2018 Scrapbook
2018 Varsity and J.V. Football Schedules
2018 Varsity Football Schedule
Aug 17: Hopewell *Endowment
Aug 24: @ Marvin Ridge Aug 31: Carson Sep 7: @ Mooresville * MA Sep 14: West Rowan Sep 21: Davie Co Sep 28 ****Bye Week**** Oct 5: @ Central Cabarrus Oct 12: Cox Mill Oct 19: Northwest Cabarrus Oct 26: @ Robinson Nov 2: @ Concord |
2018 J.V. Schedule
Aug 23: Marvin Ridge
Aug 30: @ Carson Sep 6: Mooresville Sep 13: @ West Rowan Sep 20: @ Davie Co Sep 27: ****Bye Week**** Oct 4: Central Cabarrus Oct 11: @ Cox Mill Oct 18: @ Northwest Cabarrus Oct 25: Robinson Nov 1: Concord |
2018 Season Results
Varsity
Kannapolis-54 Hopewell-0 Kannapolis-0 Marvin Ridge-24 Kannapolis-42 Carson-14 Kannapolis-21 Mooresville-24 Kannapolis-42 West Rowan-13 Kannapolis-56 Davie County-27 Kannapolis-30 Central Cabarrus-33 Kannapolis-13 Cox Mill-21 Kannapolis-27 NW Cabarrus-58 Kannapolis-28 J.M. Robinson-17 Kannapolis-54 Concord-0 Playoffs Kannapolis-28 A.C. Reynolds-35 6-6 |
Junior Varsity
Kannapolis-21 Marvin Ridge-35 Kannapolis-34 Carson-7 Kannapolis-42 Mooresville-28 Kannapolis-00 West Rowan-00 PPD Kannapolis-14 Davie County-21 Kannapolis-22 Central Cabarrus-0 Kannapolis-42 Cox Mill-28 Kannapolis-28 NW Cabarrus-0 Kannapolis-48 J.M. Robinson-12 Kannapolis-49 Concord-0 7-2 |
The 2018 A.L. Brown Wonders Varsity Football Team
The 2018 A.L. Brown Wonders Junior Varsity Football Team
Your 2018 Varsity A.L. Brown Wonders
Staff and Positions
Game #1
Kannapolis
vs
Hopewell
KANNAPOLIS – The A.L. Brown football team demonstrated why it’s the No. 2-ranked team in the Cream of Cabarrus rankings, as the Wonders cruised to a devastating 54-0 victory over Hopewell Friday night at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium. The Wonders were dominant. Their defensive linemen swarmed Hopewell quarterback Kasson Mitchell, while their offense used a balance of air and ground attacks. Quarterback Jordan Medley broke the seal with a 5-yard touchdown run in the Wonders’ opening drive. Jaron Cooper, Tyreik Harris and Terry Anderson also recorded rushing touchdowns on the night. Medley also consistently sought out wide receiver Jose Vargas to keep the Titans’ pass defense honest. The Wonders’ all-around effort pushed them out to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter. They extended it to 44-0 at halftime. From there, the Wonders were able to run some clock and allow their most of their players to gain valuable game experience.
RECORDS:
Hopewell 0-1, 0-0 I-MECK 4A Conference; A.L. Brown 1-0, 0-0 South Piedmont 3A Conference
PLAY OF THE GAME:
As A.L. Brown continued to build its lead in the second quarter, Hopewell was able to string together a couple of completions to approach midfield. Hopewell’s Mitchell dropped back from the 39-yard line and hurled a pass toward the right sideline that was picked off by the Wonders’ Josiah Cauthen. The junior safety’s interception was a turning point, making the game seem out of reach for the Titans early on before Cooper and Harris scored later in the quarter.
PRIMETIME PERFORMERS:
Hopewell:
-- Senior quarterback Kasson Mitchell threw for 178 yards, completing 20 of 32 passing attempts.
-- Senior wide receiver Ricardo Stitt recorded five receptions for 95 yards.
A.L. Brown:
-- Jordan Medley threw for 156 yards and one touchdown while completing 11 of 15 passing attempts. He also ran the ball six times for 49 yards and another score.
