Jones, Hasty pour points on early as Scots rout Cavs

SANFORD — The weather conditions just before Friday’s 6:30 p.m. kickoff between Scotland and Southern Lee were windy and mostly dry. By halftime, though, Tropical Storm Ophelia had made its presence known at Cletis B. Gore Stadium with a gushing rain that joined the gusts — but running backs Zay Jones and Corheim Hasty made theirs known, too.

Jones and Hasty combined for five first-half touchdown runs to put Scotland up 35-0 at the break before a 40-yard fourth-quarter scamper into the endzone by RB Samier Pate led to a running clock and, also, a 49-6 win for the Scots.

“When the weather is like this, it’s smart to run it,” Scotland head coach Richard Bailey said. “Zay is an incredible player. Getting off his line, he did well. They had a lot of people in the box. Really proud of the guys.”

Scotland (6-0, 2-0 Sandhills Athletic Conference) only threw the ball six times the entire night with quarterback Ji’San McPhatter while they ran the ball 44 times for 432 yards.

McPhatter finished the night with two completions for 30 yards.

“Our plan was to throw it,” Bailey said. “It was a tough night, tough night to do anything. We had some open people, and we either had penalties or just overthrew it.”

Southern Lee (3-3, 0-2 SAC) received the opening kickoff but went 3-and-out, forcing them to punt from their 27-yard line. However, the punt netted just 3 yards because of the strong winds, which set up Scotland at the 30-yard line for their first possession. The Scots only needed one play to find paydirt, though, as Jones found the hole and took it 30 yards to the house to give Scotland a 7-0 lead.

On the Cavs’ next drive, a fumble on a third-and-1 recovered by Scotland defensive back Chase Odom, gave the Scots the ball at the Southern Lee 44-yard line. But, again, one play was all Scotland needed as Jones rushed for his second score to make the score 14-0.

“They (Southern Lee) played the same defensive scheme as last year,” Jones said. “(They were) just pressing. And it’ll open that backside wide open.”

Southern Lee’s gameplan for Jones continued to flounder into the second quarter after he scored a 3-yard TD run to put Scotland ahead 21-0. And just when the Cavs seemingly got a break from the run game with Jones, in came Hasty.

Hasty powered his way into the endzone for a 6-yard score with 4:52 left in the second quarter and scored again from 3 yards out with 1:52 to go.

Hasty, a junior, said having Jones, a senior, as a mentor is “very good.”

“I’m learning through him (with) everything,” Hasty said.

With 6:04 to go in the third quarter, Southern Lee RB Johnnie Jones spoiled Scotland’s shutout pitch with a 27-yard TD run, but a miscue on the extra point attempt left the score at 35-6. Zay Jones saw his last action in the game with 2:34 remaining in the third when he scurried 52 yards for his fourth score.

Zay Jones ended the night with 14 carries for 225 yards for the Scots. Hasty had 16 rushes for 80 yards; Pate had 10 rushing attempts for 114 yards; tight end Kellum Hunt had one reception for 16 yards; and wide receiver Quatavius Everette had one catch for 14 yards.

Southern Lee QB Robbie Sims went 6-of-15 passing for 77 yards and had 27 rushing yards; Johnnie Jones had 13 carries for 58 yards; RB Mike Blanks had eight rushes for 27 yards and one reception for 31 yards; and WR Brett Blanks had three catches for 35 yards.

Scotland had three lost fumbles on the night, while Southern Lee had two. The Cavs were held to 196 total yards and nine first downs and stopped on four fourth-down conversion attempts.

“Defense played really well,” Bailey said. “We had one blown assignment, (but they) got off the field on fourth down.”

Scotland gets Union Pines at home next week.