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The South Stanly football team traveled to Randolph County Friday night to take on the winless 2A Wheatmore Warriors from the 1A/2A Piedmont Athletic Conference.

South went down in the first quarter, but the offense roared back, especially through the air. Bulls quarterback Kaleb Richardson threw five touchdown passes and South improved to 3-1 on the season with a 41-18 win.

Wheatmore (0-5) took the early lead on the first drive of the game, going 68 yards over the first 4:03 of the game. Jonathan Kelly’s five-yard TD run capped off the drive, putting the hosts up 6-0.

South answered three plays later when Richardson found Jasiah Holt open in the middle of the field. Holt spun away from one defender and raced to the end zone for a 60-yard touchdown, tying the game 6-6.

On the first play of the second quarter, South took the lead for good when Richardson found Holt for a 26-yard scoring strike. The two-point conversion was no good, leaving the visiting Bulls up 12-6.

Several minutes later, Richardson threw a short out pattern to Ethan Gaddy, who faked out two defenders and raced down the home sideline for a 66-yard touchdown pass, putting the Bulls up 18-6.

Leading by 12 at halftime, South immediately struck again on the first play of the third. Richardson hit Kylan Dockery with a swing pass, and Dockery outraced the Wheatmore defense 61 yards for a touchdown. The extra point put South up 25-6.

Wheatmore cut the lead to 13 with a touchdown which initially appeared to be a turnover. On second and goal from the five, a South player came up with a strip of the football and recovery. After one official pointed to say it was South Stanly ball, the referees conferred and said the Warrior ball carrier had crossed the plane of the goal line for a touchdown with 5:25 left in the third.

South again answered the Warriors, scoring one minute later. A long pass from Richardson to Jayden Woods set up a 24-yard touchdown by Carter Callicutt. The point-after put the Bulls up 32-12.

In the fourth, Richardson connected for his fifth TD pass, this one a 19-yard strike to Woods in the back of the end zone, putting South up 39-12.

Wheatmore added a late touchdown and then gave two points to South on a safety when a punt snap sailed through the back of the end zone.

“I am proud at the way the offense showed up and the progress our young guys upfront have made each game is impressive,” South head coach Terry Shankle said. “I can’t say enough about the way Kaleb has started the season and taken control of the offense.”

South Stanly is off Friday and will open conference play Oct. 4 at home versus Mount Pleasant (4-1). The Tigers shut out West Stanly at home Friday night 42-0.

“Being 3-1 is a good way to go into conference play and give us confidence and momentum heading into our game against Mount Pleasant,” Shankle said.