Ashe County beats Elkin
by Jesse Campbell
WEST JEFFERSON — Ashe County quarterback Eli Gambill ran for three touchdowns and passed for another in the Huskies’ 41-34 victory over Elkin Friday night in Ashe’s Mountain Valley Conference opener.
The Huskies gave first-year coach Brian Hampton his first win at Husky Stadium. He picked up his first win at the helm of the program three weeks prior at West Caldwell.
The Huskies (2-2) held an imposing 28-7 lead at halftime, but allowed the Buckin’ Elks to pull within a touchdown — once in the third and then again late in the fourth — before taking control of the game.
Elkin’s Tyrek Hayes hauled in a short 4-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Josh Strickland to close the gap back to a touchdown and keep the comeback alive, but Ashe County’s Michael Elliott recovered an onside kick to the seal the win.
Ashe got on the scoreboard late in the first quarter when Gambill found receiver Grayson Gilley uncovered in the end zone for an easy touchdown.
The same drive had stalled the previous play on fourth down when Gambill threw the ball out of bounds, but a helmet-to-helmet personal foul penalty on Elkin revived the Huskies.
Gambill scored again on the Huskies’ next possession before Elkin’s Seth Creed punched in a one-yard touchdown halfway through the second quarter.
The Elks’ lone score in the first came as a result of a Cody King interception in Ashe County’s territory.
On the next possession, Huskies running back Jonathon Cox found pay dirt on a 32-yard touchdown scamper and Ashe led 21-7 with 5:03 left in the first half.
Cox found the end zone once more late in the second quarter on a 52-yard touchdown run.
A Strickland quarterback sneak and an ankle breaking 59-yard run by Jamiles Hayes brought the Elks back within a score, but Ashe played its own style of keep away for the remainder of the game and relied on the Huskies’ offense to keep Elkin on its heels.
A 24-yard screen play to Cox set up a 19-yard Gambill touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.
He followed later in the game for a 58-yard touchdown sprint.
The Huskies gave first-year coach Brian Hampton his first win at Husky Stadium. He picked up his first win at the helm of the program three weeks prior at West Caldwell.
The Huskies (2-2) held an imposing 28-7 lead at halftime, but allowed the Buckin’ Elks to pull within a touchdown — once in the third and then again late in the fourth — before taking control of the game.
Elkin’s Tyrek Hayes hauled in a short 4-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Josh Strickland to close the gap back to a touchdown and keep the comeback alive, but Ashe County’s Michael Elliott recovered an onside kick to the seal the win.
Ashe got on the scoreboard late in the first quarter when Gambill found receiver Grayson Gilley uncovered in the end zone for an easy touchdown.
The same drive had stalled the previous play on fourth down when Gambill threw the ball out of bounds, but a helmet-to-helmet personal foul penalty on Elkin revived the Huskies.
Gambill scored again on the Huskies’ next possession before Elkin’s Seth Creed punched in a one-yard touchdown halfway through the second quarter.
The Elks’ lone score in the first came as a result of a Cody King interception in Ashe County’s territory.
On the next possession, Huskies running back Jonathon Cox found pay dirt on a 32-yard touchdown scamper and Ashe led 21-7 with 5:03 left in the first half.
Cox found the end zone once more late in the second quarter on a 52-yard touchdown run.
A Strickland quarterback sneak and an ankle breaking 59-yard run by Jamiles Hayes brought the Elks back within a score, but Ashe played its own style of keep away for the remainder of the game and relied on the Huskies’ offense to keep Elkin on its heels.
A 24-yard screen play to Cox set up a 19-yard Gambill touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.
He followed later in the game for a 58-yard touchdown sprint.