STEARNS — The John Hines ERA at South Laurel High School started off with a bang on the road at McCreary Central.
The Cardinals (1-0) jumped out to a quick lead over the Raiders and never looked back during their 27-12 win.
“Great win,” Hines said. “We are thrilled with the players effort. It’s exciting to be 1-0. Defense was solid. Offense had some big plays. We really played well in special teams. It’s a good first step in a long journey.”
Quarterback Mason Griffin came up big on the offensive side by throwing three touchdowns while Liam Newton and Waylon Hensley came up big on the defensive side of the ball.
The Cardinals wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, scoring on the second play of the game as Griffin connected with Waylon Hensley for a touchdown connection to give their team a quick 7-0 lead.
McCreary Central answered with a score but failed to add the two-point conversion, trailing 7-6.
South Laurel made noise defensively for its second score of the game as a strip sack and fumble recovery by Newton led to his touchdown, increasing the Cardinals’ lead to 14-6 with 4:37 remaining in the first quarter.
Griffin’s second touchdown pass of the game, this time to Elijah Roark, gave his team a 21-6 cushion at the 5:11 mark of the second quarter.
Hensley’s interception with 1:37 left in the first half set up Griffin’s third touchdown pass (Noah Smith) with 23 seconds remaining, allowing South Laurel to take a commanding 27-6 advantage into the locker room at halftime.
The Cardinals struggled to find the end zone in the second half, but managed to secure the win, allowing McCreary Central to score only six points in the final 24 minutes.
