Courtesy of Cherokee County Herald
Gaston scored three first-quarter touchdowns against Class 1A, No. 10 Spring Garden on Friday, taking a 40-13 victory over the previously unbeaten Panthers.
Jordan Douglas accounted for two of the three first-quarter scores for the visiting Bulldogs (2-2, 101), scoring on runs of 35 and 45 yards. Gaston also had a 21-yard touchdown run by Jashun Cammeron for a 20-0 advantage.
Spring Garden (3-1, 2-0) got on the scoreboard with eight seconds to go before halftime when Ben Ivey connected on a 14-yard touchdown toss to Dylan Short. Sophomore Kaitlyn Rogers then made school history by becoming the first female to kick an extra point, which sent Spring Garden into the locker room trailing 20-7.
Gaston accounted for the only two scores in the third quarter. Cammeron ran in for a 22-yard touchdown at the 9:11 mark and Douglas connected with senior Javonte Pope on a 64-yard touchdown pass with 2:49 remaining in the quarter, increasing the Bulldog lead to 33-7.
D.J. Pope opened the fourth-quarter scoring with his 3-yard touchdown run, pushing the Gaston lead to 40-7. Spring Garden’s Dawson Broome accounted for the game’s final touchdown on a 2-yard run with 2:46 remaining.
Gaston hosts Gaylesville on Friday in another non-region contest.