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Page 6—MIRROR-HERALX)—Tuesday, November 8, 1977
THE BELL HAS SOUNDED
Mountaineer back sets two school records, gains 1,000 yards
A disappointing season ended on a
happy and exciting note Thursday
night for Kings Mountain’s Moun
taineers, who spanked winless
Bums 41-7 behind a record-breaking
performance by senior tailback
Kenny Bell.
Bell, who closed out a fine three-
year varsity career, became the
first player In 14 years to reach the
1,000 yard mark In rushing and set
school records for most yards
rushing in a single game (283) and
most touchdowns (6) as the Moun
taineers closed out their season with
a break-even 6-6 mark.
Bell, no doubt, could have gained
many more yards but the Moun
taineer coaching staff decided to
give all of their players a chance to
play. Bell was removed from the
contest with eight minutes left after
his 1,000 yard season was assured.
Bell, who had 760 yards rushing
going Into the game despite sitting
out one game with an Injury, racked
up 164 yards rushing and all three of
the Mountaineers’ touchdowns In the
first half as the KM team went out
front 21-0.
Coach Bobby Jones began sub
stituting freely even before Inter
mission but he left Bell in until a 22-
yard run with eight mlnuie? to play
assured him of his 1,000 yard:.. That
run put the Mountles on the three
yard line and Bell came out to a
roaring ovation even though the
crowd numbered only a couple of
hundred.
For the night. Bell touched the
pigskin 17 times and, as already
noted, gained 283 yards. That equals
out to 16.6 yards per carry.
His rushing total broke the record
of 246 yards, set by Tony Falls
against East Gaston In 1874.
What Bell and his fans will
probably remember most, however,
was his 1,000 yard season, which
puts him In an elite category with
some of the all-time running greats
at Kings Mountain High.... men like
Ken Baity, Don Gladden, Punch
Parker and Mike Huffstlckler. Huff-
sdokler was the last player to gain
1,000 rushing and he did It way back
in 1963 when the Mountaineers went
9-0-1 to share the Southwest 3-A
Conference crown with Shelby.
Huffstlckler had 1,046 that year.
Bell’s total left him with a season’s
mark of 1,042 yards. Baity holds the
school record with 1,289 back In 1967.
Bell scored a touchdown the very
first time he touched the football,
going over from eight yards out
following a blocked punt by Danny
Bolin. Bruce Valentine’s PAT from
placement made It 7-0.
Ihe game moved slowly, until late
in the quarter when Bell stunned the
biteless Bulldogs with a 76-yard
touchdown run to run the score to 14-
0. After another series and a punt by
Bums, the 166-pounder chalked up 63
more yards of real estate and and
another TD and from that point on
the Mountaineers’ goal was for Bell
go gain 1,000 yards.
He came back In the second half
with a 10-yard touchdown run and,
flttin^y enough, he passed the 1,000
mai1( on his fifth touchdown of the
night, a 40-yard run. ’That gave him
1,018 yards but Just to make sure, he
was given the ball twice more for 24
yards. Including the final 22-yeu’d
run which set up KM’s final touch
down, a one-yard run by quar
terback Jeff Clonlnger.
The Mountaineers, obviously, had
I their biggest offensive night of the
] season, rushing for 362 yards. Nine
different players took turns running
/
/
%
the football and In 39 rushing plays
the Mountaineers averaged a
whopping nine yards per carry.
While the attention was focused on
the offense In general, and Bell In
particular, the Mountaineer
defenders closed out their seaison In
fine fashion with three Interceptions
(including two In the end zone) suid a
bundle of quarterback sacks In
addition to the blocked punt.
Jody Deaton and Terry McClain
came up with the interceptions In the
end zone and the third belonged to
Steve Laughter. A fourth In
terception by Steve Boggan was
nullified.
’The Bulldogs’ sophomore quar
terback had a miserable night and
his bones will probably ache the rest
of the winter after the heavy blows
by Valentine, Laughter, Kelly Land,
Norman Phillips and company.
’Those four, and many others, spent
about as much time In the Bums
backfield as Early and his mates.
Mi
f : 'i
Ring,
Ring
Goes
The
Bell!
Kings Mountain High senior halfback Kenny Bell
breaks through a huge hole In the Bums offensive line
and streaks' toward one of his five touchdowns In
Thursday night’s 41-7 victory over the Bulldogs on the
Bums field. Bell, closing out a fine three-year varsity
career, went out In style with a school record 283 yards
rushing to go with his record five touchdown runs. He
also was able to become the first player In 14 years to go
over the 1,000 yard mark In rushing, finishing with 1,042
despite sitting out one contest with an Injury. Throwing
a big block to help spring Bell Is junior guard Alan
Putnam (61).
(Turn To Page 7)
0-Cl 0^
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Mountaineer
y6wA ykJ
B
7*1
First Downs 14 9
Yds. Rushing 362 3
Passes 0-3 7-22
Yds. Passing 0 189
Passes Int. By 3 0
Fumbles Lost 2 0
Punts 1-4 6-34
Yds. Penalized 60 76
By quarters:
KM 14 7 IS 7-41
B 0007-7
Scoring:
KM — Bell 8 run (Valentine kick)
KM — Bell76run (Valentine kick)
KM — Bell 63 run (Valentine kick)
KM — Bell 10 run (Kick fadled)
KM — Bell 40run (Valentine kick)
KM — Clonlnger 1 run (Valentine
kick)
B — Ager 6 pass from Early
(Sanford kick)
MOUNTAINEER RUSHXNG
It’S
Sack
Time!
Bums High's sophomore quarterback Eugene Early
(10) spent a miserable night Thursday night as Kings
Mountain’s defense kept the heat on the youngster all
night long. The Mountaineer defenders broke through
the Burns blocking several times to sack Early, as they
did on this play when senior linebacker Bruce Valentine
(61) threw him for a big loss. Other Mountaineers
helping force the action are David Gordon (79), Danny
Bolin (90) and Terry McClain (86). The Mountaineer
defense stopped the Bulldog offense cold and the offense
turned Kenny Bell loose for 288 yards and five touch
downs as the Mountaineers closed their season with a
41-7 victory.
Player
TC YDS. AVG.
Bell
17
288 16.6
Robinson-
8
26 8.7
Sherrill
6
16 8.0
Jamerson
8
12 4.0
Smith
1
10 10.0
Jenkins
2
9 4.6
Clonlnger
8
7 2.8
M. White
1
2 2.0
HaU
4
•12 -8.0
Totals
89
862 0.0
MOUNTAINEER PASSING
Player
Att. Comp. Int. Yds.
HaU
1
0 0 0
Oonlnger
2
0 0 0
Totals
8
0 0 0
VOTE TODAY
HE WILL STAY RIGHT IN
THE MIDDLE OF THINGS
DICKEY
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