The Mitchell Mountaineers traveled to Rutherford County Friday night and made quick work of the Gryphons from Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy in a 53-15 victory.
Mitchell scored 40 total points through the first two quarters of play to take the game out of the realm of doubt early on. The Mountaineers used a lethal rushing attack to beat the Gryphons into submission, running a total of 49 times for 471 yards.
In the opening stanza, running back Justin Hughes picked up where he left off the previous week when he raced into the end zone from 18 yards out, helping to build a 7-0 Mitchell lead. Hughes accounted for a total of five touchdowns for the Mountaineers in the win.
Michael Styles got into the act with a 24 yard touchdown run on the next Mountaineer possession. After another run from Styles, this time a 21-yard tote, the visitors led TJCA 20-0, a lead that held through the end of the period.
Early in the second quarter Hughes scored on a one-yard run to take a commanding 27-0 edge, then Hughes quelled a TJCA drive with an interception and 65-yard return for a touchdown. Hughes added an 11-yard run for Mitchell’s 40th point of the half. In the final two minutes Thomas Jefferson finally found the end zone when quarterback Aaron Connor connected with wide receiver Mark Martin, making the score 40-7 at halftime.
With the opening series of the second half, Hughes scored for the fifth and final time when he found pay dirt on a 27-yard touchdown run. Styles returned to the end zone for a third time with 7:18 to play in the third quarter when he scored from three yards out.
Thomas Jefferson closed out the scoring when Connor found Michael Gallette with a five-yard touchdown pass. The successful two-point conversion eventually provided for the final margin of victory.
Hughes ran 15 times for 163 yards and four touchdowns in the victory, while teammate Shawn Jackson had 116 yards on 11 carries.
Mitchell moves to 3-2 on the season, while Thomas Jefferson drops to 0-5 overall. The Mountaineers will host the Owen Warhorses at Memorial Stadium in Ledger Friday night.
