The Mustangs (3-1, 1-0) broke open a tied game at halftime by allowing zero points and just 10 yards of total offense in the second half, including a fourth quarter safety.

It was a feat that raised the eyebrows of Middle Creek coach Sean Crocker after the game.

"Holly Springs came out and they really took it to us. They were really physical and they had good backs and they hit us in the mouth in the first quarter especially," Crocker said. "I think our guys took it as a challenge to come back strong."

The Golden Hawks started their first drive of the game at Middle Creek's 48-yard line thanks to a wild shotgun snap. Holly Springs ran 10 consecutive running plays, culminating with a 1-yard quarterback keeper by Mike Roach.

Middle Creek looked poised to answer with a touchdown of their own after a 53-yard run by Stephen Sladek put the Mustangs on the 27. Quarterback Garrett Leatham threw a screen pass to Jon Moore on the following play that was ruled a lateral.

After members of both teams watched the ball roll to a stop without a whistle, the Golden Hawks' Tremayne Dennis picked it up and rumbled 70 yards to paydirt to put Holly Springs up 14-0.

"I thought it was an incomplete pass, but you've got to go with what the referee says," Leatham said. "That was a lot of momentum against us down 14-0 ... but we came back strong."

The Golden Hawks had several opportunities to extend their lead in the first half. But whether it was a 47-yard field goal bouncing off the crossbar or a dropped pass on 4th-and-1 from the 4-yard line or a fumble into the end zone, the team failed to do so.

"When you play a good team like Middle Creek, and you make mistakes, it comes back to bite you," Holly Springs coach Jim Hynus said. "We almost knocked them out in the first half, and we just let them off the ropes."

The Mustangs made Holly Springs pay for two of those mistakes. Middle Creek turned the missed field goal into a touchdown scoring drive as Leatham found Sladek in the flats for a 29-yard touchdown.

"I've got to give all my credit to my O-line, I had all the time in the world tonight," Leatham said.

After taking over at their own 4, Leatham dropped back to pass on the first play, found a streaking Kevin Jones all by himself, and lofted the pass out for an easy 96-yard touchdown. The two teams entered halftime tied at 14 apiece.

"Garrett told me to run deep, so I just ran as fast as I could," Jones said.

Hynus said after the game that the blown coverage was a mix-up in communication from the sideline to the players on the field.

With a little over eight minutes left in the fourth quarter and the score still tied, Middle Creek's Al Reams recovered a fumble to give his team the ball at the Holly Springs 35. On the next play, Leatham found Moore, who fumbled at the 5 to hand the ball right back.

Reams and the Mustangs defense changed the game when they forced a Holly Springs fumble from inside their own five. Reams fell on the recovering Hawks player for a safety.

"I got behind the center, and Brandon Smith hit the quarterback while he was pitching it," Reams said. "It was just a good play all around. Coach said if we do our assignments, we'd win the game."

Middle Creek will travel to Green Hope next week while Holly Springs will host Lee County.