SOUTH FORK 2A: Maiden goes for 2 to win over N-C in second OT

Maiden running back Amarion Craig (3), battling Fred T. Foard earlier in the season, was the hero on Friday night when the Blue Devils beat Newton-Conover 29-28 in double overtime at Maiden. He scored both Maiden TDs in the overtimes and on the game-deciding two-point conversion./PHOTO COURTESY OF GENE LEATHERMAN, OBSERVER NEWS ENTERPRISE.

SOUTH FORK 2A ROUNDUP

North Lincoln rolls past Lincolnton, wraps up conference title

 

PREMIUM CONTENT
For a more detailed and expanded look at Friday night’s varsity games purchase a premium content subscription — $8.95 monthly or a full school year for $85, a savings of nearly $23. For more details and to register: https://hobbsdailyreport.com/register

HobbsDailyReport.com

Running back Amarion Craig was the hero for Maiden High on Friday night as it beat visiting Newton-Conover 29-28 in two overtimes, scoring both overtime touchdowns and the game-winning two-point conversion.

Craig’s three-score game – he also had a 3-yard TD run in the first quarter – came in the 50th game of the series between Catawba County rivals and in the third game decided by one point.

Maiden won 28-27 at home in 1994 and 21-20 in Newton in 2000.

Craig scored on a 6-yard run in the first overtime and on a 2-yard run in the second overtime before the Blue Devils (7-3, 4-2) decided to go for a two-pointer and a victory.

The Red Devils’ Justice Craig threw an 11-yard TD pass to Zane Redmond in the first quarter for a 14-6 lead.

Maiden answered with a 9-yard scoring pass from quarterback Ethan Rhodes to Dylan Abernethy, tying it at 14 when Rhodes converted a two-point conversion run.

There was no scoring in the second half.

Newton-Conover attempted a field goal late in regulation but Maiden had called timeout prior to the attempt. The Red Devils missed the second try and had a false start penalty before the kick. The third attempt was then no good.

Maiden had possession first (at the 10) in the first overtime with Amarion Craig scoring on a 6-yard run.

The Red Devils tied it at 21 on Allen Wilfong’s 3-yard run and a PAT by Addison Hayes.

Newton-Conover had possession first at the 10 in the second overtime, scoring on a 5-yard run by Allan Shade and Hayes’ extra point.

After Amarion Craig ran 2 yards to pull Maiden within a point, the Blue Devils went for a win and got it via Amarion Craig’s two-point conversion run.

Amarion Craig came into the game (unofficially) with a team-leading 772 rushing yards on 135 carries with six rushing TDs and one TD by kickoff return.

Wilfong has unofficially rushed for 912 yards on 176 carries this season for the Red Devils, who now trail in the Maiden series by 21-28-1.

North Lincoln 49, Lincolnton 7

Running back Jake Soorus scored four times, leading North Lincoln High’s 49-7 home win that wrapped up a South Fork 2A football title for the Knights.

North Lincoln (9-1, 6-0), winning its ninth straight game, has a two-game lead over East Lincoln, Maiden and Newton-Conover with one regular season game left (at Bandys on Friday).

BAZZLE

The conference title is the first in varsity football for North Lincoln, coming in its 17th season and Nick Bazzle’s second year as head coach.

Soorus scored on the Knights’ first play from scrimmage against Lincolnton and then caught a 40-yard TD pass from quarterback Landon Beard for an early lead.

North Lincoln led 21-0 after one quarter after Beard broke a run for 77 yards and a score.

Beard scored on a 1-yard run as the Knights went up 28-0, and Soorus’ 3-yard TD run boosted the lead to 35-0.

North Lincoln led 42-0 at the half after Beard ran 3 yards for a TD.

Soorus’ fourth score on the Knights’ first second-half possession made it 49-0.

Soorus came into Friday’s game with (unofficially) 66 carries for 630 yards and 12 TDs (eight rushing, four receiving).

The Knights were second last season to Bandys in the South Fork 2A and went 10-4 overall.

After opening conference play with a 10-point victory over West Lincoln this season, the Knights’ winning margins in league games have been 63, 45, 42, 36 and 42 points.

East Lincoln 63, West Lincoln 35

Running back Cole Barber ran for three scores in the opening half, leading the Mustangs (8-2, 4-2) past the visiting Rebels (7-3, 3-3).

East Lincoln is tied for second place with Maiden and Newton-Conover and plays at Newton-Conover on Friday night.

Barber opened the scoring against West Lincoln with a 19-yard TD run and quarterback Justin Barnett ran for a two-point conversion.

Barber’s 9-yard scoring run came next and the Mustangs led 15-0 after one quarter.

Already ahead 21-0, East Lincoln scored on an 89-yard pass from Barnett to Markell Clark to extend that lead.

After West Lincoln scored on a 3-yard run by running back Canon Bridges, the Mustangs added a 30-yard TD run by Barber and led 35-7 at the half.

The Rebels pulled within 35-21 on a 50-yard scoring pass from quarterback Mason Huitt to Xander Pendergrass before Barber scored again – on a 30-yard run – for a 42-21 lead.

East Lincoln went in front 56-28 when Barnett threw to Paulie Menegay for an 86-yard TD.

Barber finished with 128 yards rushing on 13 carries and the Mustangs ran for 401. Barnett went nine of 15 for 280 yards, hitting Menegray four times for 152 yards.

Bridges, the league’s leading rusher coming in, ran 18 times for 99 yards and Pendergrass had 146 on 17 carries. Huitt went 3-for-14 for 83 yards for the Rebels.

West Lincoln, in fifth place, finishes the regular season Friday at home against Lake Norman Charter.

Bandys 48, Lake Norman Charter 0

The Trojans (5-5, 2-4) ran for 499 yards on 32 attempts – 15.9 yards per carry – and rolled to a road victory to win for the second time in six games.

Parker DeHart led Bandys with 101 yards on 10 carries and he scored three times, and Jackson Spicer added 12 carries for 157 yards and one score.

The Trojans also got two carries for 65 yards, one for a score, from Christian Sigmon plus a TD run by Hunter Jones and 76 rushing yards on four carries by Chris Culliver.

Jesse Pope converted six PATs for Bandys.

Josh Williams sparked the Trojans’ defense, which posted its first shutout of the year, with seven tackles and Josh Ellis had six.

Parker Stybroski, Jones and Culliver each had an interception for Bandys.

Lake Norman Charter (1-9, 0-6) fell to 0-20 in league games since joining the South Fork 2A.

Bandys is at home against league champion North Lincoln on Friday night while the Knights close at West Lincoln.

The Trojans have reached at least five wins in 22 of the last 25 seasons and unofficially have 384 varsity football wins (since 1959).

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *