STRONG – In their biggest game of the season to date, Strong couldn’t have asked for a better start, jumping out to a 38-12 halftime lead en route to downing defending eight-man champion Mountain Pine 48-30 in an 8-Man South clash Friday at Jerry Burson Field.
The Bulldogs (5-0, 3-0) jumped out to a 24-6 lead at the end of the first quarter over the Red Devils (4-3, 3-1) before extending their lead in the second stanza.
The combination of LaQuincy Shelton and Byron Maze proved to be a lethal one for the Bulldogs, as the duo collaborated on touchdown passes of 27, 7 and 15 yards in the win.
Shelton, who was of 8-of-13 passing for 109 yards, also had 52 yards rushing on 24 carries, including a 1-yard touchdown run.
Shelton was also successful on four two-point conversions for Strong.
Treveon Daniels chipped in with a big night of his own, tallying 123 yards rushing on 24 carries that also included a 10-yard touchdown run.
Maze finished with seven catches for 107 yards with his aforementioned trio of touchdowns, and he had another big game on defense, returning an interception 45 yards for a score.
A senior, Maze led the Bulldogs with 12 tackles, including 10 solo stops with four going for a loss.
He also had a sack, forced two fumbles and recovered one fumble.
Jayme Correa and Jeremy Jackson each had seven stops with a sack in the win. Correa was also responsible for a safety that accounted for the Bulldogs’ lone points in the fourth quarter.
Daniels added a sack and Shelton joined Maze in recovering fumbles for Strong.
The win moves the Bulldogs closer to nailing down a top seed for the playoffs, and they have another critical contest next week with Woodlawn visiting for their final home game of the regular season.
Strong closes the regular season with a two-game road trip to Spring Hill and Cutter Morning Star.
The Red Devils are idle next week.