By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
MAIDEN – Retired head coach Tom Brown always loved an action-filled, intense football battle – especially if Maiden High won – and the Blue Devils gave him an edge-of-the-seat game on the night they named their stadium after him.
Locked in a back-and-forth battle they needed to win to set up a showdown for first place, the Blue Devils gutted out a 44-43 win in double overtime against East Lincoln.
Maiden High named its stadium after former head coach Tom Brown on Friday night, then beat East Lincoln 44-43 in double overtime to remain unbeaten.
MAIDEN 44
E. LINCOLN 43, 2 OTs
The game wasn’t officially over until the officials dug in to get a good look at Maiden quarterback Keygan Mayfield after his two-point rushing attempt when the Blue Devils went for a victory.
Once they got a good look, arms went up – signifying Mayfield did get into the end zone – and Maiden won by one, snapping a five-game losing streak in a series with the Mustangs.
The Blue Devils (9-0, 5-0) stayed unbeaten and head into a big week, with the second game to be played in Thomas E. Brown Stadium to come next Friday at 7:30 p.m. with a visit from Newton-Conover (8-1, 5-0). The winner takes over sole possession of first place in the South Fork 2A.
Friday’s game had plenty of big plays, including a long interception return for a TD by the Blue Devils, and it took two fourth-quarter TDs by the Mustangs’ Chandler Jones to force overtime.
Jones scored from the 2 with five minutes, 10 seconds left in regulation and Ryan Shanklin’s PAT tied it at 29.
Maiden had possession from the 10 first in the first overtime, putting the pressure on the Mustangs (5-4, 4-1) when Mayfield threw 17 yards to Maurtice Bennett for a TD and Casey Ly’s PAT put the Blue Devils ahead 36-29.
Jones, who ran 26 times for a game-high 146 yards, answered that with a 1-yard run and Shanklin’s PAT made it 36-all.
In the second overtime, East Lincoln went up 42-36 when quarterback Chase Jones threw 7 yards to Mikivi Phinx for a TD and Shanklin converted a PAT.
Mayfield’s two-point, game-deciding conversion run came after he hit Logan Hentschel with a 10-yard TD pass.
Mayfield ran for 57 yards and completed five passes for 109 as Maiden gained nearly 285 yards.
East Lincoln, which had won four straight games coming in, had more than 340 yards of total offense.
TITLE TOWN
By winning in double overtime on Friday night, Maiden High set up a showdown with Newton-Conover for first place in the South Fork 2A. Here are the last 10 league title-winning Blue Devils football teams:
Year Record Head coach
2012 8-4* Frank Snider
2006 11-2* Tom Brown
2005 11-3* Tom Brown
2004 14-1 Tom Brown
2002 12-3 Tom Brown
2001 12-2 Tom Brown
1996 11-2 Tom Brown
1994 9-3 Tom Brown
1993 11-3* Tom Brown
1992 14-1 Tom Brown
*–shared title.
Notes: The 1992 through 1994 and the 1996 titles were in the Southern District 7 2A … 2001, 2002 and 2004 titles were in the Southwestern Foothills 1A … the 2005 and 2006 titles were in the Catawba Valley Athletic 2A-3A … the 2012 title was in the Southern District 7 Athletic 2A.
SOURCE: HobbsDailyReport.com research/files.
The game had many swings, with Maiden opening a 15-0 lead by the end of the first quarter via a 4-yard TD run by Caleb McDaniel and Mayfield’s two-point conversion run and Kentrell Williams breaking a run for 31 yards and a score.
Jones’ 9-yard TD run midway through the second quarter got East Lincoln within 15-7 at the half.
Less than a minute into the third quarter, the Mustangs got their fans loudly cheering with a 62-yard TD pass from Chase Jones to Christian Parks.
Maiden answered with a 67-yard pass from Mayfield to Montrell Stinson, who was 20 yards – if not more — behind the East Lincoln secondary on the left side of the field.
Down 22-15 and driving, the Mustangs then tried a short pass to the right side but Turner jumped in front of the receiver and took the ball in stride. He went 85 yards for a TD, and Ly’s kick extended Maiden’s lead to 29-15.
Chandler Jones’ rushing TDs in the fourth quarter, of 7 and 2 yards, came about 4 ½ minutes apart, setting up a dramatic finish that Brown — joined by his family in the press box — got to see.
At halftime of the game, school officials recognized Brown, 74, with a ceremony on the field. He was visited by fans, friends and former players prior to the game for about 90 minutes before watching the school he coached to 330 football victories collect a key win.
By winning, the Blue Devils reached nine wins for the 32nd time since 1952, and they are headed to the state playoffs on Nov. 10 for the 22nd straight time and 30th time in 32 seasons.
Whether Maiden wins its first conference title since a share of one in 2012 or its first outright title since 2004 will be determined by the next two games.
Next Friday, Newton-Conover rolls into town for a 7:30 p.m. game, and the Blue Devils’ regular-season finale on Nov. 3 is against Lincolnton on the road.
East Lincoln, losing for only the eight time in its last 54 games, is at home next Friday at 7:30 p.m. to play West Lincoln. On Nov. 3, the Mustangs meet Newton-Conover at Gurley Stadium in Newton.