HobbsDailyReport.com
LENOIR – West Caldwell High wiped out a three-touchdown deficit on Friday night, beating visiting Freedom 44-42 with the game’s final score with 18 seconds left.
W. CALDWELL 44
FREEDOM 42
The Warriors were behind by three scores twice – at 22-0 and 29-7 – but rallied to improve to 6-3 overall and 3-2 in the Northwestern 3A-4A. They’re tied with Watauga, Freedom and Hickory for second place.
West Caldwell’s come-from-behind win left Alexander Central assured of no worse than a tie for the league title, as the Cougars are 5-0 and two games up on all the other teams in the conference with two league games left.
Taye Dula sparked West Caldwell – which had lost five straight and 11 of 12 to Freedom coming in – by running for more than 200 yards and three TDs in the second half. He finished with his second 300-yard rushing game in the last three games and a fourth TD.
A long pass from Jayden Benfield to Christian Fox early in the fourth quarter had Freedom up by 10 points.
With about five minutes to go, the Patriots had a 42-38 lead on a TD run by Birchfield that the Warriors followed with a long drive.
Birchfield, a sophomore, threw for nearly 360 yards for Freedom (6-3, 3-2).
West Caldwell goes to McDowell next Friday night at 7:30 p.m. for a conference game and closes the regular season Nov. 3 at Watauga.
Freedom meets Watauga in Morganton next Friday at 7:30 p.m. before facing McDowell in Marion on Nov. 3.
The Patriots need one win to reach at least seven for the 24th time since 1978 after losing for only the 12th time in their last 45 games.