"1992 Wonder Football"
South Piedmont Conference Champions
"One Yard Short, One Inch Shy "
As the heat of August gave way to football in Kannapolis there was one thing still cold in the hearts of the state runners up of 1991, and that was the still lingering effects of a 24-14 loss to High Point Andrews in the state championship game back in December. The veteran players of that state runner up team who remembered that loss oh too well were burning for redemption and possessed all the tools to make it back to Chapel Hill in 1992. "It leaves a burning empty feeling" said fourth year head coach Bruce Hardin of the loss to Andrews in the State Title game "We have to get back to a winning note." Coach Hardin had already taken the Wonders to the dance in two of his first three years capturing the schools first ever outright state title in 1989. The field was once again ripe for the picking, but coach Hardin knew it would take much more to bring back a second title to Kannapolis.
The Wonders began the pre season loaded from top to bottom on both sides of the ball. Depth in the skill positions would not be an issue as returning starters from the 1991 team were back for their senior year to make another run at glory. Most importantly of all returning starters was veteran field general 6'5 208lb Andy Smith. Smith was coming off a stellar outing in 1991 where he threw for 1, 514 yards as a junior taking the team to Chapel Hill as an encore. Smith was a smart deliberate passing quarterback who had good vision. Smith would also have equally capable receivers in seniors Myron Black and Titus Thompson who were both coming off great junior seasons in 1991. Senior Tony Scott and Stacey Butler would also see action with the receiving corp.The starting backfield was a who's who of standout talent in returning two year veteran 5'10 170lb Keenan Lott and 5'11 182 lb senior Dennis Foster. Junior Tyrone Washington would also be called upon to see some time at the tailback spot. There was also no shortage of depth in the fullback position with a rising junior talent in 5'10 208 lb Tarus Johnson and the bruising 5'10 221 lb senior Jermond Johnson. Lott was the gazelle with lightening quickness which made for a perfect compliment to the power running of Foster, Johnson and Johnson.
The offensive line was equally as impressive as well. Anchoring the unit were senior guards Robbie Linn and Homer Gregory. Linn was a 6'2 240 lb mass while Gregory stood at 6'2 weighing in at a very nimble 223 lbs. At the tackle positions were two monsters in seniors Scott Belcher and Carl Banks. Belcher was very athletic at a nimble 6'2 220 lbs while Banks was an imposing figure standing at 6'4 290 lbs. Taking the center responsibilities would be junior Kip Marlowe.
On the defensive side of the ball the Wonders would play several players both ways. On the D-line seniors Robbie Linn and Homer Gregory would start at the Tackle positions while senior Scott Saddler would take up the nose guard position. Linn and Gregory would be substituted with junior tackle Tommy Dixon and senior De Andre Little. The defensive line averaged 240lbs across the board and were very strong and quick. The bookends would be senior Scott Belcher and Demand Torrance. At the linebacker position the core would be young as juniors Tarus Johnson, Ronald Rice and Sophomore Ben Teal would share responsibilities.
In the skill positions the Wonders would rely heavily on DB's Keenan Lott, Titus Thompson and Myron Black to shut down the pass while junior Jermaine Walker and Sophomore Bobby Lawson would share the safety position. On special teams the kicking duties would fall on the shoulders of senior Tim Hyman while the punting chore would be placed upon starting quarterback Andy Smith. There would be some shuffling of personnel throughout the year, but this would be the core of the Wonder starters for the 1992 campaign.
The South Piedmont Conference was very well balanced across the board with you're front runners as always being the Wonders and Spiders of Concord who would be playing their final season with standout quarterback Kenny Robinson and halfback extrordinaire Jay Graham . This year however the real threat riding under the radar for the Wonders would be just North of Salisbury in the Cavaliers of North Rowan, who would prove to be a very formidable opponent in the end for the Wonders. The Cavaliers were led by head coach Roger Seacrest who boasted a very explosive offense led by quarterback Carvie Kepley and standout receiver Matt Suber, but the real weapon was a freight train in the backfield they called Nathaniel Hyde. The Statesville Greyhounds were you're typical threat from the northwest area of the state, and the South Rowan Raiders would be the typical crosstown rivalry for the Wonders where you threw the records out the window.
