Golden Lions Regain Their Throne After Dominant Victory

                Last year, the Golden Lions had hopes of winning their fifth consecutive state championship. But their dreams ended last year in the fourth round at the hands of Hibriten, 19-7. They decided that one year was enough. They avenged that loss with a 28-21 victory at Hibriten last week and returned to the title game. The Golden Lions took care of business last night with a convincing 42-21 victory over North Davidson.

                This was the Black Knights’ first ever appearance in the NCHSAA football championship and they wanted to make it count. After stopping Shelby on their first drive, North Davidson quarterback Landon Moore connected with Themus Fulks for a 62-yard pass that put the ball at the Golden Lion 16-yard line. However, Moore was intercepted a few plays later by Jack Hollifield. Hollifield took it 93 yards for a Golden Lion touchdown (PAT good). That seemed to set the tone for the rest of the game.

                Shelby would go up 14-0 on their next drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Isaiah Bess to Diavonni Daley (PAT good). Those two would connect for another touchdown (22 yards). Caden Sheeley’s PAT kick would make it 21-0. The Black Knights would get on the board with a three-yard touchdown run by Colby Garfield (PAT good). The second quarter would turn into a turnover battle as each team had two turnovers apiece. Shelby did get deep into North Davidson territory before the half. But instead of kicking a field-goal, the Golden Lions would go for it but Bess was sacked by Blake Stephens to end the half. The halftime score would remain 21-7 at half-time.

                Late in the third quarter, the Golden Lions would extend their lead. On fourth down on the 18-yard line, Isaiah Bess was under immense pressure but was able to find Fabian Pettis for the 18-yard touchdown pass (PAT good). The Black Knights would answer that with a score of their own early in the fourth quarter. On fourth-and-goal from the three-yard line. The ball was directly snapped to Jackson Perrell. Perrell took it in for the three-yard touchdown run (PAT good). That cut the lead to 28-14.

                But every time the Black Knights cut it closer, the Golden Lions would shut the door. Donye Fuller would make it a three-score game again with a two-yard touchdown run (PAT good). After Shelby was forced to punt on their next drive, there was some controversy. The ball sailed over punter Kobe Farmer’s head and he appeared to recover it and down it but the ball was popped loose and Gage Williams returned it for a touchdown (PAT good). That would be as close as North Davidson would get. Shelby would ice it with a one-yard touchdown run by Jaylon Scott. Caden Sheeley was 6-for-6 on his extra point kicks.

                Isaiah Bess led the Golden Lion offense with 185 yards passing and three touchdowns, but was intercepted twice. Diavonni Daley was his top receiver. He amassed 103 yards along with his two touchdowns. Donye Fuller amassed 86 yards and a touchdown. Landon Moore led the Black Knight offense with 229 passing yards and 41 rushing yards. He was also intercepted three times. His top receiver was Themus Fulks. He amassed 153 yards. On defense, Dorian Davis and Dashaun Christopher each had an interception along with that interception returned for a touchdown by Jack Hollifield. Nick Stites recovered a fumble and Malaki Hamrick recorded a sack. Themus Fulks had two interceptions for the North Davidson defense. Gage Williams had one. Blake Stephens registered three sacks in the game. Maddox Johnson and Devon Welch combined for a sack.

                Shelby wins their fifth state title in six years with the 42-21 victory.

Charlotte Catholic Returns to the State Finals, Crushes Kings Mountain 30-7

                After defeating Hunter Huss 28-7 last week, it was time for the Cougars of Charlotte Catholic to face off with another Big South opponent. The Kings Mountain Mountaineers defeated top-seeded Northwest Cabarrus last week 49-28 and were looking to knock off the defending state champs.

                But on the first drive, mistakes started hurting Kings Mountain. On 3^rd-and-1, a fumble by Ricaylen Mack would set the Cougars up at the Mountaineer 34-yard line. On the first play, Paul Neel would put the Cougars on the board for a 34-yard touchdown run (PAT good). On their third drive, the Mountaineers would make it to the Cougar 25-yard line, but would shoot themselves in the foot again. The drive stopped when Kaylon Wade was intercepted by Daniel Boll in the end zone.

                In the second quarter, the Cougars extended their lead with a 55-yard touchdown pass from Chris Walton to Michael Neel (PAT good). The Cougars looked to extend the lead when Walton connected with Adam Robbe for another touchdown, but it would be called back due to a holding penalty. The score remained 14-0 at the half.

                It would get worse before it got better for the Mountaineers. A 31-yard pass from Walton to Michael Neel set the Cougars up at the two-yard line. Lamagea McDowell would punch it in two plays later for a one-yard touchdown run (PAT good). Kings Mountain would get on the board later in the third quarter with a Kaylon Wade one-yard touchdown run (PAT good). That was set up by a 29-yard pass from Wade to Kobe Paysour on the previous play. But that would be as good as it got for the Mountaineers.

                The Mountaineers would be pinned deep near their own end zone on two drives in the fourth quarter. One of those resulted in a Cougars safety. Catholic would put the final nail in the coffin when Chris Walton connected with Michael Neel for a 42-yard touchdown reception (PAT good). Will Griggs was 4-for-4 on his extra point kicks. The game would end on an interception by the Cougars’ Brian Jacobs and a couple of kneel downs by Chris Walton.

                “They have had such a great run here at Kings Mountain. They have won 12 games three out of four years. They have won a conference championship and made it to the state semi-final twice in the last four years.” Kings Mountain head coach Greg Lloyd said about his group of seniors “We had a great group of kids. It’s just been an unbelievable season. I am so proud of them and their effort and what they’ve been to Kings Mountain.”

