Mountaineers Stumble In Overtime

               This time of year, it gets down to the nitty gritty. The winner of this game is one game closer to having the right to travel to Duke for the 3A state title. It would be Jay M. Robinson that would earn that right as they upended Kings Mountain 47-46 in overtime.

                Things started off rocky for the Mountaineers as they were stopped on their first drive at the Bulldog 31 yard line. Robinson got on the board first with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Chase Orrock to Que Reid. The extra point kick by Braden Tautkus was good. The Bulldogs initially stopped the Mountaineers on their next drive but a roughing the punter call gave the Mountaineers new life and they would capitalize.

                Being backed up to the Bulldog 35 yard line due to penalties did not seem to faze the Mountaineers. On 2^nd-and-29, Kaylon Wade connected with Kobe Paysour for a 35-yard touchdown pass. Michael Randall’s extra point tied the game up at 7-7. The Mountaineers struck again with another touchdown pass. This time, Wade would connect with Dontavious Hughes from 18 yards out. Randall’s kick made it 14-7.

                Robinson would storm back. The Bulldogs fumbled the ball on a pitch between Orrock and Reid. It looked like the Mountaineers recovered but it was ruled 2^nd-and-17 for the Bulldogs. The following play, Reid broke through the defense and turned it into an 83-yard touchdown scoring run. The extra point was missed so the Mountaineers maintained a 14-13 lead. Right before half-time, the Mountaineers would poor it on. Ricaylen Mack got in on the scoring fun with a one-yard touchdown run with just five seconds to go before half-time. Michael Randall was 3-for-3 on his extra point kicks in the first half so the score was 21-13.

                The Bulldogs got the second half kickoff and would cap it off with a touchdown pass from Orrock to Bryson Furr from six-yards out. The two-point conversion to tie it failed, however. Things would get worse before they got better for Robinson. Ricaylen Mack’s three-yard touchdown run widened the Mountaineers lead and Randall’s extra point kick made it a two possession game at 28-19.

                The remainder of the third quarter would be a turnover fest. As Kings Mountain was headed for the jugular, Wade was intercepted by Que Reid. The Bulldogs would give it right back as Orrock was intercepted by Kobe Paysour. Wade would throw another interception. It would turn into a Pick-6 by Jahari Young. Robinson would go for the two-point conversion again and this time, Que Reid’s run for the two-point conversion run cut the Mountaineers’ lead to 28-27.

                The Mountaineers offense would come back to life. A jet sweep by Christopher Britton turned into a 66-yard touchdown run for the Mountaineers. The extra point kick was missed however and that was big. The Bulldogs would tie the game up at 34-34 with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Orrock to Chris Caldwell and Luis Escorza’s extra point kick. On 4^th-and-goal from the nine, Robinson would take the lead with another Orrock touchdown pass. This time, he connected with Joel Kacan for the nine-yard touchdown pass. The extra point kick would be no good.

                The Mountaineers would tie the game up with just over three minutes to go. Kaylon Wade connected with Hughes for a 30-yard touchdown pass to tie the game up at 40-40. Randall’s extra point sailed wide however. Neither team got anything going on offense after that so the game went into overtime. The Bulldogs got the first crack at it in overtime and on the first play, Orrock took it in himself for a ten-yard touchdown run. Kings Mountain would also score on their first down in overtime. Mack would take it in for the ten-yard touchdown run. The Mountaineers would go for the win on the two-point conversion try but Mack was stopped just short and the Bulldogs came away with the 47-46 win.

                Robinson will travel to take on Charlotte Catholic. They beat Weddington 42-7.

                “They are a heck of a football team and for us to walk away from here in this stadium as cold as it is and with their fans is a big thing for us.” said Robinson head coach Joe Glass “Our kids don’t give up. They may get their head bloodied but they won’t bow down. They’ll keep playing and that’s what they did tonight.”

                “We played hard. We made a lot of plays both sides. They ended up making one more than we did.” said Kings Mountain head coach Greg Lloyd “Give those guys credit. They played hard. Both were evenly matched tonight.”

                Chase Orrock led the Robinson offense with 205 yards and five touchdowns (four passing, one rushing). He was intercepted three times however. Que Reid amassed 209 yards from scrimmage (142 yards rushing and 67 yards receiving) and two touchdowns (one rushing and one receiving). On defense, Reid and Jahari Young intercepted Kaylon Wade and the Bulldogs also recovered a muffed punt in the third quarter.

Kaylon Wade led Kings Mountain’s offense with 233 yards passing and three touchdowns. Ricaylen Mack amassed 164 yards rushing for Kings Mountain and three touchdowns. Kobe Paysour and Dontavious Hughes combined for 256 receiving yards and three touchdowns (Paysour 143 yards, one touchdowns. Hughes 113 yards, two touchdowns). Christopher Britton amassed 149 all-purpose yards (85 rushing, 11 receiving and a 53 yard half-back pass to Paysour) and a rushing touchdown. On defense, Charles Osbourne, Paysour and Reese Reinhardt each intercepted Chase Orrock. A.J. Austin, Jerdon Pressley, JT Cash and Stefan Chisholm registered a sack.