DOBSON — Before the Surry Central field can be sprayed for grub worms next week, the Golden Eagles football team had to deal with much bigger pests Friday night in the form of the undefeated Granite Bears of Mount Airy.

The visitors blitzed Surry Central, 47-20, and survived a fourth-quarter Golden Eagles rally in the process.

The Granite Bears (6-0, 2-0 Northwest 1A/2A) jumped out to a 13-0 lead midway through the first quarter behind touchdown runs by Andy Temoney (48 yards) and Luke Wheeler (26 yards).

“We just had some big plays early and caught them off guard,” Mount Airy coach Kelly Holder said.

Just when it looked like good things were about to happen for the Golden Eagles (0-6, 0-2), bad luck struck. At the tail end of a 50-yard scamper, quarterback Dave Wilmoth had his bell rung and was forced to leave the game. He was taken to a hospital to see what the extent of the damage was.

“He left about halftime or a little after (to go to the hospital),” Surry Central coach Monty Southern said. “From what our trainers felt like, he did have a concussion. I told the guys it wasn’t like he was seeing people and stuff, so I don’t think it was a severe one.”

It must have felt like the Granite Bears had twice as many people on the field, as they ran to a 34-0 lead at the half.

“They can hurt you so many ways,” Southern said. “Defensively, I felt we played good early on, but that one time you don’t, instead of a first down it’s a touchdown.”

In the second quarter, Temoney would score on runs of 3 and 14 yards. Sandwiched in between was a 32-yard scamper from Luke Wheeler, who took a shotgun snap and kept it as he sprinted around the right end.

But what do you call a play like that? It seemed to come from the hottest formation in football.

“That is not the Wildcat,” Holder said with a laugh.

Instead, it’s a package designed to keep opponents on their toes.

“It’s not a staple of our offense, but when they know 42 is taking the snap, you better be ready for it and people are going to have to prepare for it. And that’s why we do it.”

Temoney finished with 85 yards on 10 carries, while Wheeler rushed for 70 yards. Five players rushed for at least 25 yards.

Surry Central’s Alex Wilmoth filled in at quarterback and threw for 99 yards, all of which went to Shane Johnson, who scored on an 80-yard strike. Freshman Wes Brown rumbled for 45 yards and scored his first high school touchdown on a 9-yard during a 14-point fourth quarter.

Surry Central’s defense brought pressure and gang tackled just like it did last week against East Surry. However, the Granite Bears’ offense countered with misdirection and passing plays instead of falling into the Golden Eagles’ traps.

“Monty does a really good job of trying to take away things you do well,” Holder said. “He did a good job of watching tape last week, and he knew what he could get in up front to make us do different things. His ’backers always cause us problems blitzing from every different angle. Sometimes he guesses right and sometimes he guesses wrong and that’s the way it goes.

“We’re not big enough and strong enough naturally up front to just mash people up front, and we know that. You take everybody you got and try to use them to your fullest potential. Why not pull a guard and try and block a 185-pound outside linebacker instead of a guys who’s 250? You just gotta do what you do best.”

Following that philosophy has led to 22 consecutive wins dating back to last season. After witnessing the Granite Bears firsthand, Southern has a hard time believing anybody will challenge them in the conference.

“They’re the best team that we’ve played,” he said. “They’re the type of team that when they step on the field, if someone was watching them play that never saw them play before, I don’t think there’s any way they’d say they were a 1A football team.

“The good feeling is, you feel like they’re going to get everyone else in the conference, too.”

Contact Ed Phillipps at ephillipps@mtairynews.com or 719-1921.

First quarter

MA — Andy Temoney 48 run (kick failed)

MA — Luke Wheeler 26 run (Tyler Hull kick)

Second quarter

MA — Temoney 3 run (Hull kick)

MA — Wheeler 32 run (Hull kick)

MA — Temoney 14 run (Hull kick)

Third quarter

MA — Hinson 37 run (Hull kick)

MA — Hinson 23 run (kick failed)

SC — Alex Wilmoth 2 run (kick failed)

Fourth quarter

SC — Wes Brown 9 run (Ben Earnest kick)

SC — Shane Johnson 80 pass from Wilmoth (Earnest kick)