High school football rewind: NCHSAA quarterfinal scores, how the Sweet 16 fared, schedule
Corvian Community ended the state’s longest winning streak Friday night and advanced to the Class 1A football state semifinals.
Also advancing was Monroe in 2A, but Forest Hills (2A) and North Lincoln (3A) saw their seasons come to an end.
CLASS 1A: CORVIAN COMMUNITY 14, MOUNT AIRY 7
The Cardinals, who reached the state basketball finals last spring, moved within one step of the football state championship by knocking off two-time defending 1A state king Mount Airy.
With the victory, Corvian Community (14-0) ended the Granite Bears’ 43-game unbeaten string.
The visiting Cardinals struck first in a defensive struggle, scoring on an A.J. Jackson touchdown pass with about three minutes left in the first quarter.
The Cardinals threatened again in the closing minutes of the second quarter, driving to the Mount Airy 25. But the Granite Bears stopped Corvian Community on downs.
Mount Airy (13-1) evened the score early in the second half, thanks to a big play by special teams. The Granite Bears blocked a Corvian Community punt deep in the Cardinals’ territory and scored on a short run, tying the game at 7.
Late in the third quarter, the Cardinals took over at the Mount Airy 46-yard line after a punt. They drove the distance and scored the go-ahead touchdown on a run with 10 minutes left in the game.
Mount Airy drove to the Corvian Community 10 in the final two minutes, but the Cardinal defense forced a fumble and recovered the ball.
Corvian Community will travel to Mountain Heritage next week for the 1A West regional championship.
CLASS 2A: MONROE 41, SHELBY 23
Monroe quarterback Kaegan Chambers ran for two long touchdowns and threw for two more, as the Redhawks (13-0) surged to the 2A West regional finals. Monroe will host Brevard next Friday in a playoff semifinal game.
Shelby (10-3) took a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter on a short run by Jaylen Tate. But Monroe evened the score late in the period on Zion Lindsey’s 23-yard run.
The Golden Lions regained the lead on an 8-yard pass from Lon Farmer to Tate, but Chambers broke loose on a 70-yard touchdown run less than a minute later. The conversion kick failed, and Monroe trailed 14-13.
Shelby’s Immanuel Collins returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown, but Monroe struck quickly, on a 32-yard pass from Chambers to Bryson Simpkins. Chambers passed to Jordan Young for a two-point conversion, and the score was knotted at 21 with five minutes left in the half.
Monroe took the lead for good on Chambers’ 49-yard touchdown run late in the half.
The Redhawk defense shut out Shelby’s offense for the final 2 1/2 quarters of the game, with Lindsey and Jamari Clark scoring second-half touchdowns for Monroe. Clark’s score came on a 34-yard pass from Chambers.
CLASS 2A: BREVARD 57, FOREST HILLS 14
The Yellow Jackets’ postseason surge ended with a lopsided loss at Brevard.
Two big plays made a major difference in this game. The first came near the end of the second quarter. Trailing 28-14, Forest Hills drove to the Brevard 3, but the Yellow Jackets were stopped on fourth down. Quarterback Zach Dillworth’s pass to Jerel Bolder in the end zone was deflected by the Blue Devils’ Cooper Weaver on fourth down.
Then on the opening kickoff of the second half, Forest Hills failed to cover the kick, and it was recovered by Brevard at the Yellow Jacket 3. Brevard scored on the next play, made a two-point conversion, and led 36-14.
Forest Hills’ two touchdowns came on passes from Dillworth. He threw a 32-yard scoring pass to Kemarion Massey and a 52-yarder to Bolder.
CLASS 3A: HICKORY 49, NORTH LINCOLN 46
North Lincoln (12-2) put a late scare into defending 3A state champion Hickory (14-0) but fell short in a comeback bid.
Hickory (14-0), which beat the Knights by five touchdowns in a regular-season game, built a 42-24 lead Friday night early in the fourth quarter on a Brady Stober touchdown pass.
But Landon Agee scored on a 7-yard run for North Lincoln, cutting the deficit to 42-31 with 10 minutes left. Hickory then scored on a 41-yard run by Isaiah Lackey and lead 49-31 with five minutes left.
North Lincoln responded by driving for a touchdown, with Shannon Wingate scoring from 20 yards out with 1:26 left. Wingate’s two-point conversion run brought the Knights within 49-39.
And when Hickory was forced to punt on its next possession, North Lincoln scored again, on a 1-yard run by Wingate after two big previous plays. With 58 seconds left, the Knights were within 49-46.
But North Lincoln’s onside kick attempt was recovered by Hickory, and the Red Tornadoes advanced to next Friday’s 3A West Regional final against West Charlotte.
Quick links
West Charlotte rolls past Dudley
LISTEN: Talking Preps postgame show
Weddington zooms past East Forsyth, heads to semis
Grimsley QB Faizon Brandon named NC Gatorade player of the year
PHOTO GALLERIES
How the Sweet 16 fared
Rank | School | Record | Friday |
1 | (13-0) | d. East Forsyth 37-21 | |
2 | (13-0) | d. Gaffney 58-40 | |
3 | (12-2) | Lost 35-28 to Grimsley | |
4 | (9-3) | Season completed | |
5 | (10-3) | Season completed | |
6 | (10-2) | Season completed | |
7 | (10-3) | Season completed | |
8 | (12-2) | d. Dudley 39-13 | |
9 | (12-1) | Season completed | |
10 | (13-0) | d. Shelby 41-23 | |
11 | (11-3) | Lost 35-14 to Westside | |
12 | (11-2) | Season completed | |
13 | (9-2) | Season completed | |
14 | (12-2) | Lost 49-46 to Hickory | |
15 | (10-3) | Season completed | |
16 | (9-3) | Season completed |
Friday’s playoff scores
Quarterfinal round
CLASS 4A
West
Weddington 37, East Forsyth 21
Grimsley 35, Hough 28
East
Gibbons 38, Hoggard 0
Rolesville 49, Cleveland 6
Next week’s regional finals
West
Weddington at Grimsley
East
Rolesville at Gibbons
CLASS 3A
West
Hickory 49, North Lincoln 46
West Charlotte 39, Dudley 13
East
Jacksonville 56, Havelock 28
Seventy-First 48, JH Rose 7
Next week’s regional finals
West
West Charlotte at Hickory
East
Jacksonville at Seventy-First
CLASS 2A
West
Brevard 57, Forest Hills 14
Monroe 41, Shelby 23
East
Northeastern 46, James Kenan 28
Whiteville 48, Kinston 21
Next week’s regional finals
West
Brevard at Monroe
East
Whiteville at Northeastern
CLASS 1A
West
Corvian Community 14, Mount Airy 7
Mountain Heritage 26, Murphy 8
East
Wilson Prep 36, Lakewood 17
Tarboro 50, Pender 0
Next week’s regional finals
West
Corvian at Mountain Heritage
East
Wilson Prep at Tarboro
This story was originally published December 6, 2024 at 5:30 AM.