                “We got a lot of guys back (next year). We’re losing some good ones too. We should have a good quality football team coming back next year.” Lloyd said.

                “It’s a great feeling. It’s been a long season and to finish up the season with a win at home and a chance to go back to the state championship is exhilarating, tiring but exhilarating.” said Charlotte Catholic head coach Mike Brodowicz “Our defense has been opportunistic all year. Our defense was stellar all year. Against a Kings Mountain team that’s been averaging 43 points a game, we had our work cut out for us. But our kids have risen to the challenge all year. This is one of the best defensive groups that I’ve had at this school.”

                “We are just excited to be back and play in the state championship game. That’s always our goal.” Brodowicz said “We don’t know who our opponent is but anybody coming out of the east, Jacksonville or Havelock, are very good teams that have run through the east pretty solidly. With all the adversity that they have faced with all the floods and the hurricane, they are going to bring a big crowd and be excited to bring their community together during their difficult year. So it’s going to be a heck of a good game and we’re just happy to get a chance to play in it.”

                Chris Walton led the Catholic offense with 166 yards passing and two touchdowns. 151 yards of those went to Michael Neel, who had two of the touchdowns. Kaylon Wade led the Kings Mountain offense with 133 yards (35 rushing and 98 passing) and a rushing touchdown, but was intercepted twice.

Hunter Huss’s Historic Season Ends at 13-1 With 28-7 Loss to Charlotte Catholic

                The undefeated Hunter Huss Huskies had aspirations of winning the state title on their minds. The defending state champions, the Charlotte Catholic Cougars, had repeating the state title on theirs. The Huskies have pitched 6 shutouts this year and have held three opponents to single digits. The Cougars have pitched five shutouts and have held four opponents to single digits. Both were coming off big shutout wins from last week. Prince Bemah returned to action for Hunter Huss after missing the previous two games with a sprained knee. So something had to give.

                The Cougars got the ball first and returned the kickoff to the Huskies 40-yard line. But would shoot themselves in the foot with procedure penalties. A sack by Jaheim Mullen would force the Cougars to punt. The Huskies were forced to punt on their first drive as well. A short punt gave the Cougars great field position around the Huskies 30-yard line.

                Catholic would get on the board with a Lamagea McDowell 10-yard touchdown run (PAT no good). In the second quarter, the Huskies were forced to punt deep near their end zone. Michael Neel blocked a Trevor Hargett punt and returned it ten yards for a touchdown. Paul Neel’s run for the two-point conversion made it 14-0. The Huskies tried to get a late drive going in the first half to avoid a half-time shutout but would get no closer than the Cougars’ 35-yard line.

                The Huskies received the second half kickoff and would make the drive count. Jamal Littlejohn would cap it off with a 14-yard touchdown run (Hargett kick). The Huskies got a big break on the following drive as the Cougars attempted a fake punt, but were stopped at the Hunter Huss 47-yard line well short of the first down. The Huskies were unable to capitalize on and were forced to punt. Brian Jacobs would return the punt 73 yards for the touchdown that extended the Cougars’ lead back to 13. The PAT was no good.

                Nothing would go right for Hunter Huss after that. Lamagea McDowell put the nail in the coffin midway through the fourth quarter with a seven yard touchdown run. McDowell’s run for the two-point conversion was good, giving the Cougars their largest lead of the night at 28-7. That score was set up by a 41-yard first down run by Paul Neel. That would be all she wrote.

                The Cougars defense registered three sacks and three interceptions. Nick King got two sacks and Ari Rodriguez had one. Jacob Schachte, Adam Robbe and Joseph Satori each intercepted a pass from Huss quarterback Zo Wallace. Robbe, King, Rodriguez, Schachte and Kevin Coss all had tackles for loss. Jaheim Mullen recorded two sacks for the Huskies. He, Deaven Lowery, Marcus Mauney and Prince Bemah also had tackles for loss.

                “It’s a tough loss. We have nothing to hang our heads about. I’m proud of these young men. Nobody expected us to even be here throughout the course of the season.” said Hunter Huss head coach Jamar McKoy “We finished the season 13-1 and I am proud. Right now, it just hurts. Right now, it’s just painful.”

“We needed special teams to be special and that didn’t happen for us.” McKoy said “We had a blocked punt for a touchdown and a punt return for a touchdown. They scored 14 offensive points and we scored 7. If those things don’t happen, we’re still in this ball game and possibly tie it or just win it in the end. We had some miscues and turnovers and that hurt us in the end. That punt return for a touchdown was the turning point in the game.”

                Charlotte Catholic will host another Big South foe, Kings Mountain (11-3). The Mountaineers defeated the top seeded Northwest Cabarrus (13-1) 49-28. Hunter Huss’s season ends at 13-1.

Huskies Win Big, Shut Out Chargers Again

                The Hunter Huss Huskies and the Crest Chargers played in a rematch from a game that the Huskies won 14-0 earlier in the year. Both teams played in rematches last week. The Huskies beat Burns 45-6, a team they beat earlier 41-0. The Chargers beat Stuart Cramer 41-14, a team they beat 27-7 earlier in the year. So if that was any indication, it would not bode well for Crest as they sought to avenge their loss in the regular season.