The 1992 Wonders though loaded with talent would have their hands full navigating the regular schedule as there would be no gimmes to speak of. Every Friday night could change the landscape of the conference if there were a letdown in play. Nobody knew this better than fourth year head coach Bruce Hardin who like his charges remember the letdown in Chapel Hill back in December of 1991. It was all or nothing for this group of Wonders who started the year with the attitude that they had something to prove to the school, the town, and to Wonder Nation. They looked to prove that the 1991 state title game was no fluke and that this group of Wonders were capable of finishing the job. The game of football is measured in inches and yards. One yard short or one inch shy could be the difference in victory and defeat. Those yards and inches are hard to come by and nobody would find this simple truth out better than the 1992 Wonders.
The Wonders began the pre season loaded from top to bottom on both sides of the ball. Depth in the skill positions would not be an issue as returning starters from the 1991 team were back for their senior year to make another run at glory. Most importantly of all returning starters was veteran field general 6'5 208lb Andy Smith. Smith was coming off a stellar outing in 1991 where he threw for 1, 514 yards as a junior taking the team to Chapel Hill as an encore. Smith was a smart deliberate passing quarterback who had good vision. Smith would also have equally capable receivers in seniors Myron Black and Titus Thompson who were both coming off great junior seasons in 1991. Senior Tony Scott and Stacey Butler would also see action with the receiving corp.The starting backfield was a who's who of standout talent in returning two year veteran 5'10 170lb Keenan Lott and 5'11 182 lb senior Dennis Foster. Junior Tyrone Washington would also be called upon to see some time at the tailback spot. There was also no shortage of depth in the fullback position with a rising junior talent in 5'10 208 lb Tarus Johnson and the bruising 5'10 221 lb senior Jermond Johnson. Lott was the gazelle with lightening quickness which made for a perfect compliment to the power running of Foster, Johnson and Johnson.
The offensive line was equally as impressive as well. Anchoring the unit were senior guards Robbie Linn and Homer Gregory. Linn was a 6'2 240 lb mass while Gregory stood at 6'2 weighing in at a very nimble 223 lbs. At the tackle positions were two monsters in seniors Scott Belcher and Carl Banks. Belcher was very athletic at a nimble 6'2 220 lbs while Banks was an imposing figure standing at 6'4 290 lbs. Taking the center responsibilities would be junior Kip Marlowe.
On the defensive side of the ball the Wonders would play several players both ways. On the D-line seniors Robbie Linn and Homer Gregory would start at the Tackle positions while senior Scott Saddler would take up the nose guard position. Linn and Gregory would be substituted with junior tackle Tommy Dixon and senior De Andre Little. The defensive line averaged 240lbs across the board and were very strong and quick. The bookends would be senior Scott Belcher and Demand Torrance. At the linebacker position the core would be young as juniors Tarus Johnson, Ronald Rice and Sophomore Ben Teal would share responsibilities.
In the skill positions the Wonders would rely heavily on DB's Keenan Lott, Titus Thompson and Myron Black to shut down the pass while junior Jermaine Walker and Sophomore Bobby Lawson would share the safety position. On special teams the kicking duties would fall on the shoulders of senior Tim Hyman while the punting chore would be placed upon starting quarterback Andy Smith. There would be some shuffling of personnel throughout the year, but this would be the core of the Wonder starters for the 1992 campaign.
The South Piedmont Conference was very well balanced across the board with you're front runners as always being the Wonders and Spiders of Concord who would be playing their final season with standout quarterback Kenny Robinson and halfback extrordinaire Jay Graham . This year however the real threat riding under the radar for the Wonders would be just North of Salisbury in the Cavaliers of North Rowan, who would prove to be a very formidable opponent in the end for the Wonders. The Cavaliers were led by head coach Roger Seacrest who boasted a very explosive offense led by quarterback Carvie Kepley and standout receiver Matt Suber, but the real weapon was a freight train in the backfield they called Nathaniel Hyde. The Statesville Greyhounds were you're typical threat from the northwest area of the state, and the South Rowan Raiders would be the typical crosstown rivalry for the Wonders where you threw the records out the window.