-- Senior running back Jaron Cooper had five carries for 76 yards and a touchdown.
-- Junior wide receiver Jose Vargas caught seven passes for 99 yards and a touchdown.
3 OBSERVATIONS:
-- A.L. Brown had a couple scores called back for having an illegal man downfield, so the score difference could have been greater.
-- Eight different A.L Brown players reached the end zone.
-- Hopewell’s pass-heavy attack was able to find openings in the defense on the sidelines.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
A.L. Brown will travel to take on 1-0 Marvin Ridge next Friday, while Hopewell will travel to Independence, which was idle this week.
GAME SUMMARY:
Hopewell 0 0 0 0 -- 0
A.L. Brown 14 30 7 3 -- 54
FIRST QUARTER:
ALB- Jordan Medley 5 run (Alexis Gutierrez kick)
ALB- Terry Anderson 10 run (Gutierrez kick)
SECOND QUARTER:
ALB- Jose Vargas 17 pass from Medley (Gutierrez kick)
ALB- Josiah Cauthen 39 int (Gutierrez kick)
ALB- Jaron Cooper 43 run (Gutierrez kick)
ALB- Safety
ALB- Tyreik Harris 17 run (Gutierrez kick)
THIRD QUARTER:
ALB- Lee Davis 45 run (Bryan Noguera kick)
FOURTH QUARTER:
ALB- Gutierrez 22 FG
RECORDS:
Hopewell 0-1, 0-0 I-MECK 4A Conference; A.L. Brown 1-0, 0-0 South Piedmont 3A Conference
PLAY OF THE GAME:
As A.L. Brown continued to build its lead in the second quarter, Hopewell was able to string together a couple of completions to approach midfield. Hopewell’s Mitchell dropped back from the 39-yard line and hurled a pass toward the right sideline that was picked off by the Wonders’ Josiah Cauthen. The junior safety’s interception was a turning point, making the game seem out of reach for the Titans early on before Cooper and Harris scored later in the quarter.
PRIMETIME PERFORMERS:
Hopewell:
-- Senior quarterback Kasson Mitchell threw for 178 yards, completing 20 of 32 passing attempts.
-- Senior wide receiver Ricardo Stitt recorded five receptions for 95 yards.
A.L. Brown:
-- Jordan Medley threw for 156 yards and one touchdown while completing 11 of 15 passing attempts. He also ran the ball six times for 49 yards and another score.
-- Senior running back Jaron Cooper had five carries for 76 yards and a touchdown.
-- Junior wide receiver Jose Vargas caught seven passes for 99 yards and a touchdown.
3 OBSERVATIONS:
-- A.L. Brown had a couple scores called back for having an illegal man downfield, so the score difference could have been greater.
-- Eight different A.L Brown players reached the end zone.
-- Hopewell’s pass-heavy attack was able to find openings in the defense on the sidelines.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
A.L. Brown will travel to take on 1-0 Marvin Ridge next Friday, while Hopewell will travel to Independence, which was idle this week.
GAME SUMMARY:
Hopewell 0 0 0 0 -- 0
A.L. Brown 14 30 7 3 -- 54
FIRST QUARTER:
ALB- Jordan Medley 5 run (Alexis Gutierrez kick)
ALB- Terry Anderson 10 run (Gutierrez kick)
SECOND QUARTER:
ALB- Jose Vargas 17 pass from Medley (Gutierrez kick)
ALB- Josiah Cauthen 39 int (Gutierrez kick)
ALB- Jaron Cooper 43 run (Gutierrez kick)
ALB- Safety
ALB- Tyreik Harris 17 run (Gutierrez kick)
THIRD QUARTER:
ALB- Lee Davis 45 run (Bryan Noguera kick)
FOURTH QUARTER:
ALB- Gutierrez 22 FG
Pre Game Gallery
Action Gallery #1
Action Gallery #2
Game #2
Kannapolis
vs
Marvin Ridge
Kannapolis-0 Marvin Ridge-24
WAXHAW – Last week, the A.L. Brown football delivered a crushing 54-0 shutout of Hopewell in Kannapolis to start the season. On Friday, the Wonders themselves were held scoreless, as the Marvin Ridge Mavericks toppled A.L. Brown, 24-0, in Union County. It’s the first time A.L. Brown has been kept scoreless since falling to Hough, 14-0, in October 2013. It also was the second time in as many seasons that the Mavericks have defeated A.L. Brown by a wide margin, with Friday’s outcome following last season’s 35-14 decision at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium.