                The Huskies took a 7-0 lead with a three-yard touchdown run by quarterback Zo Wallace (PAT good) on the first play in the second quarter. The Chargers started to get a drive going of their own, but a fumble near the Husky 20-yard line stalled the drive. The Huskies were poised to extend the lead when Zo Wallace connected with Jaheim Mullen for a 58-yard pass play that placed the ball at the Chargers’ eight-yard line. But the Huskies would fumble it the Chargers recovered. They were unable to do anything with it however. Wallace was intercepted by Landon Zanders on the next drive, but the Chargers could not capitalize. As the half was coming to a close, the Huskies got into field goal range but procedure penalties and a sack by Rae-Kwon Young-Turner kept the Huskies from putting points on the board as the half expired.

                In the second half, the Huskies got the ball and got a long drive going that took nearly nine minutes. The drive was capped off on a fourth-and-goal play. That was a one-yard touchdown run by Malik Corry (PAT good). The Chargers would self-destruct from that point forward. A fumble late in the third quarter set the Huskies up near the Chargers’ ten-yard line. Wallace would connect with Jamal Littlejohn for a ten-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter.

                The onslaught was on from there. A Wallace 25-yard touchdown pass to Jaheim Mullen seemingly put the nail in the coffin. The defense would also get in on the scoring. Chase Williamson picked off a pass Crest quarterback Peyton Kemmerlin and took it 46 yards for a touchdown. Trevor Hargett was 5-for-5 on his extra point kicks. Zo Wallace led the Husky offense with 136 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. He was only intercepted once. Jaheim Mullen amassed 124 yards receiving and a touchdown.

                “It was a heavy weight fight for a while. We just couldn’t get anything going. They are really good defensively.” said Crest head coach Nick Eddins “(The drive in the third quarter) was kept alive by an unsportsmanlike penalty which was the story of the first two touchdowns. Can’t do those kinds of things and expect to win big football games. That’s a credit to them. They stuck it to us.”

                “Great team win. The state tournament is alive and in full effect. One down, one more to go.” Said Hunter Huss head coach Jamar McCoy “We will celebrate this win tonight and get ready to exchange film with Charlotte Catholic “We felt that drive in the third quarter was the turning point of the game. We wanted to come out in the second half and just drive the ball and grind it. So Wallace took charge and did a wonderful job.”

                “The nail in the coffin was definitely the interception by Chase Williamson. There were some wonderful blocks up the sideline from some of the guys to spring him for the long run.” McCoy said about the interception return for a touchdown and the defensive performance “Coach Mauney and the defensive staff do a marvelous job of coaching those kids up and having them prepared on Friday nights. We did it tonight without our star linebacker Prince Bemah who will be back in action next week. So we are definitely proud of the output from the defense tonight. He’s not only a great inside linebacker. He’s the emotional leader and he does a wonderful job.”

                The Huskies won 35-0 and have now outscored the Chargers 49-0 in two both games. Hunter Huss will host Charlotte Catholic, a 42-0 winner over Monroe.

Gaston, Lincoln and Cleveland County Round 2 Playoffs

 

3A

#7 Crest @ #2 Hunter Huss – Hunter Huss 14-7

#5 Kings Mountain @ #4 Statesville – Kings Mountain 35-14

2AA

#5 Ashe County @ #4 Shelby – Shelby 28-14

#10 South Point @ #2 Hibriten – Hibriten 27-24

#16 East Lincoln @ #8 North Lincoln – North Lincoln 24-21

1AA

#5 Bessemer City @ #4 East Surry – East Surry 31-14

Late Fumble Dooms Cherryville In Loss To Community School of Davidson

                The state playoffs feature a lot of conference rematches. One of those rematches is the Community School of Davidson Spartans at the Cherryville Ironmen. The Spartans defeated the Ironmen earlier this year 42-36 so they were hoping for some payback.

                Things started off good for Cherryville as they would score on their first drive with a four-yard touchdown run by Jayden Blanton (PAT good). Davidson would tie it up in the second quarter with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Austin Fekete to Ryan Renshaw (PAT good). The Ironmen retook the lead with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Harden to Sean Kostiuk (PAT good).  

                The teams would exchange turnovers late in the first half. A fumble near midfield kept the Spartans from being able to tie the game. Andrew Beam of Cherryville intercepted a half-back pass from Langston Samples. The Spartans' Devin Carbonaro intercepted a pass from Dylan Harden near the goal line toward the end of the half. The Ironmen would lead 14-7 at half-time.

                In the second half, the Spartans tied the game up again when Fekete connected with Langston Samples for a six-yard touchdown pass (PAT good). The Ironmen retook the lead early in the fourth quarter with a one-yard touchdown run by Jayden Blanton (PAT good). But the play that seemed to turn the game around took place on the next drive. In punt formation, kicker/punter Caden Bonoffski made a 28-yard pass to Brandon Ellington to keep the Spartans in business. They capitalized on the drive with a seven-yard touchdown run by Cameron McDonnell (PAT good).

                The Ironmen were unable to get a drive going after that. The Spartans took the lead for the first time with 4:35 to go when Fekete connected with Ryan Renshaw for another touchdown pass. This one was from 35 yards out (PAT good). The Ironmen made a key fourth down pass when Harden connected with Matt Cain to keep the potential game-tying drive alive. But the fumble that took place a play later would seal the deal.

                Jayden Blanton led the Cherryville offense with 149 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Austin Fekete led the Sparans offense with 182 yards passing and three touchdowns.

