"1998 Moving the Mountain"
Pt-2
Game #8 Kannapolis vs Harding Rams
Kannapolis-42 Harding-0
"5,673 Yards is the New Standard"
Nick Maddox Cements His Name in History
(Footnote)
After setting a new all time career Cabarrus County rushing record, Nick Maddox has amassed 1, 615 yards rushing for the 1998 season. Several more records were now in danger of going down before the regular season concludes.
Game #9 Kannapolis vs East Rowan Mustangs
"Two Years of Defeat Weigh Heavy on the Minds of the Wonders"
Kannapolis-35 East Rowan-0
The Headline Says it All!!!
"Breaking the Jinx"
Since their lone defeat at the hands of the East Rowan Mustangs in 1997, the Wonders had their calenders marked for this event. The bad taste that lingered in the mouths of the Wonder veterans from 1997 was still strong and the demon of the East was in dire need to be exorcised. The Wonders got their payback and then some putting up thirty five unanswered points against the Mustangs in Granite Quarry. The road ahead was now manageable as up next would be the Northwest Cabarrus Trojans and Concord Spiders all of which would be played in the comfortable confines of home. The road to the playoffs was clear sailing. Just keep up the intensity.
(Footnotes)
Though Wonder running phenom Nick Maddox would rush for two hundred and eight yards on the evening the night belonged to an unsung hero "Dirty" Danny Jenkins. Jenkins would have a career night as he hauled in four catches for sixty four yards and two touchdowns. Jenkins performance cemented his legacy as one of A.L. Browns most prolific go to guys in the clutch.
"The Skinny After East Rowan"
Game #10 Kannapolis vs Northwest Cabarrus
"The Beatdown in K-Town"
Kannapolis-97 Northwest Cabarrus-0
"Disclaimer"
This video is not a celebration of unsportsmanlike conduct, but a showcase of the talent that existed on the 1998 Defending State AAA Champion Wonders of A.L. Brown High School. This video is not intended to poke fun or in anyway insult the players, coaches or fans of Northwest Cabarrus high School. -The Editor-
"The Story Behind the Myth"
Much can, and has been said about the whipping of epic proportions the Northwest Cabarrus Trojans took in 1998 at the hands of the Wonders. Much has been said, but quite alot has been false. As the 1998 regular season was reaching it's conclusion the annual game between the two crosstown rivals was approaching, and on that ill fated Friday night in Kannapolis a new chapter in Wonder/Trojan lore would be created. The Wonders came into the game riding a perfect 9-0 record having just settled the score with the East Rowan Mustangs 35-0 the prior week in Granite Quarry. The Trojans had just fallen to the Sun Valley Spartans 36-32 in a heartbreaking defeat that put them on a two game losing streak.
The Trojans were not yet out of the playoff picture, however they did need some help from some of their friends namely the Mustangs of East Rowan who had defeated the Trojans two weeks prior on the final play of the game. The 1998 match up would be played in Kannapolis and against the number one ranked team in the state and the defending state 3A champ. Needless to say the cards were stacked against the Trojans from the start seeing as how the last time the Trojans had ever beaten the Wonders was in 1976 during the Larry Rucker era. Coach Marty Stamey's Trojans felt like the Wonders were in a great spot to be upset by the visiting Trojans. All they needed was to catch the Wonders on a night where they would play very badly, and highly underestimate the ability of their foe.
Now of course neither of these things transpired, and as a matter of fact the odds of that happening at that time were about as good as winning the mega millions lottery or getting hit by a bolt of lighting on a clear winters night in December. The betting man in vegas would take none of that action I can assure you. The Trojans were on a mission. They had prepared hard the entire week and felt really good about their chances going in. The Wonders on the other hand had other plans in mind for this night. Their highly rated running back Nick Maddox had just surpassed the All Time career Cabarrus County rushing record, and was looking at the very real possibility of breaking two more records on this Friday night. Maddox came into the game with combined total of 5,673 total career rushing yards which was a new record, and only needed one touchdown to reach the 100 career touchdown mark, and five to break the state record of 103. Taking all this into consideration, and the fact that history had been very unkind to the Trojans where the Wonders were concerned this was not out of the realm of possibility for the Wonders and Maddox. The Wonders defeated the Trojans very convincingly 70-0 in 1997. To be perfectly honest the 1998 rematch looked to fair no better for the Trojans than their last outing against the Wonders.
Now take this into consideration. Five touchdowns equals a 35-0 game for Nick Maddox and the Wonders which was well under the average of 57 points per game the Wonders had been putting on their opponents all year long. Now take Maddox out of the equation and the Wonders still possessed all the weapons to put up fifty five points on the Trojans easily without him. One seventeen year old kid had the opportunity to make an historical statement that would forever follow him the rest of his natural life. Twenty six points had been scored on the Trojans by the end of the first period. Two of them including a two point conversion came courtesy of Maddox. Of the total thirty five points scored on the Trojans in the second quarter Maddox accounted for two. Maddox was just one touchdown short of reaching the state record. As the first half ended the Wonders led the Trojans 63-0. seven points shy of the 70 mark set in 1997. The final pass of the already lopsided contest by the Wonders resulted in a touchdown from QB Justin Hardin to Blair Hardin with just 1:39 left before intermission.
As the second half began all eyes were glued on Nick Maddox who was just one touchdown from setting a state record. After being asked by coach Hardin if he wanted to get the record this night the decision was made to keep Maddox in the game until the record could be obtained. The record was reached with 7:12 left in the third quarter as Maddox broke off a nine yard run setting the record at 104 touchdowns. The celebration ensued for a short, well deserved minute or two as Maddox took his final bow for the remainder of the game. The score was now 70-0 in favor of Kannapolis. Same as the mark made in 1997. if you see where I'm going with this the Wonders did nothing different than they had done in 1997. They were tied with the mark they set in 1997 when the bulk of the replacements came into the game. Now what were these replacements to do? These were guys who were just as talented as the first stringers, and they wanted to play too.
The final twenty seven points came courtesy of many understudies and folks moved to new positions. Wonder DB Tramaine Robinson would take over the quarterbacking responsibilites after starting QB Justin Hardin was taken out of the game as the third period began winding down. When the game ended the Trojan coaching staff along with the rest of the Trojan team made their way to the busses refusing to come accross the field to shake hands with the Wonders. Boos from the crowd were louder than jet airplane engines as the obvious show of discontent by the way the Wonders had played the game was displayed by the Trojans. What could one do? After the game coach Hardin was quoted by the Salisbury Post when asked about the post game snub and his response was simple "I can't apologize for our kids playing hard. We didn't come out here to do anything to humiliate anyone. We played everybody. The first team started the second half because I asked Nick if he wanted to get the record tonight, and he said "Coach, I'd like to get it tonight"
In the week following the game coach Hardin's desk and answering machine were bombarded with letters and comments from persons expressing their extreme displeasure with the way the game was played. It was more than clear that a moment like no other in Wonder football history had taken place on that Friday night in Kannapolis. The question remains as whether or not it was bad descision making on the part of coach Hardin. If you sit back and take an objective look at all the evidence surrounding this blackmark that so many say stained Wonder football, I contend it was not bad descision making by any stretch of the imagination, but the combined level of talent the Wonders possessed that year, The desire that all those kids had to play football at the highest level possible, and lastly the fact that everything the Trojans did that night on the field turned into an exploding cigar that cost them at every juncture. Unsportsmanlike conduct or just an overly talented team that could do no wrong? You make the call!!
The Trojans were not yet out of the playoff picture, however they did need some help from some of their friends namely the Mustangs of East Rowan who had defeated the Trojans two weeks prior on the final play of the game. The 1998 match up would be played in Kannapolis and against the number one ranked team in the state and the defending state 3A champ. Needless to say the cards were stacked against the Trojans from the start seeing as how the last time the Trojans had ever beaten the Wonders was in 1976 during the Larry Rucker era. Coach Marty Stamey's Trojans felt like the Wonders were in a great spot to be upset by the visiting Trojans. All they needed was to catch the Wonders on a night where they would play very badly, and highly underestimate the ability of their foe.
