Mooresville-Lake Norman high school football thriller comes down to final seconds
Mooresville head coach Zach Mayo wasn’t worried when the Blue Devils fell behind against rival Lake Norman in Friday night’s regular-season finale.
After all, he had quarterback Brody Norman to rely on when things got tough — and the Blue Devils senior delivered.
Norman hit Dominic Morin for a 24-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds remaining to give Mooresville — No. 5 in the Observer’s Sweet 16 rankings — a 23-21 victory over the 10th-ranked Wildcats and the North Piedmont 6A-7A conference title.
“Obviously that was not his best game,” Mayo said. “I told (Norman) yesterday that he just instills confidence in everybody that’s around him, and that’s what he did. Nobody lost faith, nobody lost faith.
“For him to not play great early in the game, and then in that last drive just turn it on, is just a testament to the kind of young man he is and the work that he puts in 24-7.”
Norman accounted for all three of the Blue Devils’ touchdowns in winning their fifth straight over Lake Norman — two schools that are just 7 miles apart in southern Iredell County.
He had touchdown runs of 15 and 4 yards in the second quarter as Mooresville (8-2, 5-0) built a 14-0 halftime lead — and just as quickly saw it disappear in the second half against the Wildcats (7-3, 4-1).
After struggling offensively over the first two quarters, Lake Norman found a new gear in the third with a pair of touchdowns — Jayden Nordtveit’s 31-yard run early in the period, and Kaden Craft’s 8-yard TD pass to Micah Slaughter late — to tie it 14-all.
Craft then gave the Wildcats their first lead early in the fourth quarter when his 1-yard keeper put them up 21-14 with 9:22 remaining.
“That’s the game, and in rivalry games anything can happen,” Norman said. “I’m glad we found a way.”
The Blue Devils made up some of the margin with Andrew Cummings’ 39-yard field goal with 7:23 left cut Lake Norman’s lead to 21-17, but the Wildcats mounted a clock-chewing drive that ended on downs at Mooresville’s 25-yard line with 1:46 left.
That’s when Norman went to work, driving into Lake Norman territory in nine plays before finding Morin in the back corner of the end zone.
The Wildcats had one last chance, but that ended on the second play from scrimmage when Gavin Pegram intercepted Craft’s pass with no time remaining.
“I’ve done this for 18 years of my life, and I’ve been a part of a lot of good teams,” Lake Norman head coach Jonathan Oliphant said. “But I’ve never been more proud of a team in a loss. These kids could’ve quit at halftime.
“A lot of teams that I’ve coached and a lot of teams I’ve been a part of as an assistant would have quit. But these guys didn’t — they fought. They showed me what their heart looks like, and they showed everybody in the stadium what they’re made of.”
Three who made a difference
Brody Norman, Mooresville — The Blue Devils senior threw for 169 yards, completing 17 of 28 attempts with the one touchdown — but two interceptions as well. He also ran for 69 yards on 14 carries.
Jayden Nordtveit, Lake Norman — Was a big part of the Wildcats’ offense, rushing for a game-high 132 yards on 27 carries and a touchdown.
Ja’Darius McCombs, Mooresville — The Blue Devils’ senior running back shared the rushing load with Norman, running for a team-best 80 yards on 14 carries.
Up next
Both teams will wind up with high seeds — potentially high enough for a home game — in the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 7A playoffs, which begin next Friday.
SCORING SUMMARY
MOORESVILLE 0 14 0 9 – 23
LAKE NORMAN 0 0 14 7 – 21
Second Quarter
M—Brody Norman 15 run (Andrew Cummings kick), 11:53.
M—Norman 4 run (Cummings kick), 1:15.
Third Quarter
LN—Jayden Nordtveit 31 run (Chase Engelhardt kick), 8:16.
LN—Micah Slaughter 8 pass from Kaden Craft (Engelhardt kick), 1:28.
Fourth Quarter
LN—Craft 1 run (Engelhardt kick), 9:22.
M—Cummings 39 FG, 7:23.
M—Dominic Morin 24 pass from Norman (kick failed), 0:10.
This story was originally published October 31, 2025 at 11:51 PM.