MOUNT AIRY
Mount Airy moved a step closer toward capturing its second straight Class 1-A football championship and won its 29th straight game with a 39-14 victory against West Columbus in a second round Class 1-A game at Wallace Shelton Stadium last night.
The Granite Bears, ranked No. 1 in Class 1-A, improved to 13-0 behind an opportunistic defense, which forced four turnovers in the first half to help build a 36-0 halftime lead.
Mount Airy, which hasn't lost a game since the 2007 Class 1-AA playoffs against Albemarle, limited the Vikings to 69 yards of offense and gained 237 yards, most of which came in the first half.
The Granite Bears face the Princeton-Hobbton winner in next week's third round.
The Bears' offense started most of their drives in the first half in West Columbus territory, which led to four short touchdown drives.
Coach Kelly Holder of Mount Airy said his defense made things a little easier by putting the offense in good position.
"Defense helps your offense out a ton," Holder said. "It's a whole lot easier to go 40 or 50 yards than it is to go 80. The first half was really, really good, and like I told our kids we were efficient. That's what we need to be. If kids are open, we need to hit them. If a play is there, we need to block, run, see holes and be penalty free.
"We didn't give them a chance to get anything defensively or offensively in the first half. The second half we didn't look near as crisp, but it was a good way to start early."
Demitrius Rucker, a junior linebacker, got things going early when he scooped up a Vikings fumble and galloped in for a 2-yard touchdown.
From there, the Bears' defense and Andy Temoney did the rest.
Temoney, a shifty 5-6, 158-pound senior running back, helped capitalize on the Vikings' offensive miscues, scoring three touchdowns on runs of 26, 10 and 8 after two West Columbus fumbles and an interception.
Temoney, who also recovered a fumble, said it was important for Mount Airy to set the tone early.
"I thought our defense did a really solid job stopping the run and I think our defensive backs did a good job of stepping up and stopping the passing game," Temoney said. "You have to take it one game at a time because the teams get tougher and tougher as you go along. Every round is going to get tougher but as long as we stick to our game plan and play Mount Airy football we will be OK."
Senior Luke Wheeler scored the Bears' only other offensive touchdown in the second quarter, and kicker Tyler Hull added two field goals -- one to end the first half and one in the third quarter -- to close out Mount Airy's scoring.
The Bears were poised to post their second straight shutout, but the Vikings got a 99-yard punt return for a touchdown from Chris Stephens off a missed 51-yard field goal attempt late in the third quarter, then added another touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
West Columbus finished the season with a 6-7 record.
Coach Dennis Bannick of West Columbus said his team ran into a buzzsaw it didn't have any answers for.
"That's a great program," Bannick said. "They are going to win state. If they don't, something bad happened that night. They are well coached and a class act."
W. Columbus 0 0 8 6 -- 14
Mount Airy 20 16 3 0 -- 39
MA -- Demitrius Rucker 2 fumble return (kick failed)
MA -- Andy Temoney 26 run (kick failed)
MA -- Temoney 10 run (Luke Wheeler run)
MA -- Temoney 8 run (run failed)
MA -- Luke Wheeler 5 run (Hull kick)
MA -- Tyler Hull 29 FG
MA -- Hull 29 FG
WC -- Chris Stephens 99 punt return (Demetri Lennon pass from Gary George)
WC -- Demetri Lennon 4 pass from Stephens (kick blocked)
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