Hough football’s dream season comes to an end at Greensboro Grimsley yet again

A dream season came to a disappointing end at a familiar place for Hough on Friday night as Greensboro Grimsley ended the Huskies’ season for a third consecutive year.

Grimsley pinned another heartbreaking defeat on Hough, this time by a 35-28 margin with the winning touchdown coming with 52 seconds left.

The unbeaten Whirlies (14-0), who will host defending state champion Weddington in the Western 4A final next Friday, clinched the win on a deflection of a Hough pass in the end zone on the final play of the game.

“We just didn’t get the stops when we needed them,” said Huskies coach DeShawn Baker, whose team finished its season at 12-2. “But I’m proud of how we came back. We weren’t executing offensively in the first half. And we talked about that at halftime since we haven’t been down like we were all season long.”

Hough trailed 21-6 at the break as Grimsley scored 21 straight points after the Huskies scored on their second drive of the game.

In the second half, Hough scored on its first three possessions — the second and third drives knotting the score at 21 and 28, respectively. And the Huskies’ final drive reached the Whirlies 27-yard line before the pass into the end zone was batted away on the final play.

“We did some of this to ourselves,” said Baker, whose team yielded five plays of 30 or more yards. “You can’t give up big plays against a team like that.”

Grimsley had previously eliminated the Huskies in the fourth round of the 2022 playoffs in a 40-37 triple overtime loss and in a 42-35 third-round loss last season. All three games were played at Grimsley.

Three who made a difference

Mitchell Summers, Grimsley: Summers rushed 30 times for 288 yards with touchdown runs of 80 and 66 yards.

Faizon Brandon, Grimsley: Brandon, the junior quarterback who has committed to Tennessee, completed 6 of 9 passes for 118 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning 26-yard TD pass to D.J. Howerton on a fourth-and-seven play with 52 seconds left.

Trey Blakeney, Hough: He completed 16 of 28 passes for 182 yards and one touchdown.

Notable

▪ Grimsley’s win at 75-year-old Jamieson Stadium was its 27th consecutive home victory.

▪ Hough senior running back-H back Jamison Funderburk scored three touchdowns — two for 21 yards on two rushing plays and one on two catches for 30 yards. Huskies senior running back Jycen Anciso had 22 carries for 139 yards and he also caught a pass on a two-point conversion.

▪ Three of the finalists for the N.C. Mr. Football award were in the contest — Grimsley’s Brandon and defensive lineman Bryce Davis, and Hough’s Blakeney.

They said it

“The tight end did a good of faking to block and he got open.” — Hough coach DeShawn Baker on Grimsley’s Howerton, who caught the winning 26-yard touchdown pass

Game summary

Hough 6 0 15 7 — 28

Grimsley 7 14 0 14 — 35

FIRST QUARTER

H: Jamison Funderburk 6 run (Kick failed)

G: Mitchell Summers 80 run (Jackson Henry kick)

SECOND QUARTER

G: D.J. Howerton 16 pass from Faizon Brandon (Henry kick)

G: Summmers 66 run (Henry kick)

THIRD QUARTER

H: Funderburk 15 run (Kandler Happe kick)

H: Trey Blakeney 1 run (Jycen Anciso pass from Blakeney)

FOURTH QUARTER

G: Hudson Cooper 11 pass from Brandon (Henry kick)

H: Funderburk 13 pass from Blakeney (Happe kick)

G: Howerton 26 pass from Brandon (Henry kick)

This story was originally published December 6, 2024 at 11:32 PM.