Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Devils remain undefeated with 52-6 win over Red Devils

Gurdon'sGo-Devils faced off against the Red Devils of Mountain Pine Friday in what would prove to be Gurdon's toughest opponent since week one against Prescott.

Gurdon still blew out Mountain Pine 52-6.

The non-conference game featured a favored team out of the 5AA conference in Mountain Pine (2-2, 1-1). Gurdon (4-0, 2-0) not only continued its undefeated season but its streak of three straight contests in which the 35-point clock rule went into effect.

Gurdon received a gift on the opening kickoff.

Cevin Laster received the kick at the Gurdon 30 and advanced it to the 43. A 15 yard facemask penalty by Mountain Pine moved the ball into Red Devil territory.

The Go-Devils got on the board early with a one yard touchdown run by fullback K.P. Meeks. The score was set up by a 41-yard toss to the one yard line from Jake Plyler to Davion Williams after two runs by tailback Laster left the Go-Devils with a third and 10. Plyler converted the two point conversion on the quarterback keeper and Gurdon led 8-0 in the first two minutes of the game.

The Gurdon offense would not run another play in the first quarter.

Mountain Pine responded to the Gurdon touchdown with a mammoth 14-play drive that lasted more than seven minutes of game time.

Mountain Pine's first offensive play was a 26-yard jaunt by K.J. Esaw. Yards did not come that easily for the Red Devils thereafter. Mountain Pine kept its first drive alive by converting on two key third down tries and one fourth down attempt. The Red Devils had second and goal from the Gurdon 15. Mountain Pine quarterback, Tony Sales, threw an interception into the hands of Gurdon's John Watson. Watson did the rest by taking it 92 yards the other way for a defensive touchdown.

Barry Nolan added the extra point and Gurdon led 15-0 with 2:50 remaining in the first quarter.

Mountain Pine responded with another time consuming drive of more than five minutes, but like the previous possession this one did not result in points. After failing on a third and five at midfield, the Red Devils punted the ball back to Gurdon.

Gurdon started from its own 20. Gurdon advanced 33 yards to the Mountain Pine 47. Laster made 47 yards in one carry with the longest touchdown play of the night.

That would be Gurdon's only possession of the second quarter.

A Nolan extra point marked the score 22-0 with little more than five and a half minutes remaining in the opening half.

The Red Devils kept it close going into the halfway mark with a touchdown drive to end the first half. Sales completed a 53-yard pass over the middle to Brandon Clayborn. The play moved Mountain Pine to the Gurdon 26. The Red Devils tried a halfback pass which fell incomplete. On third down and 12 Sales found Clayborn again for a gain of eight. Esaw converted the second fourth down conversion for the Red Devils with a four yard dive.

Gurdon gave a free first down to Mountain Pine with a pass interference penalty near the goal line on another fourth down play. Mountain Pine and Sales took advantage of the free gift with a touchdown pass to Clayborn as time expired to end the half. The two point conversion was not successful and Gurdon led at halftime 22-6.

Gurdon made for some breathing room in the third quarter.

Mountain Pine opened the second half with a three and out. A punt return that would have given the ball to Gurdon inside Red Devil territory was called back due to holding. This did not deter the Go-Devils from scoring.

Laster started the drive with a 26-yard run and Meeks finished it with a 35-yard touchdown carry. Nolan added the extra point and Gurdon expanded its lead to 29-6.

Mountain Pine started its next possession from their own 20 after another touchback.

For the second time in their first two drives of the second half, the Red Devils were forced to punt after running just three offensive plays.

Gurdon took control at the Red Devil 47. Meeks found a hole up the middle and ran 33-yards before being dragged down at the 14 by his facemask. The ensuing penalty gave Gurdon first and goal from the seven. The Red Devils jumped off sides on the next play, and Gurdon was faced with first and goal from the four. Plyler ran a quarterback bootleg to the right and scored. The Go-Devils were able to convert a two point conversion out of a busted extra point attempt and Gurdon expanded its lead over Mountain Pine 37-6.

The Red Devil offense faired no better on its third possession of the third quarter. Another three and out forced the Red Devils punt.

Great blocking set up a long return for Laster to the Mountain Pine 31.

During the punt, Uthel Gatlin leveled a Mountain Pine player with a clean hit. The Red Devil player did not get up. He was taken off the field in an ambulance on a stretcher. Reports from the field on the injured player ranged from broken ribs to simply having trouble breathing.

A 15-yard penalty was assessed to Gurdon for celebration. The Gurdon players were congratulating Gatlin on the hit before they knew the severity of the situation. Gurdon players showed their support by praying in a huddle while the fans showed their support to the injured player by standing until the player was escorted off the field.

Gurdon steadily moved the ball down the field with runs of 11, seven, and 14 yards. On second and goal from the 10, Dorsey Kelley put the nail in the coffin with a circus catch in the end zone that had been tipped by another Go-Devil. Nolan added the extra point and Gurdon led 44-6 after three quarters.

The 35 point rule was in effect the entire fourth quarter, and the clock ran constantly. Gurdon coach, John Pace, used the fourth quarter to get a look at some younger players, including sophomore running back, Jamelle Lacy.

Lacy scored the last touchdown of the night with an eight-yard run.

Sophomore Steven Plyler took advantage of his playing time in the fourth quarter by intercepting two passes late in the game.

"Everyone got to play and that's good," said Pace after the game.

Gurdon averaged more than 11 yards a carry in the contest on 25 rushes. Gurdon allowed only 2.7 yards a carry on 50 Mountain Pine rushes.

Gurdon completed 60 percent of its passes with a touchdown and no interceptions.

Gurdon held Mountain Pine to completing 55 percent of its passes with one touchdown, but forced three interceptions.

Gurdon ran for a staggering 276 yards on the ground. The Go-Devil offense seems to become more potent each week.

Williams has emerged as a "go-to" receiver for Plyler, who has shown to be steady at the quarterback position.

The defense has pitched two shutouts in the first four games of the season. Before the late second half touchdown by Mountain Pine, the Go-Devils boasted 10 consecutive scoreless quarters.

Mountain Pine had scored 27 points against its previous opponent and 34 points in the first week only managed six against Gurdon Friday night.

Pace was pleased with the way Gurdon played Friday night, especially in the second half.

"We had a great third quarter. We really turned things around in the third quarter. It was a great win."

Despite the way his team is playing, Pace is not ready to start the state championship hype just yet.

"We're never going to talk about (a state championship). We're going to take it one game at a time and try to win a conference championship first."

That goal is well within reach of the Go-Devils, one of only three teams undefeated in conference play in the 7AA West.

Pace wants his team to be concerned about this week's game against Murfreesboro.

"We've got another conference game next week. We've got conference games from here on out."

The Go-Devils draw Murfreesboro at home this week. Murfreesboro slid by Horatio 22-15 last Friday.