Fifth Quarter

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ACTION ROUND THREE TONIGHT... THE STATE TITLE IS GETTING CLOSE ENOUGH TO TASTE.
IN 4-A THE TOP RANKED HOGGARD VIKINGS ENTERTAINED THE FOURTH SEEDED DURHAM HILLSIDE HORNETS.
THE HORNETS RUNNING GAME EARNED THEM AN EARLY LEAD...AS DESMOND SCOTT GETS A 20-YARD CARRY WITH THIS ONE.
BUT THE VIKINGS DEFENSE STIFFENS...RISHAWN BOYD PICKS THIS ONE OFF...THEN
EARNS HIS TEAM A NICE CHUNK OF REAL ESTATE
VIKINGS QUARTERBACK BRAD BUSBY WAS READY TO SHOW OFF HIS OWN RUNNING ABILITY...GETTING A FIRST DOWN OUT OF THIS CARRY
SENIOR SHAWN SIDBURY IS ABLE TO GAIN THE VIKINGS A FIRST DOWN AFTER THE PASS FROM BUSBY
THE VIKINGS DEFENSE SHOWED WHY THE TEAM IS CURRENTLY NUMBER ONE...AS CHRIS CARTER GRABS THE TIP MADE BY TEAM-MATE BOY...CAUSING ANOTHER HILLSIDE TURNOVER
THERE IS SIDBURY AGAIN TAKING THIS SHORT TOSS FOR A SIXTY-YARD TOUCHDOWN AND SEALING THE VIKINGS ROLE AS HOST IN
NEXT WEEK'S REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP .
HOGGARD WINS 29-14.

ONE DOUBLE-A WAS LOADED UP WITH HOME TEAMS TONIGHT.
IN A REMATCH OF LAST YEAR'S EAST FINALS, THREE SEED EAST BLADEN VISITED TWO SEED JAMES KENAN.
EAST BLADEN DROVE TO THE FIVE YARD LINE, WHERE BACKSENIOR T-J MELVIN IS HIT BY LINE BACKER JOSH HICKS, WHO FORCES AND RECOVERS THE FUMBLE FOR THE GAME'S FIRST SCORE.
KENAN'S RUN DEFENSE SHOWED UP FOR THIS GAME... LINEMAN DERRICK BARDEN MAKES THE BIG HIT AS THE HANDOFF IS MADE.
LATER, SENIOR QB SHAWN JONES GOES LONG AND FINDS SENIOR WR CHRISTOPHER MARABLE FOR A BIG GAIN.
THAT SETS UP THE FIRST OF TWO SCORES BY SENIOR RB STEDMAN MATHIS.
JONES LATER FINDS SENIOR WR KENDAL JONES WHO BREAKS OUT FOR ANOTHER BIG GAIN.
ON THE SAME DRIVE, IT'S FORTH AND LONG, WHEN JONES PASSES AGAIN, THIS TIME CONNECTING WITH JUNIOR RECEIVER ALEX MONK TO PUSH THE SCORE TO 21-0.
KENAN CONTINUES TO ROLL AND REMAINS UNDEFEATED WITH A 27-7 WIN.
THAT SETS UP AN EAST FINAL FACE OFF WITH GUESS WHO?...

IN THE 1-AA TONIGHT, NUMBER FOUR PENDER HOSTED NUMBER FIVE AYDEN-GRIFTON.
PENDER FANS BRAVE THE COLD TO SUPPORT THEIR PATRIOTS.
QUARTERBACK ANTHONY BLANKS WARMS THEM UP ON THE THIRD PLAY OF THE GAME, SPRINTING, STUMBLING, AND RECOVERING FOR A 60 YARD TOUCHDOWN RUN.
THEN THE P-A-T SNAP IS MUFFED BUT THE HOLDER KEN DE GRANT PICKS IT UP AND THROWS IT TO BLANKS FOR THE UNINTENDED TWO POINT CONVERSION.
8 - ZERO, PENDER.
AYDEN HAD TROUBLE GETTING THE OFFENSE GOING, ON THIS PLAY MAURICE CORBETT TAKES DOWN JEREMY HARDY IN THE BACKFIELD.
AND HERE AYDEN QUARTERBACK MATT DOUGHERTY LAUNCHES THE BALL DOWNFIELD--RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF PENDER DEFENDER RENNY HARVEY. HE PICKS UP SOME NICE YARDAGE AFTER THE INTERCEPTION.
AYDEN'S DEFENSE WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE RUN, AS JAMES HENRY BREAKS OFF A TWENTY YARD SCAMPER.
THE PATRIOT DEFENSE DOMIANTED AS PENDER WON 22 - 0 TO ADVANCE TO THE THIRD ROUND FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW.

NUMBER ONE SEED HOGGARD WELCOMES FAYETTEVILLE'S PINE FOREST... THE 8TH SEED.
HOGGARD OPENED THE GAME WITH A FIFTY-FIVE YARD RETURN FROM #88 LUKE CALDWELL.
THE VIKINGS COME UP SHORT OF A TOUCHDOWN ON THEIR OPENING POSSESSION, BUT CASEY BARTH PUTS THE FIRST
POINTS OF THE GAME WITH A THIRTY SEVEN YARD FIELD GOAL.
PINE FOREST ANSWERS BACK WITH A TOUCHDOWN....THEY'D GO UP 20-10 AT HALFTIME, BUT IN THE 3RD QUARTER HOGGARD WOULD TAKE OVER...
SHAWN SIDBURY TAKES THE PITCH FROM MARC CRECCO FIFTY-FIVE YARDS FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. VIKES DOWN 23-17..
PINE FOREST TURNS-OVER OVER THE BALL, WHICH LEADS TO AN EASY TOUCHDOWN..SIDBURY AGAIN. 31-23 HOGGARD.
HOGGARD IS ROLLING ON BOTH ENDS OF THE FIELD NOW.
DEFENSE AGAIN...KIARA SCOTT PICKS OFF GREGORY STRASBURGER...VIKINGS CAPITALIZE...CRECCO WITH THE KEEPER...HOGGARD COMPLETES THE COMEBACK IN CONVINCING FASHION, 52-23.