The 1992 Wonders though loaded with talent would have their hands full navigating the regular schedule as there would be no gimmes to speak of. Every Friday night could change the landscape of the conference if there were a letdown in play. Nobody knew this better than fourth year head coach Bruce Hardin who like his charges remember the letdown in Chapel Hill back in December of 1991. It was all or nothing for this group of Wonders who started the year with the attitude that they had something to prove to the school, the town, and to Wonder Nation. They looked to prove that the 1991 state title game was no fluke and that this group of Wonders were capable of finishing the job. The game of football is measured in inches and yards. One yard short or one inch shy could be the difference in victory and defeat. Those yards and inches are hard to come by and nobody would find this simple truth out better than the 1992 Wonders.
36th Annual Football Preview 1992
"The Pre Season"
"A Vote of Confidence from on High"
"Meet the 1992 Wonders"
Kannapolis-35 South Rowan-6
Kannapolis-33 Statesville-28
Kannapolis-35 Salisbury-0
Kannapolis-35 East Rowan-7
Kannapolis-42 West Rowan-21
Kannapolis-25 North Rowan-0
Kannapolis-20 Central Cabarrus-0
Kannapolis-27 Sun Valley-7
Kannapolis-41 Northwest Cabarrus-0
Kannapolis-27 Concord-19
"The TV-13 Game of the Week"
In 1992 the Wonders and Spiders hooked up for the 62nd Battle for the Bell at Memorial Stadium in Kannapolis. This night the Wonders were dead set on avenging a 30-20 loss to the Spiders the previous year in Concord. The Spiders had been riding the legs of Jay Graham since 1990 and this year would be no different. In the beginning the Wonders and Spiders looked as if they would exchange blows for most of the night. The Wonders were able to score on time consuming drives while the Spiders were quick to answer usually on big runs from Graham. Tonight's battle would come down to costly turnovers for the Spiders.
The Spiders would draw first blood after taking the opening kickoff, and sustaining a five minute fifty eight second drive deep into Kannapolis territory. On 3rd and five Concord QB Kenny Robinson would option out left keeping the ball and scoring a five yard TD run to put the Spiders on top the Wonders 7-0.
With 11:58 left in the first half the Wonder would make a new ball game out of the deal with this two yard plunge for a touchdown by Keenan Lott. The Wonders were utilizing ball control to their advantage, but Concord was grabbing yardage in big chunks.
With just under ten minutes left in the first half the Spiders would go back out in front again a five play eighty yard drive that culminated in a 30 yard Jay Graham touchdown. Graham would bust this score up the middle and go untouched to the end zone. The PAT would be no good and the Spider would lead 13-7.
The next Wonder score would come courtesy of a rising star at halfback. #25 Taurus Johnson would score on a five yard touchdown run after a perfectly executed seven play sixty three yard drive that put the Wonders back in the lead 14-13 with 6:30 left in the first half. The lead wouldn't last long.
After the ensuing Wonder kickoff it would only take one play from scrimmage for the Spiders to jump out on top once again. Jay Graham would take a hand off from Kenney Robinson off tackle and gallop 74 yards to paydirt breaking the Wonder spirit in one play. The Spiders would attempt a two point conversion to no avail. Spider would lead going into the break 19-14.
After the Wonders were stopped at the one yard line before the break by the Concord defense. The Wonders would receive the opening kickoff to start the second half. Kannapolis would drive seven plays and sixty three yards chewing up three minutes. The score would come after Wonder QB Andy Smith handed the ball off on a delay to Keenan Lott who scrambled from seven yards out for the touchdown. The PAT would be no good and the Wonders would lead 20-19.
The turning point in the game would come on the ensuing kickoff. Spider return man would muff the kick at the Wonder eleven yard line which was picked up by the Wonders. Wonder runningback Keenan Lott would score the final points of the evening from two yards out putting the Wonders out in front for good. 27-19.
As the final seconds tick away all the Spiders can do is watch the bell and the 1992 SPC title walk away from them into the hands of the Wonders. This would be one of the better bell exchanges.
(Click to Go to Battle for the Bell 1990-1999)
Kannapolis-48 East Lincoln-0
Kannapolis-24 South Point-16
Kannapolis-12 North Rowan-14
Football Friday Night
"The Swamp in Kannapolis 1992"
"Reflections"
"The 1992 A.L. Brown Wonders"
And so on a mud laden field at Memorial Stadium the Wonders bid for a shot at redemption in Chapel Hill is denied by a very motivated group of Cavaliers from North Rowan. A group who were shut out 25-0 in Kannapolis during the regular season. Tarus Johnson's two point conversion attempt is shut down one yard short of the North Rowan end zone making the Cavaliers the first team to win in Kannapolis since the Wonders were defeated by the Statesville Greyhounds back in September of 1989. A twenty seven game home win streak was terminated. Much deliberation would go on in the following weeks as to whether or not the game should have been played on such a rain soaked field. That argument still stands today when you talk to Wonder supporters who were there. I had never seen a field so poor for play in all my years of watching Wonder football and the Wonder offense suffered because of it.
