Air Raid

Published 8:20 am Tuesday, September 10, 2013

GATESVILLE – Currituck quarterback Tyler Schuster threw for 283 yards and four touchdowns, including three in a decisive third quarter, as the visiting Knights pulled away from a 10-0 halftime lead and defeated Gates County High School, 38-8, here Friday night.

The loss, Gates County’s second straight, drops the Red Barons to 1-2 on the young season heading into next week’s game at Plymouth, now 2-0 after winning, 21-15, at Edenton on Friday.

Currituck, meanwhile, ran their string of wins to three straight to open the 2013 season.

Despite a workhorse effort from senior Brandall Riddick, the game’s leading rusher with 108 yards on 25 attempts, the Red Barons struggled to find any offensive consistency. They squandered a pair of scoring opportunities in the first half – losing a fumble at the Knights’ nine yardline after a 39-yard run by Riddick had gotten Gates inside the red zone; and losing possession on downs at Currituck’s 21 yardline.

Currituck built their 10-0 first half lead thanks to a 32-yard field goal from River Gwaltney on the Knights first possession of the game and a 19-yard TD pass from Schuster to Fred Huff on a 4th down play with only 56 seconds left in the second quarter. That touchdown was set-up after Gates County’s punter was forced to drop to his knee to field a low snap at his own 21 yardline.

Schuster enjoyed a banner third quarter, throwing for 168 yards on a 5-of-8 effort and trio of touchdown strikes. Two of those aerial six-pointers were grabbed by Huff (scoring catches of 61 and 45 yards) while the third was a 34-yard “catch-and-run” by Dylan Abrams. Huff finished the game with four receptions covering 148 yards.

Charles Nichols scored Currituck’s only rushing TD of the game on a 27-yard jaunt to paydirt during the Knight’s 28-point outburst in the third quarter.

Gates County prevented the shutout late in the game, driving 67 yards in seven plays capped by Riddick’s seven-yard scoring blast over the left side followed by his two-point conversion run. That drive was highlighted by a 40-yard pass from Drew Wiggins to Everett Sawyer.

The Red Barons finished with 242 yards of total offense (171 on the ground) while Currituck accounted for 344 total yards.

 

About Cal Bryant

Cal Bryant, a 40-year veteran of the newspaper industry, serves as the Editor at Roanoke-Chowan Publications, publishers of the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald, Gates County Index, and Front Porch Living magazine.

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