Staff report

MOUNT ULLA — Mooresville’s football team beat West Rowan for the sixth time in a row and for the ninth time in the last 10 meetings.

Mooresville was supposed to prevail in Friday’s renewal of an old rivalry, but the Blue Devils won bigger and more easily — 48-7  – than anyone could have anticipated.

It was 31-0 in the middle of the second quarter and 41-0 at halftime as 4A Blue Devils (3-0) dominated the 3A Falcons (0-3) in every aspect of a running-clock game.

West avoided a shutout when Jaylen Neely put the ball in the end zone on a 2-yard run on the final play of the night. Carter Durant kicked the PAT.

Mooresville sophomore QB Brody Norman had touchdown passes on three of his seven tosses.

Mooresville, guided by former Catawba player Joe Nixon,  a head coach at North Rowan and West Rowan before taking the Mooresville job, also ran the ball effectively with a committee of back and finished with more than 400 yards of offense.

West couldn’t get anything done against Mooresville’s tough defense and didn’t make a first down in the first half.

Neely netted 13 rushing yards on 22 carries. Brant Graham was limited to two pass completions for 18 yards. Kaden Feaster had both catches.

A lot of teams would be 0-3 against the schedule West has undertaken up to this point — 4A schools A.L. Brown, Davie and Mooresville.

The Falcons had a good chance to win in Week 1 at A.L. Brown, but they have been blown out at home the last two weeks.

West is 0-3 for the first time in more than two decades, so the open week comes at a good time. West will have an extra week to regroup and prepare for the first South Piedmont Conference game against Carson.