Tiger QB leads second-half charge at Mt. Zion

MT. ZION — Nate Kunczewski, Darlington quarterback, scored three rushing touchdowns in the second half Friday after his team had nothing on the board in the first half of a Region 6-2A game held in Carroll County. With a turnover touchdown punctuating the contest, Darlington won over Mt. Zion 28-7 to even its region record at 1-1 and climb above .500 for the season at 3-2.

Mt. Zion, after a scoreless first period, completed a drive that began at its own 3-yard-line and had the host Eagles inside the Darlington ‘red zone’ in the second quarter. The resulting touchdown would be the only scoring play of the first half.

Sometimes football teams have the reputation of only showing up for the second half, and that was Darlington’s story for this particular Friday.

Mt. Zion had the first possession of the third quarter but, as happened more often that not in the first half, the Eagles had to punt the football.

Starting from their own 25-yard-line, the Tigers finally reached the ‘red zone’ of Mt. Zion. Kunczewski ended the shutout with a 3-yard touchdown run, and Matias Selle kicked the game-tying PAT.

Still in the third quarter, Kunczewski broke that 7-7 tie with his second touchdown run, another 3-yarder. Selle kicked Darlington to a 14-7 lead.

In the fourth quarter, Mt. Zion, with no offensive responses, punted to the Tiger 33. Kunczewski completed the next series with a 1-yard touchdown run.

In all three of Darlington’s wins of the 2026 season, the opposition only had one scoring play. The Tiger defense matched Mt. Zion’s offensive output Friday when Caleb Covington picked up a fumble and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown.

Darlington returns to its home turf this coming Friday for Homecoming night and a clash with Region 6-2A co-leader Heard County, which beat Coosa High in Franklin 50-7 last Friday.

This article was originally published in the Rome News-Tribune on Sept. 29, 2026.