HobbsDailyReport.com
LENOIR – Hibriten High’s 30-game football win streak is over.
Fourth-seeded Shelby stopped the defending state 2AA champion Panthers from taking a stab at back-to-back crowns with a 28-21 victory on Friday night in the West 2AA title game at Hibriten’s Jeff Storie Memorial Stadium.
No. 4 SHELBY 28
No. 2 HIBRITEN 21
Hibriten finished 14-1 a year after beating Shelby in a West 2AA final – also in Lenoir – and then wrapping up an unbeaten season (16-0) by winning a 2017 state title.
This season, the Panthers again went undefeated in the Northwestern Foothills 2A to win a regular-season title, and they had beaten East Henderson 63-0, South Point 28-20 and Bandys 34-15 – all at Hibriten – to stay in the chase for another title.
Shelby (12-3) will go to a state title game for the fifth time in six seasons.
The Golden Lions will face No. 1 East seed North Davidson (13-2) at N.C. State next Saturday at a time to be announced by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA).
North Davidson advanced Friday with a 24-7 win at top-seeded Ledford in the East 2AA title game.
Hibriten is now 95-29 through nine seasons with Clay Lewis as the head coach.
GAME COVERAGE BY THE SHELBY DAILY STAR: https://www.shelbystar.com/sports/20181207/late-game-heroics-push-shelby-past-hibriten-into-state-title-game