South Iredell is bruised, but not beaten.
The Vikings withstood a ferocious effort from a physical Draughn team to prevail 27-20 on Homecoming and remain undefeated.
The Vikings (8-0, 4-0 Catawba Valley Athletic Conference) responded like the defending CVAC champions when then were down early, and then again when things weren’t going their way late.
The win makes South Iredell the only unbeaten CVAC team in conference play and puts on them on a direct path to defending their title.
“Every game we play, we’re going to get somebody’s best shot,” South coach Scott Miller said. “Draughn’s a good team. A really good team, and they don’t get enough credit.”
Draughn (6-2, 3-1) did what few, if any, opponents have done to South Iredell’s defense this year by controlling the line of scrimmage, especially early.
The Wildcats pounded the ball between the tackles with QB Keith Loomis to take a 13-7 lead in the middle of the second quarter.
“At the beginning of the game, I was getting out coached,” Miller said. “I’ve got to do a better job of that. Once we were able to make some adjustments, we were OK.”
Vikings running back Cameron Mattox topped 200 rushing yards for the third consecutive game, finishing with 228 on 20 carries, and South Iredell got the performance of the year from quarterback Adrian Whitener.
Whitener completed 17-of-23 passes for more than 175 yards, and four of those incompletions were drops. Whitener also had three touchdown passes, including a 20-yarder to Tevin Turner in the fourth quarter that looked like it would seal it.
“Usually before the game I can tell which throws will be working,” Whitener said. “I came out throwing spirals and could tell early it would be a good game.”
Down 27-13 midway through the fourth, Draughn stayed in the game by sticking to the ground game.
Loomis, who finished with 128 rushing yards on 30 carries, led the Wildcats down the field when it appeared South Iredell had wrested control. His 5-yard score with 3:17 to go in the game brought Draughn within seven.
Things stayed interesting even with South Iredell recovered the ensuing onside kick.
Given the chance to salt the game away by pounding Mattox, South Iredell was whistled for 40 yards in penalties in the final drive (two holding calls, one unsportsmanlike conduct and one illegal procedure).
Those penalties negated big gains from Mattox and forced South to punt on fourth-and-32.
Kadarrell Boler, who was filling in as punter, had one of the more underrated plays of the game by getting of his longest punt of the night (36) and putting Draughn on South’s 34 with nine seconds remaining.
Two incomplete passes later, South Iredell was headed off the field after winning its 19th consecutive regular-season game.
“We’ve still got to improve,” Miller said. “Adrian’s teammates have to help him. We can’t put the ball on the ground and we can’t have receivers drop the ball when it hits them in the daggum hands. We’re going to get that fixed.”
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