Gaston, Lincoln and Cleveland First Round Playoff Picks

3AA

#16 Ashbrook @ #1 Watauga – My pick: Watauga 35-14

3A

#15 Burns @ #2 Hunter Huss – My pick: Hunter Huss 48-14

#10 Stuart Cramer @ #7 Crest – My pick: Crest 24-7

#13 West Rowan @ #4 Kings Mountain – My pick: Kings Mountain 42-21

2AA

#13 West Lincoln @ #4 Shelby – My pick: Shelby 28-14

#16 East Lincoln @ #1 Pisgah – My pick: Pisgah 24-14

#9 Smoky Mountain @ #8 North Lincoln – My pick: North Lincoln 31-21

#10 South Point @ #7 Mount Pleasant – My pick: South Point 35-7

1AA

#9 Mountain Island Charter @ #8 Swain County – My pick: Mountain Island Charter 48-21

#12 Highland Tech @ #5 Bessemer City – My pick: Bessemer City 35-12

#10 Community School of Davidson @ #7 Cherryville – My pick: Cherryville 45-38

Vance Capitalizes On Early Turnovers, Trounces Hough

                On a field that was soggy and messy due to the rains that have hit the area, you had to figure that this would be a sloppy game. That would be the case early on as Hough would fumble two straight kickoffs. Vance would capitalize on both of them.

                Andre White got Vance on the board first with a three-yard touchdown run (PAT failed). Following the second Husky turnover, Joseph Morris extended the Cougars’ lead to 13-0 with a ten-yard touchdown run (PAT good). White would score another rushing touchdown later in the quarter with an eight yard run (PAT failed). Quarterback Nigel Summerville got in on the action when on fourth down, he connected with Nyier Clark for a 35-yard touchdown pass (kick blocked).

                All that scoring was in the first quarter alone. Vance would get into Hough territory in the second half, but would be unable to turn the drive into points. The Cougars fumbled four times throughout the game, losing only two of them. But the Husky offense never got on track.

                “We wanted to slow them down a little bit and get them playing in the mud a little bit.” Said Vance head coach Aaron Brand “We thought we had a good game plan. We knew the field conditions weren’t going to get better. We thought if we can get ahead and make those guys play comeback, then we’d be in a good situation. We got some early touchdowns. We are just happy we were able to come out of here with a victory. Another ten wins for the program. We thought we had the advantage in the run game, especially on this surface. Joe Morris got us set early. Jahlik Cooper had great runs toward the end. Andre White carried the load for most of the game. Nyier Clark and Nigel (Summerfield) made some good throws when we chose to throw the football. We’re super excited about our opportunities.”

                With the win, Vance locked up the #2 spot in the conference and Hough finished third.

               

Maiden Downs Lincolnton 13-0 In Defensive Struggle

                It was not a pretty win for the Maiden Blue Devils on Senior Night, but it was a win indeed. The Blue Devils beat the Wolves 13-0 and ended the regular season on a high note. Lincolnton’s season ends at 2-9.

                For the most part, this game was a defensive struggle. Both teams had trouble moving the ball. Maiden only led 6-0 at half-time. That was a result of a three-yard touchdown pass from Bain Sipe to Dylan Abernathy (PAT no good). Sipe would connect with Abernathy again in the third quarter for a 75-yard touchdown pass (PAT good).

                That would be all the scoring the Blue Devils would do but it would be enough. The Wolves were not void of highlights themselves as Dejarris Gash intercepted two passes from Sipe to keep Lincolnton in it. But they would not be able to get anything going offensively.

                “I think we played hard defensively. The kids gave us a good shot but offensively, we just made too many stupid mistakes and too many bad plays.” said Lincolnton head coach Ledford Gibson “We get something going then we shoot ourselves in the foot with something bad. We had good opportunities but just couldn’t take advantage of them and they played good defense against us. It just didn’t turn out our way.”

                “It wasn’t pretty. The field’s not pretty either. Had to get the game in.” said Maiden head coach Will Byrne “Defense played lights out. Coach Abernathy’s defensive staff did a great job in game-planning for what they’re doing. KK McDaniel being out and Bain Sipe coming back in at quarterback, with his injury he has not taken a snap in three weeks. But once he got some momentum going, he made some big throws. We scored just enough to get the win. That’s a good Lincolnton football team we just beat right there.”

                “We had the tough, emotional loss to Bandys and we came out flat against West Lincoln and we lose a close one to North Lincoln.” Byrne said about Maiden’s tough conference start “Then we started saying ‘Let’s just play one game at a time and let everything else take care of itself’. Because we had the high expectation of repeating as champions. Sometimes in those games that we lost, the ball doesn’t bounce your way. We’re starting to come together, play together and believe in each other at the right time. That’s the biggest thing moving forward now.”

                Maiden will wait to see who they play in the NCHSAA playoffs. The Blue Devils are expected to compete in 2A.  

Wade and Paysour Score Two Second Half Touchdowns To Take Down Crest

                With Hunter Huss having won the conference outright with an undefeated season. The Kings Mountain Mountaineers and the Crest Chargers were battling for second place and a better playoff position. It would be a defensive slugfest for most of the first half.

                Crest would hold a 3-0 lead after the first quarter with an Evan Davis 23-yard field-goal. Kings Mountain would tie it up in the second quarter with a 21-yard field-goal by Austin Browning. The Chargers would retake the lead midway through the second quarter with a 50-yard touchdown pass from Peyton Kemmerlin to Landon Zanders (PAT good). The Mountaineers would tie it again with a seven yard touchdown pass from Kaylon Wade to Ricaylen Mack (PAT good). The Chargers tried to retake the lead with a late drive that made it inside the Kings Mountain 30, but a bad snap would push them back and they were unable to get closer.