Now of course neither of these things transpired, and as a matter of fact the odds of that happening at that time were about as good as winning the mega millions lottery or getting hit by a bolt of lighting on a clear winters night in December. The betting man in vegas would take none of that action I can assure you. The Trojans were on a mission. They had prepared hard the entire week and felt really good about their chances going in. The Wonders on the other hand had other plans in mind for this night. Their highly rated running back Nick Maddox had just surpassed the All Time career Cabarrus County rushing record, and was looking at the very real possibility of breaking two more records on this Friday night. Maddox came into the game with combined total of 5,673 total career rushing yards which was a new record, and only needed one touchdown to reach the 100 career touchdown mark, and five to break the state record of 103. Taking all this into consideration, and the fact that history had been very unkind to the Trojans where the Wonders were concerned this was not out of the realm of possibility for the Wonders and Maddox. The Wonders defeated the Trojans very convincingly 70-0 in 1997. To be perfectly honest the 1998 rematch looked to fair no better for the Trojans than their last outing against the Wonders.
Now take this into consideration. Five touchdowns equals a 35-0 game for Nick Maddox and the Wonders which was well under the average of 57 points per game the Wonders had been putting on their opponents all year long. Now take Maddox out of the equation and the Wonders still possessed all the weapons to put up fifty five points on the Trojans easily without him. One seventeen year old kid had the opportunity to make an historical statement that would forever follow him the rest of his natural life. Twenty six points had been scored on the Trojans by the end of the first period. Two of them including a two point conversion came courtesy of Maddox. Of the total thirty five points scored on the Trojans in the second quarter Maddox accounted for two. Maddox was just one touchdown short of reaching the state record. As the first half ended the Wonders led the Trojans 63-0. seven points shy of the 70 mark set in 1997. The final pass of the already lopsided contest by the Wonders resulted in a touchdown from QB Justin Hardin to Blair Hardin with just 1:39 left before intermission.
As the second half began all eyes were glued on Nick Maddox who was just one touchdown from setting a state record. After being asked by coach Hardin if he wanted to get the record this night the decision was made to keep Maddox in the game until the record could be obtained. The record was reached with 7:12 left in the third quarter as Maddox broke off a nine yard run setting the record at 104 touchdowns. The celebration ensued for a short, well deserved minute or two as Maddox took his final bow for the remainder of the game. The score was now 70-0 in favor of Kannapolis. Same as the mark made in 1997. if you see where I'm going with this the Wonders did nothing different than they had done in 1997. They were tied with the mark they set in 1997 when the bulk of the replacements came into the game. Now what were these replacements to do? These were guys who were just as talented as the first stringers, and they wanted to play too.
The final twenty seven points came courtesy of many understudies and folks moved to new positions. Wonder DB Tramaine Robinson would take over the quarterbacking responsibilites after starting QB Justin Hardin was taken out of the game as the third period began winding down. When the game ended the Trojan coaching staff along with the rest of the Trojan team made their way to the busses refusing to come accross the field to shake hands with the Wonders. Boos from the crowd were louder than jet airplane engines as the obvious show of discontent by the way the Wonders had played the game was displayed by the Trojans. What could one do? After the game coach Hardin was quoted by the Salisbury Post when asked about the post game snub and his response was simple "I can't apologize for our kids playing hard. We didn't come out here to do anything to humiliate anyone. We played everybody. The first team started the second half because I asked Nick if he wanted to get the record tonight, and he said "Coach, I'd like to get it tonight"
In the week following the game coach Hardin's desk and answering machine were bombarded with letters and comments from persons expressing their extreme displeasure with the way the game was played. It was more than clear that a moment like no other in Wonder football history had taken place on that Friday night in Kannapolis. The question remains as whether or not it was bad descision making on the part of coach Hardin. If you sit back and take an objective look at all the evidence surrounding this blackmark that so many say stained Wonder football, I contend it was not bad descision making by any stretch of the imagination, but the combined level of talent the Wonders possessed that year, The desire that all those kids had to play football at the highest level possible, and lastly the fact that everything the Trojans did that night on the field turned into an exploding cigar that cost them at every juncture. Unsportsmanlike conduct or just an overly talented team that could do no wrong? You make the call!!
