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By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
MAIDEN HIGH FOOTBALL TIDBITS
The third-seeded Blue Devils (12-0) face No. 6 seed Salisbury (11-0) in the third round of the state 2A playoffs on Friday with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Maiden’s Tom Brown stadium:
— Maiden is in the state playoffs for the 26th consecutive season and for the 31st time in 32 years (missed in 1995), and the Blue Devils have 46 postseason bids dating back to the mid-1950s.
— Maiden’s all-time state playoff record is 53-43, which includes a 35-18 home record at the football stadium at the old school and Tom Brown Stadium at the new school.
— Maiden is in the third round for the 14th time and playing a home third-round game for the fifth time (2-2 record).
— Maiden is 135-59 since moving to the new school/football stadium.
— The Blue Devils have now had five teams win 12 games; the others were in 1978, 1990, 2001 and 2002.
— The Blue Devils have now won 10 or more games in a season 26 times.
— Maiden has won 14 games, the school single-season record, twice… in 1992 (14-1) and in 2004 (12-1).
— Maiden is 0-1 all-time in the state playoffs against Rowan County teams. Last year’s 52-12 first-round 2AA loss to Salisbury is that game.
BLUE DEVILS IN THE THIRD ROUND (13 games)
1971—d. Mount Pleasant at Newton-Conover for West 2A title (there were only three rounds that year)
1977—loss to Charlotte Catholic, game played at Myers Park
1978—d. Charlotte Catholic 7-6 at Maiden
1986—lost 23-6 to Lexington at Maiden
1990—lost 27-22 at Starmount
1992—d. Black Mountain Owen 34-14 at Owen
1993—d. Thomasville 18-13 at Thomasville
1998—d. Rosman 41-21 at Rosman
2001–lost 49-28 at home to Albemarle
2002—d. E. Surry 31-6 at E. Surry
2004—d. Starmount 20-14 at Maiden
2005—lost 21-18 at Brevard
2011—Lost 34-21 at Lincolnton
UNOFFICIAL STATISTICAL LEADERS 2021
RUSHING
Ben Gibbs, 184-1,553, 13 TDs
Isaiah Thomas, 23-180, 3 TDs
Jalen Robinson, 28-159, 5 TDs
Cameron Gore, 13-117, 0 TDs
Ethan Rhodes, 67-113, 8 TDs
100-yard games (9)
Gibbs (9, in each of last six)
152 vs Foard, 150 vs. Watauga, 135 vs. W. Lincoln, 113 vs. Bandys, 105 vs. Bunker Hill, 170 vs. Lincolnton, 215 vs. Newton-Conover, 104 vs. Mount Pleasant, 124 vs. W. Lincoln
RHODES
PASSING
Ethan Rhodes, 129-195-4 for 2,205 yards, 33 TDs
100-yard games (10)
Rhodes
276 vs. Foard, 145 vs. Watauga, 212 vs. Christ School, 174 vs. W. Lincoln, 180 vs. E. Burke, 194 vs. W. Caldwell, 305 vs. Bunker Hill, 184 vs. Lincolnton, 218 vs. Mount Pleasant, 162 vs. W. Lincoln
RECEIVING
Chris Culliver, 47-889, 17 TDs
Alec Hall, 31-483, 7 TDs
Jacob Sigmon, 26-445, 3 TDs
Ben Gibbs, 11-207, 2 TDs
Chayson Bass, 7-115, 2 TDs
CULLIVER
100-yard games (6)
Hall (1)
108 vs. Mount Pleasant
Culliver (5)
128 vs. Christ School, 110 vs. W. Lincoln, 138 vs. Bunker Hill, 113 vs. Mount Pleasant, 119 vs. W. Lincoln
Notes: Sigmon is only Maiden receiver with at least one catch in all 12 games … Unofficially, only two others in the Catawba Valley 2A Athletic caught a pass in each game they played in – A.J. Cauthen of Newton-Conover and Parker Stybroski of Bandys … Culliver has at least one catch in every game except against Bandys and two or more in every game except Bandys (he had one catch for no yards in a regular-season game at West Lincoln… The average yards of Culliver’s 22 TDs — which include a punt and kickoff returns for scores and three rushing scores – is 37 ½ yards.