                In the second half, the Chargers retook the lead with a five-yard touchdown run by Kemmerlin (PAT good). The Mountaineers answered it later in the quarter with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Wade to Kobe Paysour. The kick was blocked however so the Chargers maintained a 17-16 lead.

                But late in the fourth quarter, the Mountaineers took the lead with another touchdown pass from Wade to Paysour. The two-point conversion failed however. But it would not matter as the Mountaineers would keep the Chargers from scoring as time ran out. Kings Mountain won 22-17.

                Raw-Kwon Young-Turner amassed 156 yards rushing for Crest (8-3)(5-2) while Peyton Kemmerlin passed for 82 yards and a touchdown along with his rushing touchdown. Ricaylen Mack amassed 124 scrimmage yards (111 rushing and 13 receiving) and a receiving touchdown for Kings Mountain (9-2)(6-1). Kaylon Wade passed for 169 yards and three touchdowns. Kobe Paysour was his top receiver with 98 yards and two touchdowns.

                “It was quite a ball game. Crest has an excellent team. I thought we played well. It came down to the very end.” Said Kings Mountain head coach Greg Lloyd “Either team could have won tonight. Kobe made a play right there. I thought our offensive line did a great job tonight. Crest has an excellent defense. They are a well-coached team.”

                “Our kids played hard. They played for 48 minutes and Kings Mountain just made one more play than we did right at the end.” said Crest head coach Nick Eddins “They got a great player. They got him the ball and we missed some tackles and that’s just how it was. It was back and forth. They got a good football team over there. They coach them up. Their kids played hard and our kids played hard.”

                Both are expected to compete in the NCHSAA 3A state playoffs.

Bandys Claims Conference Title In Hard Fought Game

 

                Both teams are having great seasons. Both teams were undefeated in conference play and were looking to claim that South Fork 2A title. After a back and forth game, it was the Bandys Trojans who were left standing with a 30-29 victory.

                Bandys fullback Ethan Howard got things started with a ten-yard touchdown run (PAT good). The Knights answered that score with a four-yard run by Daniel Carter (PAT good). The Knights took the lead when quarterback Landon Beard connected with Sam Brady for a 14-yard touchdown pass (PAT good). Trojan quarterback Lake Hojnacki tied the game back up with a 40-yard touchdown run (PAT good). 

                The Knights made a critical mistake on a Trojan fourth-down play. A substitution penalty extended a Bandys drive before halftime. The Trojans were able to capitalize and take the lead on it. As time expired, kicker Ben Joseph hit a 32-yard field-goal as time expired giving Bandys the 17-14 halftime advantage.

                The Trojans extended their lead early in the second half with a 17-yard touchdown run by Howard. But North Lincoln would not go away. Landon Beard cut Bandys lead with a three-yard touchdown run. Jake Soorus’s run for the two-point conversion made cut the lead to two points at 24-22. After forcing the Trojans to punt, the Knights blocked a punt that Terry Ferrell took 28 yards for a touchdown. They attempted to go for two but a penalty backed them up on the conversion so they chose to kick the extra point with Christian DeLaney. That gave the Knights a 29-24 advantage.

                But they would not be able to hold the lead as Howard would score his third touchdown of the night with a six-yard run with less than four minutes to go. The two point conversion would fail however. But the Knights could not get a drive going as Chase Clanton came up with the interception to seal the deal for Bandys. Both teams had two turnovers a piece in this game. The Knights’ Daniel Carter recorded an interception and Peyton Wilkie Recovered a fumble. A few plays after that, Nash Shook recovered a fumble for Bandys.

                Bandys locks up the conference’s #1 seed while North Lincoln locks up the #2 seed. Both are expected to play in the 2AA league.

                “I’m just so proud of these young men and how hard they have worked from the time we got there in June to do what they have done in this good of a conference.” said Bandys head coach Tom Eanes “You got give a lot of credit to North Lincoln. What a football team. Coach Bazzle has done a great job over there.”

                “We talked at halftime about tempo. We wanted to be a fast paced football team and we finally got that going a little bit better in the second half. I thought we were in pretty good shape until they blocked that punt. That changed a lot of momentum. But with seven minutes to go, those kids did a great job of getting the ball back and scoring a big touchdown to win it.”

                “We just made too many mistakes at crucial times. We blew some opportunities that we had.” said North Lincoln head coach Nick Bazzle  “But when you’re playing a team like Bandys as good as they are, you can’t make mistakes. When you do, they can come back to haunt you. We’re very proud of the kids. I’m proud of the kids on what they have done and what they have accomplished. They don’t quit. They play hard and that’s all we ask them to do is give their best effort. But I'd like to have some of those missed opportunities back”

 

Huskies Cap Off Perfect Season With Dominant Performance

                It has been a historically great season for the Hunter Huss Huskies program. It hasn’t been so great for the Ashbrook Green Wave. They have lost five out of their last seven games. They broke their skid last week with a 28-21 win at North Gaston. But they would have no such luck as the Huskies would pitch a 46-0 shutout at William Eccles Field.

                The first half would be a sloppy game with turnovers and penalties. An Ashbrook fumble late in the first quarter would set the Huskies up in great field position. Husky quarterback Zo Wallace would connect with Tony Davis for a 21-yard touchdown pass on fourth down (PAT good). That was their second fourth down conversion on that drive. In the second half on a 3^rd-and-16 play, Wallace connected with Jaheim Mullen for a 54-yard touchdown pass (PAT good).

