Grimsley gets big overtime stop, eliminates Hough in NCHSAA 4A playoffs
For most of Friday’s N.C. 4A state quarterfinal between Hough and Grimsley, it was a defensive battle.
But then the final five minutes happened. And three overtimes after that.
Finally, Grimsley got a fourth-down stop on Hough in the fourth overtime after the teams had traded scores the first three times.
Grimsley needed a field goal to win and on fourth down at the Hough 2, Grimsley’s Jackson Henry kicked a 19-yard field goal for the 40-37 win. Grimsley will host Weddington in next week’s regional championship. Weddington has won class 3A state titles but has never gotten this far in 4A.
“I know they (Weddington) are traditionally very good,” Grimsley coach Darryl Brown said. “I’ve never played against Weddington but they are always there every year.”
For Hough, it ends their season short of a championship yet again, this time losing several key starters including their quarterback Tad Hudson.
“I am proud of who they are and what they have accomplished,” Hough coach Matt Jenkins said. “They are a great group of young men who are going to be very successful in life and this is just a small part of it.”
Here’s how the teams got there.
Hough took a 16-15 lead on a JT Smith’s touchdown run with 4 minutes, 40 seconds to play.
Shortly after that, Grimsley sophomore running back Mitchell Summers gave his team a 23-16 lead with a 66-yard scoring run.
But with 61 seconds left, Hough QB Tad Hudson tied the game with a touchdown pass.
That set up the overtime.
Hough QB Tad Hudson kept the ball on an option play from the 10 yard line and scored the first play of overtime.
Grimsley would answer in just two plays and the PAT to follow, locking the game back up, this time at 30 apiece.
The Whirlies possessed the ball first in the second overtime and scored on three plays. Hough scored on two plays as JT Smith hurdled a defender for the score, knotting it at 37-37.
On the Huskies next possession, Grimsley got the stop they needed on fourth and goal, giving them the ball with a chance to win.
The snap was perfect, the hold was great, and the kick was good. The kick sent the Whirlies to the regional final against Weddington.
PHOTOS: Hough at Grimsley
This story was originally published November 25, 2022 at 11:02 PM.