Game #10 Kannapolis vs Concord Spiders
Kannapolis-28 Concord-10
"12,000 Apparantley"
"Shhhhhhhhhh We're Number One"
Wonder captains Nick Maddox, Paul Allen, Danny Jenkins, and Nick Gill take the field for the coin toss. Spiders win the toss an elect to recieve the opening kick.
First running play on the Wonders first possession of the game results in Nick Maddox breaking off a twenty yard run to put the Wonders in Spider territory. On the second running play of the game Wonder fullback Evar Johnson takes the handoff from Wonder quarterback Justin Hardin and plunges through a gaping hole in the middle of the line. Johnson takes an initial hit up high from a Spider defender, but is also hit low by Spider defender Jamel Jackson on the left knee. Johnson sustains a significant injury to that knee putting him out of commission for the remainder of the game and through the second round of the playoffs. The third running play results in Nick Maddox taking the pictch from Hardin and sprinting 14 yards to the endzone for the first points of the evening. PAT would be good Wonders lead 7-0 with 9:27 left in the first period.
Not to be outdone the Spiders answer back with this eight minute drive resulting in a two yard touchdown run by Spider QB Jamel Jackson. PAT would be good the game would be tied 7-7 with just under 1:30 left in the first period.
The Spiders would take the lead on this 22 yard field goal by Drew Walters with two seconds left in the half.
Wonder QB Justin Hardin calls his own number on this QB keeper play sprinting five yards for the go ahead touchdown. PAT would be good Wonders-14 Spiders-10 with 6:18 left in the third quarter.
Spider QB Jamel Jackson is picked off by Wonder DB Tramaine Robinson on third and eight. Robinson returns the pick 50 yards for another Wonder touchdown. John Garver's PAT would be good Wonders-21 Spiders-10 with 5:15 left in the third period.
Reserve QB John Rary for Concord is picked off by Demarcus Rivens putting the Wonders in Spider territory once again. This would be the third interception for the Wonders in the game.
The final points of the game would come courtesy of QB Justin Hardin on this perfectly executed option play for a eight yard touchdown. Garvers PAT would be good Wonders-28 Spiders-10 with just under three minutes left in the game.
Wonder head coach Bruce Hardin talks to Steve Gantt after the game for ost game comments after the Wonders perfect regular season sweep.
(Click to Go to Battle for the Bell 1990-1999)
"Trying to Stay Perfect"
And so the 1998 Defending State AAA Champs finish the regular season unblemished. They have outscored their first eleven oponents 530 to 56. Absolute domination in it's purist form. The defeat of the Concord Spiders 28-10 in week eleven was just the icing on the cake, but the win has come at a cost. All year long fate had been kind to the Wonders with only one significant injury to speak of that sidelined Wonder TE/WR Danny Jenkins for three games, but all that changed on the second running play from scrimmage for the Wonders in the 68th Battle for the Bell.
Evar Johnson, the Wonders clutch fullback took a handoff from QB Justin Hardin and proceeded up the gut for a huge gain. in just five short seconds which was enough time for Johnson to pick up a much needed ten yards Johnson was hit awkwardly on his left knee by the Spider defender Jamel Jackson effectively ending the senior fullback's season immediately. Though Johnson tried his best to shrug off the pain and walk off the field unassisted the damage was done, and on the sideline the wounded Wonder realized that he might could fool the fans, but not himself!
Evar Johnson, the Wonders clutch fullback took a handoff from QB Justin Hardin and proceeded up the gut for a huge gain. in just five short seconds which was enough time for Johnson to pick up a much needed ten yards Johnson was hit awkwardly on his left knee by the Spider defender Jamel Jackson effectively ending the senior fullback's season immediately. Though Johnson tried his best to shrug off the pain and walk off the field unassisted the damage was done, and on the sideline the wounded Wonder realized that he might could fool the fans, but not himself!
"5 Seconds That Ended a Season for Evar Johnson"
With the season ending injury to Johnson a sequence of events would be set in motion that would alter the outcome of 1998 season. These events would signal that the worm had turned for the Wonders and it would be an uphill battle the rest of the way as the mountain drew ever closer.