Mounties score 49-straight points to undo Cougars

In a race to a fumble, North Putnam's Braxston Mitchell beats Southmont's Nolan Boyer to the loose ball for a turnover during the second quarter of the Mounties' 56-33 win over the Cougars. Mitchell also had a touchdown and conversion for the hosts in the loss.

Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT

BAINBRIDGE – North Putnam had a much better start to Friday night’s home opener against Southmont than the previous week at North Montgomery.

Holding a 21-7 lead and having a chance to force a turnover on downs to end the first quarter, the Cougars were instead stung by a Mountie touchdown that cut the deficit in half, the start of 49-straight points for the visitors in a 56-33 win.

“First off, hats off to Southmont as that’s a team who won close games, big games and they stuck the course,” North Putnam head coach Scott Moore said. “They were able to start making plays where we stopped making plays.

“We were able to come out, on both sides of the ball, very sharp and we were able to do some things. We got some early scores, got an early lead but our youth and lack of experience started to show.”

North Putnam needed just four plays to open the scoring as Christian Kramer kept the ball on the option, racing 47 yards for a 6-0 lead after 67 seconds had elapsed.

Southmont went three-and-out while the Cougars chugged along, scoring six plays later after Paxton O’Brien broke a pair of tackles on a swing pass for a 42- yard score and a 13-0 lead.

The Mounties turned to their workhorse Wyatt Woodall, who needed three carries to reach the endzone, ripping off runs off 25 and eight yards before a 31-yard score halved the gap to 13-7 midway through the opening quarter.

North Putnam continued to plow along, marching from its own 26 to the Southmont 10-yard line in five plays, overcoming a false start and scoring a third time on a one-yard Braxston Mitchell plunge, the junior adding a conversion on a pass from Kramer to make it 21-7.

“We came out and showed improvements in different areas,” Moore said about the fast start. “We had a couple of big pass plays and made a couple of big runs.

“I felt more comfortable play calling. Overall, we were ready to play and we know we can be a football team, proving that in the first quarter. We did what we see everyday but when you make a little mistake, Southmont was going to make us pay.”

The Mounties converted on fourth-and-five to keep their next drive alive while avoiding a second fourth down play from being blown up with a timeout just two seconds from the end of the quarter.

With the reprieve, Nolan Boyer bought enough time for Aaron McMasters to find a pocket of space in the endzone, the pair connecting for a 25-yard score to end the period with the hosts leading 21-14.

Another North Putnam false start proved far more costly as the Cougars faced fourth-and-five on their next drive shy of midfield.

Kramer threw a quick pass that was intercepted by Kyler McCandless, who tied the game with a 41-yard pick-six.

After a trade of punts, Southmont took the lead for good midway through the second quarter as Woodall powered in from nine yards out to give the visitors a 28-21 lead.

Though the Cougars punted again on the next possession, the hosts had a chance to tie the game when Boyer missed a snap and Mitchell recovered.

North Putnam picked up two first downs and had first-and-goal at the Southmont nine-yard line but three incompletions in-a-row led to a turnover on downs.

A bit of confusion forced the Mounties to burn their final timeout after being a man short to start the next drive but out of the timeout, the hosts were equally as confused on their alignment.

Crucially, no one was covering McCandless with Boyer getting a quick snap and throwing to the senior, who took off for a 92-yard score to give Southmont a 35-21 lead at halftime.

The Mounties pounded the rock with authority after the break as Woodall scored 90 seconds after the kickoff on a 57-yard run while McCandless capped a 17-play drive with an 18-yard sweep to make it 49-21 near the end of the third quarter.

“Wyatt is a heck of a football player,” Moore said about the Mountie senior back. “We knew we had to attack low.

“At times, we were in the wrong gap or attacked him too high. He was able to keep his feet, his balance and keep moving, making us pay.”

North Putnam turned the ball over on downs in its own half to start the fourth quarter and Cale Chadd added a 25-yard end around score to start the running clock.

Kramer would score on runs of 40 and 28 as time ticked on but a 23-point gap still remained when inclement weather exploded into life across the area.

After players were ordered to the locker rooms, the coaches and officials agreed to end the contest with 4:55 remaining as storms would have ended proceedings for the evening.

“We have to learn how to keep playing when things go good and when they aren’t going so good,” Moore said about the loss. “A lot of that comes with more experience.

“I’m proud of the guys for the way they played. They fought and battled but mental mistakes on defense and little things here and there on offense hurt because to be, and to beat, a good football team, you have to keep making plays for four quarters.”

Scoring

1st Quarter

NP — Kramer 47-yard run (PAT no good) 10:57 6-0

NP — O’Brien 42-yard pass from Kramer (E. Polley kick) 8:13 13-0

SM — Woodall 31-yard run (Petroski kick) 6:19 13-7

NP — Mitchell 1-yard run (Kramer-to-Mitchell conversion) 3:44 21-7

SM — McMasters 25-yard pass from Boyer (Petroski kick) 0:00 21-14

2nd Quarter

SM — McCandless 41-yard interception return (Petroski kick) 10:44 21-21

SM — Woodall 9-yard run (Petroski kick) 5:06 21-28

SM — McCandless 92-yard pass from Boyer (Petroski kick) 0:33 21-35

3rd Quarter

SM — Woodall 57-yard run (Petroski kick) 10:30 21-42

SM — McCandless 18-yard run (Petroski kick) 0:37 21-49

4th Quarter

SM — Chadd 25-yard run (Petroski kick) 11:32 21-56

NP — Kramer 40-yard run (Conversion failed) 8:53 27-56

NP — Kramer 28-yard run (Conversion failed) 5:48 33-56

Statistics

Individual Statistics

Rushing

Southmont — 42-315, 5 TD — Woodall 17-205, 3 TD; Howell 11-54; Chadd 4-29, TD; Boyer 4-17; Tolliver 3-(-4); McCandless 2-15, TD; Robertson 1-(-1)

North Putnam — 30-216, 4 TD — Kramer 16-172, 3 TD; Murphy 6-22; Glaze 4-13; Hankins 3-8; Mitchell 1-1, TD

Passing

Southmont — Boyer 3-11-133, 2 TD

North Putnam — Kramer 10-24-156, TD, INT

Receiving

Southmont — McCandless 1-92, TD; McMasters 1-25, TD; Woodall 1-16

North Putnam — Bro. Woodall 3-53; Murphy 3-43; O’Brien 1-42, TD; N. Bryan 1-14; Glaze 1-4; Hankins 1-0