By Allen Worrell

Sports Editor

Zack Surratt wasn’t on Carroll County’s Homecoming Court Friday. But had voting took place after the Cavaliers’ 21-18 Southwest District win over Abingdon, Surratt would have been a unanimous pick for Homecoming King.

The 5-10, 153-pound junior was all over the place, scoring a touchdown, a 2-point conversion, intercepting a pass in the end zone and blocking two Abingdon kicks. The biggest play came with 17 seconds left as Surratt came in untouched off the right side and blocked Clark Case’s potential game-tying 25-yard field goal to preserve the victory.

Surratt also blocked an extra point eight minutes earlier after the Falcons scored a touchdown to pull to within three points.

“In practice, when we work our kicking game and when we work blocking field goals, if we kick 15 field goals, he’ll bust his behind and lay out on every one trying to block it. He is hard for us to block and he’ll block three or four every day just because of his effort,’ Carroll County head coach Tom Hale said. “He just laid out with great effort.”

Trailing 12-7 at the half, Carroll County (3-3, 1-1 SWD) ripped off 14 straight points to take a 21-12 lead with 9:17 remaining. Abingdon (2-4, 0-3 SWD) only needed four plays and 55 seconds to go 65 yards, however, as Braden Coleman’s 11-yard touchdown run trimmed the lead to 21-18. Surratt blocked the extra point, however, serving as a preview of things to come.

Carroll was forced to punt after the drive stalled near midfield and Abingdon took over at its own 24 with 4:14 left. It looked as it Homecoming would be ruined for the Carroll as the Falcons moved down the field with at will behind an 18-yard Coleman run and a 10-yard run by quarterback Jacob Hess. On 3rd and 4 from the Carroll 25, Hess connected with Nathaniel Funk on an 18-yard pass to the Carroll 7 with about 50 seconds remaining. Coleman put the Falcons three yards away from the end zone on the next play, but James Lanning dropped Coleman for a 5-yard loss on second down. After an incompletion on 3rd and Goal from the 8, Case came on to attempt the game-tying field goal.

Surratt credited teammate Cody Mabe for paving a wide-open path that allowed him to block the kick with ease.

“Cody Mabe made sure of that,” Surratt said. “He just grabbed the guy and he said, ‘I am going to get this guy down for you, you just go get it.’”

Carroll won for the second straight week after rallying from a halftime deficit. Abingdon needed just four plays and 66 seconds to get on the scoreboard as Coleman’s 43-yard run on the game’s second play set up Funk’s 17-yard touchdown run.

Surratt nearly blocked another kick on the ensuing missed extra point. Regardless, he came up big on the following possession as he capped an 11-play, 69-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown run. Mason King’s extra point put the Cavs ahead 7-6 with 4:18 left in the opening quarter.

Abingdon regained the lead early in the second quarter as Funk scored on an 11-yard touchdown scamper. A 2-point conversion pass failed, leaving the Falcon’s lead at 12-7. Abingdon missed a pair of scoring chances late in the second quarter as Surratt intercepted a Hess pass in the end zone and Case missed a 33-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining in the half.

Carroll took control in the second half as Mabe rushed for all but eight of his game-high 142 yards in the second half. He ripped off two runs of 13 yards on the Cavs’ opening third-quarter possession before breaking free untouched on a 43-yard touchdown. Surratt again came up big with the 2-point conversion to give Carroll a 15-12 advantage.

Mabe’s power was on full display on the opening play of the fourth quarter as he appeared to be stopped for no gain, then carried a pile of four or five Abingdon defenders forever on a 9-yard gain. Mabe was in the end zone again four plays later on a 30-yard scoring scamper up the middle.

“That one run Cody Mabe made was one for the highlight film, dragging five or six people. Just great effort in the second half,” Hale said. “Cody is a hard-running kid. He is 190 pounds of just pure muscle. He is one of the strongest kids on our team. He is bench pressing 320 or 330 and squatting up around 500. He’s strong and he really wants to do well. He plays both ways for us and as hard as he runs on offense we are trying to give him more rest on defense because he is making so many plays for us. He is just all heart. He works hard and he doesn’t like to lose.”

Abingdon outgained Carroll in total yardage 193-100 in the first half, before the Cavs gained 172 yards in the second half, all on the ground.

“What a win. That came down to the wire. The second half we didn’t throw a pass. We lined up and just went at them and I think that was the difference. We just went right out them,” Hale said. “We made some good runs. I’m real proud of the way our offensive line stepped it up and our backs.”

Coleman led Abingdon with 115 yards rushing on 18 carries, while Hess completed 10-of-18 passes for 138 yards and an interception.

Carroll will host another SWD game Oct. 10 as Marion (3-3, 1-2 SWD) visits Hillsville.

Abingdon    6    6    0    6  —  18

Carroll Co.   7    0    8    6  —  21

First Quarter

A — Funk 17 run (kick failed)

CC — Surratt 17 run (King kick)

Second Quarter

A — Coleman 11 run (pass failed)

Third Quarter

CC — Mabe 43 run (Surratt run)

Fourth Quarter

CC — Mabe 30 run (kick failed)

A — Coleman 11 run (kick blocked)

Team Statistics

            A            CC   

First Downs        17            15

Rushes-Yards    30-222        47-272

Passing        10-18-1        2-4-0

Passing Yards    138            23

Fumbles-Lost    0-0            2-0   

Penalties-Yards    3-25            2-10

Possession        19:30        28:30

Individual Statistics

Abingdon

RUSHING — Coleman 18-115, Mitchell 4-44, Hess 4-39, Funk 4-24.

PASSING — Hess 10-18-1 138 yds.

RECEIVING — Funk 3-57, Manning 3-45, Spencer 4-36.

Carroll County

RUSHING — Mabe 13-142, Surratt 13-54, Caviness 8-34, Bowman 8-26, Huff 3-19, Team 2-minus 3.

PASSING — Bowman 2-4-0 23 yds.

RECEIVING — Mabe 2-23.