There was only one matchup between ranked teams on Friday, but it was a big one for
Tarboro, the No. 1 team in the state 2A poll, which finally defeated No. 6 Southwest Edgecombe (Pinetops) 32-16.
How tough was this matchup for the Vikings (9-0), who had lost five in a row to the Cougars (8-2)? Tarboro had made it to the state championship game each of the past two seasons, but neither of those teams beat Southwest, the defending Eastern Plain Conference Champions.
Even on Friday, the Cougars dominated the stats, outgaining the Vikings 320-213 and getting twice as many first downs (20-10), according to the Tarboro Daily Southerner. But the difference, as it so often is at this level, was turnovers — Tarboro forced four, including a crucial one just before halftime.
Running back
Todd Gurley II hit
Kendall Jacobs on a halfback option for a 50-yard touchdown with 47 seconds left in the second quarter. On the first snap of the next possession, a bad snap by the Cougars ended up in the end zone, and Tarboro's
Fred Bennett recovered it for a touchdown that made the score 19-0 at the half.
Those points came in handy after the Cougars scored 16 points to start the second half, and Gurley scored on a 30-yard interception return in the fourth quarter that sealed the win.
Other top items from around North Carolina: 1. Game stopped in Charlotte: The game between Charlotte Catholic (10-0) and Garinger (5-4) was stopped at the start of the fourth quarter because of a fight in the stands. The situation deteriorated further when shots were fired in the school parking lot as fans were leaving, though no one was injured.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools spokeswoman LaTarzja Henry told the Charlotte Observer that it was the first time in 20 years a game was called because of a fight, and that two adults and a Garinger student were arrested. A police officer hurt his hand trying to break up the fight.
Catholic, the No. 2 team in the state 3A poll, led 37-7 when the game was stopped, so that goes down as the final score.
2. Polk County scores 90: How much is too much? A 70-0 halftime lead and 90-17 final may sound excessive, but
Polk County (Columbus) coach Bruce Ollis claims there wasn't any bad sportsmanship involved.
"I can't make any apologies," Ollis told the Asheville Citizen-Times. "Scoring 90 points is not something you try to do. We're still in the middle of a conference-championship race so it was important to get our starters some time. But they didn't play a down in the second half. We finished the game with our (junior-varsity) kids in there."
In fact, Polk County agreed to a running clock in the second half, but its opponent, Thomas Jefferson Academy (Mooresboro), declined the time-saving measure. Not only that, but the Gryphons attempted 52 passes, which ensured that time wouldn't go off the clock.
Andre Overholt opened the game with a 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and it got worse from there. Polk County is ranked 10th in the 2A poll, while the Gryphons have won one game in their two-year history.
The Wolverines won 62-0 when the teams met last season. The state record for points in a game is 142.
3. Owen blanks No. 9 Hendersonville: Besides Southwest Edgecombe, the only other ranked team to lose on Friday was Hendersonville, ranked ninth in 1A.
Owen (Black Mountain) shut out the Bearcats 20-0, stopping a team that had scored at least 34 points in six of its first eight games.
Hendersonville hadn't been shut out since Avery County (Newland) won 27-0 on Oct. 7, 2005.
The Citizen-Times reported that Bearcats quarterback Desmond Whiteside, who had entered the game with 1,715 combined yards and 20 touchdowns, ran for just 34 yards on 17 carries and was 5 of 17 passing for 64 yards and two interceptions.
Linebacker John Luke Sapp led the defensive effort with 12 tackles and a fumble recovery, while Austin Davis had 141 yards on 30 carries and scored twice in a minute — on a 4-yard run, and then a 28-yard interception return.
Hendersonville (6-3) was 8-0 last year before it lost to Owen 16-7. The Warhorses have now won five of the past six games in the series.
4. Twin brothers square off: Porter Ridge (Indian Trail) defeated
Weddington (Matthews) 31-18 in a game where the opposing coaches were twin brothers Blair and Justin Hardin. The Charlotte Observer wrote that Blair Hardin received a "Hardin Bowl" trophy after Porter Ridge (9-0) won to remain unbeaten.
"It's just a game," Blair said. "We don't play for trophies, we just play one game at a time. We're just really proud of our kids' effort right now."
Weddington won the first matchup between the brothers last year, 31-24.
Harold Gutmann covers the state of North Carolina for MaxPreps.com. He lives in Durham and can be reached at haroldgutmann@gmail.com.
