MORRAL — There was literally nothing to stop Highland in its Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference game against winless Ridgedale on Friday night. The Scots ran 42 plays, all runs, and scored nine touchdowns in time-shortened 62-0 shellacking of the Rockets.
Five Highland (4-3, 4-2) players gain 49 or more rushing yards, each in less than 10 carries. Kyle Minyo ran eight times for 99 yards, and sophomore Garrett Mentzer gained 78 yards on five carries. Freshman Andrew Davis had four carries for 70 yards, and Shawn Beltz rushed five times for 68 yards. James Cochran ran eight times for 49 yards.
Just as good if not better was the Scots defense, which limited Ridgedale (0-7, 0-6) to 65 total yards. The Rockets ran 15 times for -15 yards, and were a horrible 6-of-27 passing for 80 yards and one interception. Most of those passing yards came against the Highland reserves in the third quarter.
The onslaught began on the opening kick, and 1:30 later Cochran scored on a 12-yard run. Quenton Miller’s extra-point kick, one of eight on the night for him, left Highland up, 7-0. Less than two minutes later, the Scots had the ball again, and Shawn Beltz scored on a 3-yard run for a 14-0 lead.
Highland made it 21-0 at the 6:00 mark, as Minyo took off from the Rocket 46 yard line for his first TD of the game. Minyo tallied again with 3:57 to play in the period, his 14-yard TD giving the Scots a 28-0 lead.
Highland continued its impressive running display in the second quarter. QB Josh Gahm got into the scoring with a 1-yard keeper with 10:14 to play in the half, and the score rose to 42-0 on David Fisher’s 28-yard TD run at the 8:08 mark. Gahm plunged in for another 1-yard TD with 4:07 remaining in the half, and Davis put the score at 56-0 with a career-long 63-yard touchdown run with 1:49 to play.
Per an agreement before the third quarter, the period was shortened to only eight minutes, with no fourth quarter. That gave the Scots time for one more touchdown from its reserves, and Mentzer scored on an 11-yard run with 3:44 left. And if that wasn’t enough, to cap the game, Highland sophomore James Hubbard picked off the Rockets final pass to end the game.
Highland will return home to face Mount Gilead next Friday at 7 p.m.