                Later in the second quarter, a strange play occurred. Zo Wallace threw a pass that looked incomplete, but officials ruled that it was a backwards pass and a live ball. Damarius Davis picked up the loose ball near the 45 yard line and run with it. He would fumble near the two-yard line but Dontavius Nash would recover it and take it in for a touchdown (PAT good).

                The second half was more of the same. Jamal Littlejohn extended the Huskies lead with a 70-yard touchdown run (PAT good). Littlejohn scored again early in the fourth quarter with a one-yard touchdown pass from Wallace (PAT no good). Malik Corry’s four-yard touchdown run (PAT no good) and Dondra Burris’s here-yard run (PAT no good) would put the finishing touches on the Huskies’ big win.

                The win puts the Huskies at 11-0 and gives them their second outright conference title in three years. They also retain the victory bell for another year. But this game came at a cost. Huskies middle linebacker Prince Bemah had to leave the game with an undisclosed injury in the second half. The extent of the injury is unknown.

                “Big win tonight. The field conditions were a little bad. We played the best of our abilities with this field being as soggy, muddy and slippery as it was. So I’m proud of our guys.” said Hunter Huss head coach Jamar McCoy “Too many penalties. We got to correct those. Our defense is fired up every Friday night and ready to go. The way they fly around in practice every week, you can tell they’re a special bunch. Defensive coordinator Tony Mauney called a great game tonight. He’s been on the mark all year with his play-calling. Hats off to him and our defensive staff. On the season, I believe we have five or six shutouts this year.”

                “That’s what we teach our kids, play till the whistle blows and Damarius made a big play.” McCoy said about the backwards pass play in the first half that Huss turned into a touchdown “I’m not sure what the refs saw but he didn’t blow the whistle so the ball was still in play. Sometimes calls go your way. Sometimes they don’t.”

                “We turned the ball over too many times. We didn’t execute on offense. We couldn’t move the ball. Our defense got put in the hole early. We gave them too many chances. You can’t do that against a good football team.” said Ashbrook head coach Brian Andrews “They got a good football team. We’re working to get better. We’re trying to get everybody as healthy as we can. We got a bye week coming up. We don’t know if we’re in the playoffs or not. Got to wait and see.”

                Hunter Huss’s shutouts this year include a season opening 49-0 win over Patton, 45-0 win over North Gaston, 41-0 win at Burns, 14-0 win against Crest and the 46-0 win at Ashbrook last night. The NCHSAA playoffs start in two weeks.

Gaston, Lincoln and Cleveland Final Week Picks - Conferences

Big South 3A

Crest 34 @ Kings Mountain 27

Hunter Huss 42 @ Ashbrook 14

Burns 28 @ North Gaston 24

Forestview 14 @ Stuart Cramer 35

Southwestern 2A

South Point 24 @ Shelby 20

East Rutherford 42 @ East Gaston 7

Chase 35 @ R-S Central 17

South Fork 2A

Bandys 28 @ North Lincoln 21

Newton-Conover 24 @ East Lincoln 21

West Lincoln 48 @ Lake Norman Charter 14

Lincolnton 14 @ Maiden 38

Southern Piedmont 1A

Bessemer City 14 @ Cherryville 24

Mountain Island Charter 40 @ Highland Tech 14

Pine Lake Prep 7 @ Community School of Davidson 45

Union Academy 7 @ Thomas Jefferson Classical 48

Stallions Clinch Division Title With 48-14 Blowout Win Over Cougars

What looked like was going to be a close game in the first half, turned into a rout midway through the second quarter. South Pointe got on the board first with a 27 yard touchdown pass from Tahleek Steele to Ty Good (Wyatt Grantham PAT good). York Comprehensive answered on the ensuing drive with a one-yard touchdown run by Stephen Oglesby (PAT good). Then the second quarter came and the Stallions retook the lead. Steele connected with Raseac Myles for a 21-yard touchdown pass (PAT good).

The Turning Point

The Cougars drove right back down the field to try and tie the game up. Oglesby was stopped just inches short of the goal line and the Stallions took over and were able to drive the whole 99 yards down the field. Maurice Whitlock capped off the drive with a 13-yard touchdown run (PAT good). After stopping the Cougars on their next drive, the Stallions’ Jaylen Mahoney returned the punt 55 yards for a touchdown (PAT good). South Pointe scored again on their next possession when Steele connected with Isaac Ross for a 16-yard touchdown (PAT good). The Cougars would add to their miseries by allowing the Stallions to recover the ensuing kickoff. Fortunately for them, time ran out.

More Bad News For York

After amassing 100 yards and a touchdown in the first half, York tailback Stephen Oglesby sustained an injury that would end his night early. He did not return after half-time and the Cougars couldn’t seem to fully recover.

The Cougars did have some fight left however. Looking for a screen pass, Tahleek Steele was intercepted by York defensive lineman, Dazaevien Wright. Quarterback Tanner McKinney connected with Ethan Mitchell for a six-yard touchdown pass (PAT good) to cut the Stallions’ lead to 35-14. But that would be all the highlights for York.

The Joe Ervin Show

South Pointe tailback Joe Ervin put the finishing touches on the game with two touchdown runs. He scored one from 16 yards (PAT no good) and another one from nine yards (Max Gonzalez PAT good). He amassed 252 yards rushing total on the night along with the two touchdowns.

What’s next?

York will host Orangeburg-Wilkinson in the South Carolina 4A state playoffs in two weeks. South Pointe will be hosting an at-large team that is TBD.