On the other hand the conditions were just right for a back the size and strength of Nathaniel Hyde. Hyde's four wheel drive heroics had given the Cavaliers the biggest upset in their school's history and the Wonders could do nothing about it. The following week in the state semi final round the Cavaliers would find themselves running up on yet another undefeated group of Cavaliers in East Rutherford.
Football is a crazy sport indeed and just when you least expect it anyone can beat anyone when all the stars align in just the perfect place. The Wonders played tough throughout the game and just a slight twist of fate here or there could have sent the game in the other direction for the Wonders, but it was not to be. Though the Wonders were unable to play for a shot to play yet again in Chapel Hill they left Memorial Stadium that night with nothing to be ashamed of. They had proven all year long to be the best team in the state and I am convinced if that game had been postponed a day or two or had it been played in better conditions the Wonders would have been the best team that night as well. I guess we will never know and we will always be left to question what if. The third round of the state AAA playoffs in 1992 proved what I said earlier about football being a game of inches and yards. Those inches and yards can make the difference when it comes to crunch time and the Wonders found out the hard way that simple truth. The Wonders may have lost the game by just one yard, but the fact that the Wonders were in position to attempt that final yard in the third round speaks volumes for the team as a group. That night in Kannapolis the 1992 Wonders came up just one yard short for points, but not for pride.
On the other hand the conditions were just right for a back the size and strength of Nathaniel Hyde. Hyde's four wheel drive heroics had given the Cavaliers the biggest upset in their school's history and the Wonders could do nothing about it. The following week in the state semi final round the Cavaliers would find themselves running up on yet another undefeated group of Cavaliers in East Rutherford.
Football is a crazy sport indeed and just when you least expect it anyone can beat anyone when all the stars align in just the perfect place. The Wonders played tough throughout the game and just a slight twist of fate here or there could have sent the game in the other direction for the Wonders, but it was not to be. Though the Wonders were unable to play for a shot to play yet again in Chapel Hill they left Memorial Stadium that night with nothing to be ashamed of. They had proven all year long to be the best team in the state and I am convinced if that game had been postponed a day or two or had it been played in better conditions the Wonders would have been the best team that night as well. I guess we will never know and we will always be left to question what if. The third round of the state AAA playoffs in 1992 proved what I said earlier about football being a game of inches and yards. Those inches and yards can make the difference when it comes to crunch time and the Wonders found out the hard way that simple truth. The Wonders may have lost the game by just one yard, but the fact that the Wonders were in position to attempt that final yard in the third round speaks volumes for the team as a group. That night in Kannapolis the 1992 Wonders came up just one yard short for points, but not for pride.
Kannapolis 35 S. Rowan 6
Kannapolis 39 Statesville 34
Kannapolis 35 Salisbury 0
Kannapolis 35 E. Rowan 7
Kannapolis 42 W. Rowan 21
Kannapolis 25 N. Rowan 0
Kannapolis 20 C.Cabarrus 0
Kannapolis 27 Sun Valley 7
Kannapolis 41 N.W. Cabarrus 0
Kannapolis 27 Concord 19
1st Rnd Kannapolis 48 E. Lincoln 0
2nd Rnd Kannapolis 24 S. Point 16
3rd Rnd Kannapolis 12 N. Rowan 14
12-1
Kannapolis 39 Statesville 34
Kannapolis 35 Salisbury 0
Kannapolis 35 E. Rowan 7
Kannapolis 42 W. Rowan 21
Kannapolis 25 N. Rowan 0
Kannapolis 20 C.Cabarrus 0
Kannapolis 27 Sun Valley 7
Kannapolis 41 N.W. Cabarrus 0
Kannapolis 27 Concord 19
1st Rnd Kannapolis 48 E. Lincoln 0
2nd Rnd Kannapolis 24 S. Point 16
3rd Rnd Kannapolis 12 N. Rowan 14
12-1