SHANNON – Shannon head coach Chad Cook rarely worries about the weather.

Then again, with a team that seems to thrive in soggy conditions, why should he?

On a muddy, rain-drenched field for the third time in four weeks, Shannon used a dominant first half to secure a 26-14 win over North Pontotoc Friday night.

The win sets up a showdown of unbeaten teams next Friday night in Shannon, when the Pontotoc Warriors pay a visit to the Red Raiders. Both are 7-0.

Senior tailback Keon McGaughy ran for 170 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, and Shannon’s defense held North Pontotoc’s offense to minus-8 yards in the first half to build a 26-0 halftime lead.

“I wanted us to get back to really hitting people,” Cook said after watching his team improve to 2-0 in Division 1-4A. “Monday and Tuesday of this week were probably our most physical practices of the year, and I thought our team did a good job of bringing that intensity with them in the first half.”

While Shannon carried the big lead into the break, North Pontotoc refused to go quietly, scoring a pair of second half TDs to out-pace the hosts 14-0 after the break.

Joe Robbins capped a 12-play, 83-yard drive with an 11-yard scoring sprint midway through the third quarter, and quarterback Myles Snyder hooked up with tight end Mackenzie Mcnight on a 21-yard TD pass with just over a minute remaining in the game.

Kyle Robbins added the PAT on both.

“At halftime, I told the kids that the second half of our season started tonight in the second half of this game,” North Pontotoc head coach J.J. Plummer said, “and they came out in the second half and played their guts out. Shannon’s got a great team with a running back who’s hard to stop, but I couldn’t be more proud of my guys.”

North Pontotoc’s late surge came on the heels of a nearly-perfect first half by Shannon, which rushed for 205 yards in the first two quarters.

Brilliant cameo role

McGaughy was brilliant once again, accumulating 194 total yards in just over a quarter before sitting for the rest of the night.

Shannon’s star tailback caught a 7-yard TD pass from LeGilbert Bogan in the first quarter and added a 42-yard scoring run in the second.

McGaughy “has just become an incredible leader for us,” Cook said. “That character of that kid is unbelievable.”

Bogan tossed a pair of TD passes –the first a 32-yard strike to Chris Davis, the second to McGaughy – and Shannon jumped out to a 14-0 lead after one quarter. Jake Scott added the PAT following both touchdowns.

In the second, McGaughy tacked on his 42-yard score and sophomore Bodarius Taylor crashed in from three yards out to stretch the lead to 26-0.

“It starts up front with the offensive line,” Cook said. “They were very physical tonight and they did a good job of making holes for our backs.”

After yielding 274 total yards in the first half, North Pontotoc’s defense stiffened after the break, allowing Shannon 44 yards in the final two quarters.

“We’ve played two of the toughest teams in the state back-to-back and we’re still fighting,” Plummer said. “We’ve got three games left and this team knows it can compete at this level.”

North Pontotoc, now 5-2 overall and 0-2 in division play, will travel to face New Albany Friday night.