East Gaston Starts Fast, But Falls Against Hibriten

                Early on, it looked like the #5 seed East Gaston Warriors were going to run away with the game. They jumped out to a 14-0 lead with a 27-yard touchdown run by Tyler Spurling and a 15-yard touchdown pass from Nick Ferens to Kyle Truett. But on the first play in the second quarter, the tide started to turn. Hibriten quarterback, Trey Ellis, scored from the one-yard line on a quarterback sneak. Noah Haney’s kick cut the lead to 14-7.

                The Warriors would respond. The Warriors were lined up on the punt formation, but it was a fake as Nick Ferens tossed the ball to Nash Jamison and he took it the distance for a 48-yard touchdown. Ivan Serrano’s kick gave East Gaston a 14-point lead again. But the lead would evaporate.

                Hibriten went on a tear. A ten-yard touchdown run by Jamar Ferguson, a three-yard run by Chris Scott and a five-yard touchdown pass from Ellis to David Patterson put Hibriten up 28-21 at half-time. That pass play came with just seconds left in the half.

In the second half, the Panthers extended their lead. Ellis would score another touchdown with his arm. He would hit Darius Cotton for a 34-yard touchdown pass. Haney’s kick gave the Panthers their largest lead of the night at 35-21.

                But the Warriors were not done. Robert Washington Jr. finally got into the scoring column with a two-yard touchdown run. Serrano’s extra point cut the lead to seven. But that would be as close as East Gaston would get. The Warriors could not get anything going on offense and their defense could not stop the Panthers’ triple-option attack. The Panthers added another score before it was all said and done. Chris Scott’s 16-yard run for a touchdown and Will Killian’s run for the two-point conversion put the nail in the coffin.

                “It’s a big win for us tonight. I am excited at how our kids played and how they handled adversity.” said Hibriten head coach Clay Lewis “A true test of a man’s character is how he handles adversity.”

                “I never thought we didn’t have a chance.” Lewis said after being down 14-0 and 21-7 “We got some breaks here and there. Getting those points helped us out when we scored on that touchdown pass at the end of the first half.”

                “We had opportunities. We just didn’t cash in.” said East Gaston head coach Sean Joyce “We had two costly turnovers. We had a couple of stops, but sputtered.”

                “Our program is heading in the right direction. Two wins in 2012, three wins in 2013, five wins last year and seven wins this year. That’s a credit to the young men that bought into it. What a great group of young men. These guys have matured.”

                Joyce also mentioned that the Warriors lose a lot of seniors, but have plenty of talented players returning for next year.

                Hibriten, a #12 seed in the 3A West, will be home next week to host conference foe, St. Stephens. The Indians, a #13 seed, upset #4 Pisgah 14-13.