What he said…

“We just got taken to the wood-shed. That was an old wood-shed butt-whooping.” said York head coach Bobby Carroll “They were much better prepared than us. We could not tackle #2. I worked over there for the first six years that school was in existence and I have never seen a running-back like that. That kid is honestly phenomenal and he can run the football. They went 99 on us after (the goal-line stop) and us jumping off-sides on third down really put the chains in front of us and we were in trouble from that point on. They were just much better than us in every phase of the game. They won four state championships in a row and it shows.”

“I was real concerned about moving the game. It kept on getting postponed. After we got here, I felt good about how the players were getting warmed up and getting loose and we got on the field and played one of the better games we played this year.” said South Pointe head coach Strait Herron “The biggest play was stopping them on the goal line and then later on being able to score again. I think that was kind of the nail in the coffin. I was worried about coming out in the second half. We struggled a little big but our guys did a great job responding.”

“He’s one of the most impressive players that I have seen this year at any game.” Herron said about his tailback Joe Ervin “He is a major Division I type player. People talk about his size but I’m telling you, his feet, his vision, his hips are as good as anybody I have ever seen.”

West Lincoln Shuts Out Rival East Lincoln

                Many teams in the area decided to beat the heavy rains and have their games on Thursday instead of playing on Friday. Two teams who braved the elements and kept their game on Friday were the East Lincoln Mustangs and the West Lincoln Rebels. The Rebels have had a great season, going 7-2. East Lincoln was hoping to punch their ticket to the playoffs. They were 4-5. But at the end of the night, it would be the Rebels left standing.

                It was a defensive struggle the first half. The first quarter was a stalemate. Midway through the second quarter, the Rebels broke the stalemate with a one-yard touchdown plunge by Nakathon Phansook. Brendan Ikard’s run for the two-point conversion made it 8-0. The Rebels had a chance to put points on the board earlier after recovering an East Lincoln fumble. But a penalty backed them up and turn it over on downs. 8-0 would remain the score at halftime.

                The Rebels would add to their lead in the third quarter when quarterback Seth Willis connected with Jesse Hatcher for a 17-yard touchdown pass. Canon Bridges run for the two-point conversion gave the Rebels a 16-0 lead. The Rebels would deliver the knockout punch with less than six minutes to go in the fourth quarter with a two-yard touchdown run by Phansook (PAT failed).

                The Mustangs tried to get a drive going in the fourth quarter to avoid the shutout but the Rebels would keep the Mustangs out of the end zone. That would be twice on the night that the Mustangs would go deep in at would be twice on the night that the Mustangs would go deep in Rebel territory and come up empty.

                “Give a lot credit to our players and coaches tonight. Our players played real hard and proud of our coaches and the hard work they put in this week against a tough team, East Lincoln.” said West Lincoln head coach Tom Sain “It’s been a long time since we beaten them. We knew they had a good team. They’re big, they’re physical. They played a really good game. I’m proud of our guys, the way they worked all week and got ready and prepared.”

                “I’m proud of the way our defense stepped up and played tonight against a really good team. They have a lot of offensive weapons.” Sain said about the defense “We knew we’d have to prepare for (Sidney Dollar). He does a great job. He’s such a great athlete. He gets out there and they get the ball to him. We knew we’d have to play real well against him.”

                “We just struggled offensively to get moving and when we did, we got some penalties, turnovers and things of that nature.” Said East Lincoln head coach David Lubowicz “I think (West Lincoln) played a good ball control offense and used the field to their advantage. They were very impressive tonight.”

                “They kept us in every ball game and given us a chance.” Lubowicz said about the defense “We’re just not finishing drives. Kudos to the defense. They have done a great job this whole year. You can only ask so much of a kid before he starts getting tired and giving up some yards and such.”

                West Lincoln beats East Lincoln for the first time since 2004 and the first time at home since 2001. The Rebels are also experiencing their best season in school history. The Rebels (8-2)(4-2) travel to Lake Norman Charter (2-8)(0-6) next week. East Lincoln (4-6)(2-4) hosts Newton-Conover (4-6)(2-4).

Third Quarter Surge Propels Kings Mountain In Rout of Forestview

 

                Coming into this game, the Kings Mountain Mountaineers reeled off two consecutive games forcing 63 points since their 38-21 loss to Hunter Huss. They whipped Ashbrook 63-20 and rolled over Burns 63-21. The Mountaineers found themselves in the midst of a fight in the first half and were down 9-7 at half-time.

                That all changed in the second half. The Mountaineers rolled up 34 unanswered points in the third quarter. Ricaylen Mack got the party started with a 39 yard touchdown run (PAT good). Kaylon Wade gave the Mountaineers a 34-9 lead with two touchdown passes (a 20-yard pass to Chris Brittain and a 23-yard pass to Kobe Paysour). Paysour scored the touchdown in the first half with a 45-yard pass from Wade. Mack scored another touchdown from the one-yard line following a Jaguar fumble (PAT good).

                The Mountaineers’ last score in the third quarter was a 29-yard interception return for a touchdown by Dameon Wilson. Early in the fourth quarter, Belton Pressley returned an interception of his own for a touchdown. That one was from 44 yards out.

                Forestview did score one more touchdown before this was over with a two-yard run by Jacob Ash. The Mountaineers would score one more touchdown with a 72-yard run by James Ussery (PAT good).

                Ricaylen Mack led Kings Mountain’s offense with 165 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Kaylon Wade passed for 126 yards and three touchdowns. Kings Mountain’s Austin Browning was 5-for-6 on extra point kicks. Forestview’s defense got the first points on the board with a safety in the first half. Jake Lee gave Forestview the half-time lead with a one-yard touchdown run (PAT good).

