GARNER - A big play-filled 30 minutes beats a similar 18-minute span. The top-ranked Garner Trojans topped the eighth-ranked Middle Creek Mustangs 35-21 Friday night, holding off a late Mustang charge after leading 28-0 in the third quarter.

The Trojans (4-0) turned three Mustang punt attempts into touchdowns.

Garner held Middle Creek (2-2) without a first down for the first 17 minutes of play but led just 7-0 late in the second quarter.

Trojans' senior lineman D'Andre Ellis pounced on a loose ball after a Trojans' punt that hit a Middle Creek player's foot. On the next play, Damian Ellis made a diving catch in the corner of the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown connection with Vince Jeffries extending the lead to 14-0 going into the half.

Middle Creek junior quarterback David Salmon engineered the comeback push, scoring on runs of 9 and 18 yards late in the third quarter to pull the Mustangs within 28-13.

Garner pushed the lead back to 35-13 on a Fairley 2-yard run after the Mustangs couldn't get off a punt inside of the 5-yard-line.

Salmon, who finished 14-of-42 for 228 yards with two interceptions, found Kevin Jones on a 20-yard touchdown reception to cut the spread to 14 with 7:02 to play, but Garner's defense held strong the rest of the way.