Staff Reports
FLORENCE – Griffin Hanson ran for two scores and threw for two more to lead Class 2A defending state champion and fourth-ranked Mars Hill to a 48-13 victory over Sand Rock in the first round of the state football playoffs in Florence on Friday night.
Hanson completed 4-of-9 pass attempts for 127 yards. He also ran for 123 yards on seven carries for the Panthers (8-3), who host Tanner in the second round.
After a scoreless first quarter, Mars Hill scored three times in the second to take a 21-0 advantage at halftime. Hanson accounted for two of those scores on a 34-yard run and a 46-yard pass completion to Carter Heupel. Damien Thompson ran in for a 3-yard score with 45 seconds to go in the first half.
Hanson opened the third-quarter scoring on a 35-yard run. Caden Chandler added a 3-yard score with 3:22 to go in the third to push the Panther lead to 35-0.
Sand Rock (7-4) finally got on the scoreboard with 10:46 remaining in the game on Ace Ashley’s 3-yard run.
Mars Hill responded with Hanson’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Thompson to make the score 42-7 with 9:24 to go. Just 18 seconds later, Jacob Cornejo accounted for the Wildcats’ final touchdown on a 65-yard run.
The Panthers’ Chandler Wilbanks ran in for a 2-yard score for the final.
Cornejo led the Wildcats with 130 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. He also had 5 ½ tackles, including a tackle for loss.
Ashley completed 10-of-21 pass attempts for 92 yards. He also ran for 46 yards and a touchdown on nine carries and had six tackles on defense.
The loss was Sand Rock’s first on the road this season.
They finished the year at 7-1 away from home.
