SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. — Pinecrest was the early bird to get the worm.

The Patriots leaned heavily into their ground game to defeat Overhills 33-22 in an early morning start.

Chris Najm scored all three of Pinecrest’s first half touchdowns, and Zymire Spencer highlighted the second half with two of his own to guide the Patriots to victory.

Najm helped the Patriots start the day by converting an early turnover into six points. Overhills’ Ricky Tower answered back with a touchdown of his own, but an unsuccessful extra point attempt sent Pinecrest into the second quarter with a 7-6 advantage.

In the second stanza, Najm would pick up two touchdowns on direct snaps to give the Patriots a 20-6 lead at the break.

Early in the third, Spencer bounced to the outside and darted about 25-yards to paydirt.

Overhills opened the fourth quarter with an Isaiah Townsend touchdown and two-point conversion to slash its deficit to 27-14.

Spencer had an answer. A 23-yard touchdown carry with six minutes left on the clock pushed the Patriots back ahead three scores.

The Jaguars broke into the end zone one final time when Tower scored his second of the day in the final minutes. Jordan Bryant found Jaxon Forman on the two-point try to make it a 33-22 game.

Next week, Pinecrest (2-0, 0-0) hosts Middle Creek while Overhills (1-1, 0-0) heads to Leesville Road.

Source: highschoolot.com