TO THE 2-A WE GO, GARY BISHOP'S NORTH BRUNSWICK SCORPIONS... SEEDED SIXTH... WELCOMES 14 SEED EAST DUPLIN TO LELAND.
EAST DUPLIN COACH BRIAN ALDRIDGE HAD BEEN A MENTOR TO NORTH BRUNSWICK COACH GARRY BISHOP.
THE SCORPS HAD THE BETTER RECORD BUT HAD THEIR HANDS FULL WITH THE PANTHERS.
UP 14-0 EARLY UNTIL JOSH KENNEDY CUTS THE SCORE IN HALF PUTTING EAST DUPLIN ON THE BOARD...
NORTH BRUNSWICK ANSWERS THOUGH GOING AIRBORNE FOR THE 21-14 LEAD...
BUT IT WOULDN'T LAST LONG...DANIEL KING BREAKS FREE TO TIE THE GAME...THEY'D TACK ON ANOTHER BEFORE KING DOES IT AGAIN...
THIS ONE WAS ALL EAST DUPLIN IN THE LATE GOING.
PANTHERS IT AWAY 35-20.... ADVANCING TO ROUND THREE.

IN THE ONE-DOUBLE-A TONIGHT, SIX SEED WALLACE ROSE HILL PLAYED HOST TO ELEVEN SEED MIDWAY.

THE BULLDOGS ARE TOUGH AT HOME.

TIED AT 14 IN THE SECOND QUARTER AND THE PRESSURE IS ON WALLACE ROSE QUARTERBACK REESE BOWEN... HE THROWS IT UP AND IS PICKED OFF BY MIDWAY'S GIBBY ALLEN.

FIRST DRIVE OF THE SECOND HALF FOR MIDWAY--WALLACE ROSE LINEBACKER GARIUS FENNELL TAKES DOWN QUARTERBACK GARRETT KNOWLES.

TIME FOR A LITTLE PAYBACK-- ROLLIN SESSOMS BREAKS THROUGH THE LINE AND BRINGS DOWN QUARTERBACK REESE BOWEN.

MIDWAY BACK ON OFFENSE... CORY CLEGG WITH THE CARRY AND BREAKS OFF A 60 YARD RUN... PUSHED OUT AT THE ONE YARD LINE.

UNABLE TO PUNCH IN THE TOUCHDOWN, MIDWAY HAS TO SETTLE FOR FOR THIS DREW MCPHAIL FIELD GOAL.

THE FIELD GOAL PUTS MIDWAY UP 17-14 LATE IN THE THIRD QUARTER... BUT WALLACE ROSE HILL WOULD COME BACK TO WIN 36-25.

HOGGARD WAS PUMPED UP...SET TO FACE THE FIGHTING BUCS FROM HOKE COUNTY...

VIKES TAKING TO THE GROUND EARLY...SHAWN SIDBURY BREAKS FREE FOR 23 YARDS...

NEXT PLAY, HE'D TACK ON 15 MORE... A GREAT SEASON FOR SIDBURY CONTINUES INTO PLAYOFFS...

QUARTERBACK MARK CRECCO (KREE-KO) TAKES IT IN HIMSELF... THREE YARDS ON THE KEEPER...HOGGARD UP 7-ZIP

THE BAND IS HAPPY ABOUT THAT...

2ND QUARTER, CRECCO PASSES TO LUKE CALDWELL WHO MAKES THE ATHLETIC ONE-HANDED GRAB...

SAME DRIVE, AFTER A SHAWN SIDBURY T-D RUN GOT CALLED BACK ON A HOLD, CRECCO FINDS DARREN WILSON FOR THE SCORE...VIKINGS UP 14 NOTHING... THE MACHINE IS IN GEAR... HOGGARD ROLLS TO A 31 TO 8 WIN.

ON PAPER, FOURTH SEED PENDER SHOULD HAVE HAD AN EASY TIME WITH 13 SEED EAST CARTERET...
THE PATRIOTS HAD THE HYPE THING HAPPENING...

PENDER'S DEFENSE WOULD SCORE FIRST... KNOTCHING A SAFETY... PENDER UP TWO-ZERO.

KEITH PEARSALL WOULD LATER PUNCH THROUGH THE LINE FOR A TOUCH DOWN... PENDER LOOKING GOOD.

QUARTER BACK #3 ANTHONY BLANKS SHOWS HE CAN RUN TOO... BREAKING LOOSE FOR A 40 YARD RUN INTO THE RED ZONE

COACH TOM EANES SAYS COME ON BOYS OPEN IT UP.

PENDER ANSWERS WITH A TOUCH DOWN AS ANTHONY BLANKS FINDS COREY BRANCH RUNNING A LONG POST ROUTE.

PENDER ROLLS 33-6.