52, Isaiah McMasters 16-58, Trevor Surface 6-54, Carson Chadd 4-49.
Passing:
NP: Burress 13-22-87.
SM: Scott 3-6-11.
Receiving:
NP: Barger 6-43, Clifford 5-27, Green 1-(-2), Corbin Sprunger 1-15.
SM: Woodall 1-11.
