By Cliff Mehrtens

MYERS PARK 36, NORTH MECKLENBURG 32 - The Vikings couldn't make a key play in the fourth quarter and squandered a late 11-point lead in a soggy road loss.

North Mecklenburg (1-2) led 32-21 early in the fourth quarter, and drove to the Myers Park 1-yard line before a 15-yard penalty killed the drive. Myers Park (2-2) then drove 84 yards for a touchdown. With seven minutes left, a Myers Park interception on a screen pass at the Mustangs' 40 set up the go-ahead score. The Mustangs drove, and with 2:32 left, Myers Park's Ross Jeffries threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Shakeal O'Bryant for a 36-32 lead.

North Meck's last possession, which began at its 42, looked promising when Tahjai Watt made a leaping, 28-yard catch on a 4th-and-20 play with 1:48 left. It moved the ball to the Myers Park 40, but a sack and three errant passes killed North Meck's comeback attempt.

"We made some mental mistakes," North Mecklenburg coach Brad Baker said. "I'm not one to make excuses, but it comes down to we're young and inexperienced. We haven't learned quite how to deal with success, and we haven't learned quite how to deal with adversity."

The Vikings had plenty of both Saturday. They scored three touchdowns in a 90-second span during the first half, which was played in a steady rain.



North Meck's Devon Sutton returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown that tied the game at 7. Fourteen seconds later, North Meck linebacker Avery Jones returned a fumble 50 yards for touchdown that gave the Vikings a 14-7 lead. After Myers Park fumbled on its next possession, North Meck's Tre'Sean Hutchinson scored on a 61-yard run for a 20-7 lead.

North Mecklenburg went ahead 32-21 on Sutton's second kickoff return for a touchdown, which covered 99 yards.

"I love my team's heart," Baker said. "They laid it on the line. They never gave up. I still think we're going to be a pretty good football team. We'll learn from our mistakes and work hard to get getter."

HOUGH 41, BERRY 12 - Dre' Long rushed for 216 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries as the Huskies (3-1) won their third straight game.

WEST MECKLENBURG 27, EAST MECKLENBURG 7 - The Hawks (3-1) extended their win streak to three with a non-conference victory.