It was a big night of football games last Friday in the 1-A Yadkin Valley Conference with sole possession of first place on the line in Spencer.

Defending league champion Albemarle (4-0 YVC, 7-1 overall) and North Rowan (3-1, 5-3) put their undefeated conference records on the line, and the Bulldogs came out on top by a 29-22 score.

The Bulldogs were paced by senior quarterback Deon Christian, who tallied nearly 200 yards in total offense. Christian ran for one score and threw a touchdown in the closing moments, sealing the contest. Albemarle’s defense had a big night intercepting three of the Cavaliers’ passes.

Another big game for the standings was in Wadeville, where West Montgomery (2-2, 4-4) hosted South Stanly (3-1, 6-2). Both teams came into the contest with one conference loss, and the winner would be able to keep pace with Albemarle and be tied for second place with North Rowan. In a contest that went back and forth, the Warriors held a 24-21 advantage going into the final frame. But Rebel Bull senior running back Devante Hamilton, who finished the game with more than 200 yards rushing, scored two of his three touchdowns, sealing the contest by a 35-24 score.

Locally, North Moore (0-4, 0-8) was once again looking to snap their losing skid when they traveled to East Montgomery (2-2, 3-5) and met first-year head coach Phil Collett. The host Eagles raced to a 21-0 first-quarter lead en route to a 45-0 shutout in their homecoming.

Senior running back Santrel Durham finished with three rushing touchdowns and caught a pass for a score.

Up in Denton, the South Davidson (1-3, 1-7) football team had to fight through the emotion of losing their head coach Mike Crowell, who passed away the previous Sunday. Chatham Central (1-3, 3-5) would be the Wildcats’ first opponent they would have to face after the loss of their coach.

Playing in their homecoming, South Davidson got off to a good start with Jared Page scoring for the Wildcats in the opening drive. However, the visiting Bears would score the next 40 points in a 40-14 victory. Bear running backs Zach Burke and LaQuinn Mordecai combined for more than 200 yards rushing and a three touchdowns.

With the calendar reading October, some of the other fall sports are starting to wind down.

Girls’ tennis wrapped up the regular season last week. The conference tournament, being hosted by Gray Stone, started this week with berths in the individual western regional on the line. Gray Stone won the regular season YVC title and is currently ranked second in the state 1-A polls behind defending state champion Mount Airy.

Finishing second in the standings was Chatham Central, followed by East Montgomery, North Rowan, South Davidson, North Moore, Albemarle and South Stanly. West Montgomery did not field a team this year. The state dual team tournament kicks off Oct. 16.

Volleyball wraps up its regular season this week, and West Montgomery (14-0 YVC) has sewed up the regular season league title. Gray Stone (12-3) is currently second, followed by Albemarle (10-4), South Stanly (7-7), Chatham Central (7-7), North Moore (6-8), East Montgomery (6-9), North Rowan (2-12) and South Davidson (0-14).

North Moore has a chance to finish in fourth place with a victory over Chatham Central Thursday. The conference tournament is scheduled to start Monday with matches at the higher seed’s gym. The semifinals and finals are slated to be played at Albemarle.

In boys’ soccer, fifth-ranked East Montgomery (6-0-1) and 13th-ranked North Moore (4-0-1) are currently tied for first place in the loss column. The two teams tied in their first meeting back in September and were scheduled to play at East Monday, with the winner holding the inside track for the regular season title.

In gridiron action this Friday, North Moore takes its final road game of the regular season to South Stanly. League leader Albemarle hosts East Montgomery, while West Montgomery entertains South Davidson. North Rowan tries to bounce back from their first conference loss with a trip to Chatham Central. All the games are slated to kick off at 7:30 p.m.