                “Give Forestview credit. They played a great first half. They played hard. We just had too many penalties in the first half. We cleaned things up in the second half and it payed off. It was a good win.” said Kings Mountain head coach Greg Lloyd “(Ricaylen Mack) is getting better. He’s healthier than he’s been all year. So it’s really helping the team and the offensive line did a really good job.”

                “They’re a good team. Proud of the way our kids played, especially the first half. It got away from us and we self-imploded. We made a lot of mental mistakes and that’s how you get a score like that.” said Forestview head coach Chris Medlin “Give them credit. They did what they had to do. I’m proud of our team. We’re going to regroup. We’re going to get ready for next week and see what happens.”

                Kings Mountain (8-2)(5-1) will host Crest (8-2)(5-1) for a battle of second place in the conference. Forestview (3-7)(1-5) will travel to Stuart Cramer (5-4)(3-3).

Gaston, Lincoln and Cleveland Best to Last Week 11

       1.       Hunter Huss

2.       South Point

3.       Crest

4.       Shelby

5.       North Lincoln

6.       Kings Mountain

7.       Stuart Cramer

8.       Mountain Island Charter

9.       West Lincoln

10.   East Lincoln

11.   Bessemer City

12.   Ashbrook

13.   Burns

14.   Forestview

15.   Cherryville

16.   North Gaston

17.   Lincolnton

18.   Highland Tech

19.   East Gaston

Gaston, Lincoln and Cleveland Week 11 Picks – Conferences

Big South 3A

Hunter Huss 42 @ Stuart Cramer 14

Kings Mountain 49 @ Forestview 21

Ashbrook 28 @ North Gaston 21

Burns 14 @ Crest 35

Southwestern 2A

Chase 7 @ South Point 49

Shelby 20 @ East Rutherford 24

R-S Central 28 @ East Gaston 14

South Fork 2A

East Lincoln 14 @ West Lincoln 28

Lake Norman Charter 14 @ Bandys 48

Maiden 35 @ Newton-Conover 14

North Lincoln 41 @ Lincolnton 14

Southern Piedmont 1A

Thomas Jefferson 41 @ Mountain Island Charter 31

Community School of Davidson 14 @ Bessemer City 20

Cherryville 28 @ Pine Lake Prep 22

Highland Tech 14 @ Union Academy 21

Hunter Huss Moves To 9-0 With Dominant Performance

                The Huskies were looking to remain undefeated and to defend their home turf. The Jaguars are fighting for their playoff lives. The Huskies would not have much trouble tonight as they were all over Forestview 49-10. It was also a big night got Tony Davis who scored three touchdowns on 149 yards receiving. It was also the night Davis made his decision on where to play college ball. He chose to play collegiate ball at Duke.

After the Huskies took a 7-0 lead with a 50 yard touchdown pass from Zo Wallace to Tony Davis. The Jaguars would cut the lead with a 40-yard field-goal by Holt Cloninger. But it was all Huss from there on out.

                Wallace and Davis connected on another touchdown pass with a short screen pass that the Duke commit took all the way 65 yards for a touchdown (PAT good). Wallace would pass for another touchdown early in the second quarter. That would be a five-yard touchdown connection to Malik Corry (PAT good). Davis would catch his third one from Wallace (15 yards) before the half was over. That made it 28-3.

                The Jaguars would try and get more points on the board with another Holt Cloninger field-goal attempt. But it was blocked and Desmond Hope took it 82 yards for a touchdown (PAT good). In the second half, Wallace scored his fifth passing touchdown of the game when he connected with Jaheim Mullen from 34 yards out (PAT good). Lincolnton transfer Jamal Littlejohn got in on the scoring with a 28 yard run (PAT good) to make it 49-3 and that would start the continuous clock.

                The Huskies defense forced four turnovers (three interceptions and a fumble). But the Huskies would give the Jaguars a gift toward the end of the game with a muffed punt. That Jaguars would take advantage as backup quarterback Graham Wiggins would connect with Jacob Ash for a 12-yard touchdown pass right before time expired (PAT good).

                “We played great football tonight. I’m very proud of our kids. We’re undefeated at home this season. I’m very proud they protected the dog pound.” said Hunter Huss head coach Jamar McCoy “We try to win in all three phases of the game, not just offense and defense. Our special teams played a big part, blocking a field goal and returning it the distance for a touchdown.”

                “Those kids are a great talent. They’re seniors and we rely heavily on our seniors.” McCoy said about Duke commit WR/DB Tony Davis and WR/DB Jaheim Mullen “They played wonderful ball across the board. Not just those two but Marcus Mauney, Deaven Lowery, Chase Williamson, all those senior stepped up and played great football tonight. They’re leaders and they’re great young men.”

                The Huskies (9-0)(5-0) win on Homecoming night and protect their home turf on their regular season home finale. Their final two games will be at Stuart Cramer and at Ashbrook. Forestview (3-6)(1-4) will host Kings Mountain before traveling to Stuart Cramer.

Gaston, Lincoln and Cleveland Best to Last Week 10

       1.       Hunter Huss

2.       South Point

3.       Crest

4.       Shelby

5t.       North Lincoln

5t.       Kings Mountain

7.       West Lincoln

8.       East Lincoln

9.       Stuart Cramer

10.   Bessemer City

11.   Mountain Island Charter

12.   Ashbrook

13.   Burns

14.   Forestview

15.   North Gaston

16t.   Cherryville

16t.   Lincolnton

18.   Highland Tech

19.   East Gaston