Crite’s Three Touchdowns Power Newport Past Mountain View
Newport 46, Mountain View 0
JaTaelyn Crite scored on runs of 10, 85 and 88 yards, and Newport turned four takeaways into touchdowns in a 46–0 victory at Mountain View on Friday night in the conference opener.
The Greyhounds established control immediately, scoring four first-quarter touchdowns and taking a 40–0 halftime lead. Newport scored on all five of its first-half offensive possessions, with Jaden Robinson adding a 68-yard interception return for a touchdown. The victory moved Newport to 2–2 overall and 1–0 in conference play. Mountain View fell to 1–3 and 0–1.
Tavarius Hardaway helped create the opening score before Newport’s offense took a snap. His punt return reached the Mountain View 30 after the Greyhounds forced a three-and-out. Zayshawn Greer gained 12 yards, and Luke Sampson’s short pass to Hardaway carried Newport to the 1. Rashaun Rucker took a direct snap and scored for a 6–0 lead.
Hardaway intercepted a pass on Mountain View’s next possession, then operated the offense from the quarterback position. Crite’s 15-yard run helped move Newport inside the 20, and his 10-yard touchdown run finished the possession. Destin Jackson’s extra point made it 13–0 midway through the first quarter.
After another Mountain View punt, Crite needed one play to cover 85 yards. JaKahlen Spearman’s block helped him reach the edge before he cut back and outran the pursuit. Jackson’s kick increased the lead to 20–0 with 3:15 remaining in the quarter.
Mountain View advanced into Newport territory on its next possession, but Robinson intercepted a pass and returned it 68 yards with 42 seconds left. Newport faked the extra-point attempt, and Sampson passed to Jesyn Russell for two points and a 28–0 advantage.
Lane Stewart recovered a fumble early in the second quarter, setting up another scoring drive. Rucker converted a fourth down, and Sampson found Crite along the sideline before delivering an 18-yard touchdown pass to Hardaway. Sampson used a sidearm delivery, and Hardaway went low to secure the ball at the goal line.
Sampson and Hardaway connected again for a 17-yard touchdown with 1:08 remaining before halftime. That fourth-down completion followed a Mountain View stop by Miles McCentire, whose tackle for a loss had pushed Newport backward. Earlier in the 60-yard drive, Russell caught a pass over the middle to move the Greyhounds into Mountain View territory.
Mountain View opened the second half by forcing a turnover on downs at Newport’s 38 and drove to the 15. A penalty pushed the Yellowjackets back, and Greer intercepted a pass at the Newport 7 to end the threat.
Crite supplied the final touchdown on an 88-yard run later in the third quarter, following Russell’s block to the outside. The two-point attempt failed, leaving the score 46–0.
Mountain View stopped Zyshonne Friar short of the end zone on a fourth-and-goal play in the fourth quarter. Backed up near their own goal line afterward, the Yellowjackets converted third-and-11 when Noah Davis completed a 27-yard pass to Eli Davis under pressure. Newport’s defense preserved the shutout through the final possession.
Scoring summary
| Quarter | Scoring play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| First | Newport — Rashaun Rucker 1-yard run; kick missed. | Newport 6–0 |
| First | Newport — JaTaelyn Crite 10-yard run; Destin Jackson kick. | Newport 13–0 |
| First | Newport — Crite 85-yard run; Jackson kick. | Newport 20–0 |
| First | Newport — Jaden Robinson 68-yard interception return; Jesyn Russell pass from Luke Sampson for two points. | Newport 28–0 |
| Second | Newport — Tavarius Hardaway 18-yard pass from Sampson; kick missed. | Newport 34–0 |
| Second | Newport — Hardaway 17-yard pass from Sampson; kick missed. | Newport 40–0 |
| Third | Newport — Crite 88-yard run; two-point pass failed. | Newport 46–0 |
| Fourth | No scoring. | Newport 46–0 |
Players who stood out
- JaTaelyn Crite: Three rushing touchdowns covering 10, 85 and 88 yards.
- Tavarius Hardaway: Two touchdown catches, an interception that set up Crite’s first touchdown, and a punt return that set up Newport’s opening score.
- Luke Sampson: Two touchdown passes to Hardaway and a two-point conversion pass to Russell.
- Jaden Robinson: Returned an interception 68 yards for a touchdown.
- Zayshawn Greer: Intercepted a pass at his own 7 to stop Mountain View’s third-quarter scoring threat; gained 12 yards on Newport’s first offensive play.