HobbsDailyReport.com
MATTHEWS – Quarterback Whitner Litton had a hand in eight scores on Friday night that led fifth-seeded Weddington High past No. 12 Hickory 55-24 in an opening round game of the state 3A football playoffs.
No. 5 WEDDINGTON 55
No. 12 HICKORY 24
Litton threw for more than 300 yards and six scores and ran for two others as the Warriors (9-3) advanced to face No 4 Hunter Huss (8-4) next Friday in Gastonia.
Huss moved on Friday by beating No. 13 West Rowan 34-14 at Huss.
Litton, a junior, led Weddington to a 27-3 halftime lead over the Red Tornadoes (6-6).
Hickory was within 10 points during the third quarter on a TD run by quarterback Derrien Phillips and his scoring pass to Jaekwon Staton.
But the Warriors answered that time and again, scoring twice on throws by Litton and once on Litton’s short-yardage run.
Kevin Shuford ran for nearly 150 yards for the Red Tornadoes, who returned to the state playoffs after not qualifying for three straight seasons.
Phillips had about 170 yards of total offense in the loss.
Weddington, which started its season 0-3, gained more than 500 yards to beat Hickory, which had three turnovers.
The loss ended Russell Stone’s first season as head coach at Hickory and a 6-6 record comes after the Red Tornadoes had gone 4-29 in the previous three seasons.
Next season will be Stone’s 40th as a prep head football coach and he’ll enter it with 268 career victories.
One of Hickory’s goals next season will be to win a state playoff game – HHS has not done that since beating Hibriten in 2012, and the last road postseason win for the Red Tornadoes was at Hunter Huss in 2007.