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N-C whips HHS, takes over first

John M. Setzler Jr.

Newton-Conover's Shea Corpening turns on the afterburners and returns Hickory's opening kick-off 97 yards for a touchdown

By MARK PARKER

Record Sports Correspondent

Published: October 11, 2008

NEWTON - Newton-Conover High used three returns for touchdowns, as well as two touchdowns each by A.J. Bazzle and Dorian Jones, to pop Hickory 49-21 on Friday night and take over the lead in Catawba Valley Athletic 2A-3A Conference football.

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Newton-Conover travels to Hibriten, now 6-1, 4-1, on Friday night.

The Red Devils jumped to an early lead on the visiting Red Tornadoes (3-4, 2-3) when Shea Corpening took the opening kickoff and returned it 97 yards for a touchdown.

Corpening credited his blocking for the return.

"Marqual Nixon made a key block for me, and then I was able to shake off the kicker," said Corpening. "The play really set things in motion for us."

After a three-and-out series for Hickory, the Red Devils drove 57 yards in three plays to score again.

Jones took a pitch from fullback Josh Thompson, who had taken the original pitch from Bazzle.
Hickory's offense put together a sustained drive and had possession for nearly five minutes before turning the ball over on downs.

From their 20, the Red Devils took six plays to score again. Bazzle hit a wide-open Joseph Bryant over the middle for a 16-yard TD.

That drive showcased Newton-Conover's triple-option offense at its best and kept Hickory's defense off balance. The Red Devils used five players, four of them gaining 16 or more yards, and got a 40-yard bomb from Bazzle to Jordan Hill.

"The line just kept moving guys around," said Bazzle. "They made it easy to read what option to pick.
"We could run play action and guys would be wide open. All I had to do was get them the ball."

Bryant put the Red Devils up 28-0, this time on defense, as he intercepted a pass by Kevin Shelton and returned it 34 yards for a TD.

Hickory scored near the end of the first half when Rakim Barrett completed an 80-yard drive by scoring on a run from the 8.

The Red Tornadoes got to within two touchdowns on the opening drive of the second half. Trevin Parks set up the score with a 32-yard run off a direct snap, and Barrett then scored his second TD with a 5-yard run up the middle.

On its next possession, Newton-Conover again frustrated the Hickory defense from the triple option set by going 76 yards on five plays. The last play was a 42-yarder down the left sideline by Jones, off a key block by Corpening.

The Red Devils forced two Hickory turnovers and scored twice more in the third quarter.

After Newton-Conover recovered a fumble, Bazzle hit Wesley Hight on a play action pass over the middle for 22 yards and a TD. Paul Forney followed that by intercepting a pass by Hickory quarterback Kevin Shelton and going 44 yards for a TD.

Barrett scored for the third time for Hickory in the fourth quarter, on a 1-yard run.
Newton-Conover head coach Nick Bazzle was pleased with his team's effort.

"Sometimes you just have the weapons," said Nick Bazzle said. "Coaching can be overrated. Our assistant coaches get a lot of credit for getting the kids ready, but the players went out and did a great job."