A.L. Brown’s record fell to an even 1-1 after the non-conference defeat, and Marvin Ridge stays perfect at 2-0. The Mavericks scored early and often, jumping out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. Marvin Ridge had senior running back Caleb Woodley to thank for its early cushion. He scored three touchdowns in the first quarter on runs of 12, 1 and 10 yards, respectively. Senior kicker and punter Jason Stricker nailed a 44-yard field goal in the second quarter, increasing the Mavericks lead to 24-0.
The game started off auspiciously for the Wonders. They won the coin toss but deferred to Marvin Ridge until the second half. The A.L. Brown defense managed a three-and-out of the Mavericks, but the Wonders struggled to contain their opponent for the rest of the quarter. The Wonders return home next week to face Carson. Marvin Ridge will remain home and face Ardrey Kell.
Game #3
Kannapolis
vs
Carson
KANNAPOLIS – The A.L. Brown football team bounced back from last week’s loss at Marvin Ridge with an impressive 42-14 home victory over Carson Friday night. After starting quarterback Jordan Medley went down with a toe injury last week, the Wonders brought new energy back to Kannapolis Memorial Stadium, and sophomore quarterback Isaiah Black stepped up nicely with 182 yards and three touchdown passes.
“We told the kids all week that we just had to play like ourselves,” A.L. Brown coach Mike Newsome said. “We were focused on playing our best football game. We were physical, tough, ran the ball and threw it when we had to.”
The Wonders had two touchdowns called back on their opening drive Friday but were able to battle back and show their versatility by airing the ball out and letting senior running back Terry Anderson break the seal by punching in the first score with a 5-yard run. They heaped on three more touchdowns before halftime. Nick Lyerly scored on a 6-yard run, while Jose Vargas and senior wideout Antonio Knight each hauled in receiving touchdowns to make the score 28-0 at the break. Vargas even connected on a 38-yard wide receiver pass to Knight. Everything was flowing for the Wonders.
“We just kept working on it,” Vargas said. “We ran over it a couple times in practice, so when they called it up, I was ready to go.”
Added Knight: “We had to make up for last week.”
Both teams were scoreless in the third quarter, but the Wonders extended their lead on the first play of the fourth quarter when sophomore quarterback Isaiah Black slung a 24-yard touchdown pass to Knight. Black went on to hurl a 41-yard scoring pass to tight end Steven Robinson in response to Carson’s first score of the night, a 6-yard run by Hunter Courtney. However, it wasn’t all about offense for the Wonders. The Cougars entered this week undefeated and relied on a run-heavy offense. They ran the ball 49 times for more than 200 yards, but for a majority of the game, the Wonders had them in check. Senior linebacker Justin Holsclaw laid some major hits and anchored the defense for the Wonders
“(The Cougars) run a triple option,” explained Holsclaw. “When I saw them heading to the right, I played the quarterback’s pitch and things went our way.”
RECORDS:
Carson is 2-1 overall and 0-0 North Piedmont 3A Conference; A.L. Brown is 2-1, 0-0 South Piedmont 3A.
THE PLAY OF THE GAME:
When the score was 35-7, the Wonders stormed down to the Carson 29-yard-line. From there, Jaron Cooper powered through multiple defenders on a relentless, 29-yard touchdown run for their final score of the game.
“It felt good,” Cooper said. “I’m a team player. I’m going to do what I have do and put my team first. I’m big, so if I keep running, eventually something will open up.”
PRIMETIME PERFORMERS:
Carson:
-- Senior quarterback Justin Smith ran for 75 yards and one touchdown while completing one of four pass attempts for 15 yards.
-- Junior running back Hunter Courtney ran for 62 yards and one touchdown, and caught a pass for 15 yards.
A.L. Brown:
-- Black was impressive in his debut while throwing for 182 yards and three scores.
-- Knight had three receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 40 yards.
-- Cooper rushed for 95 yards and had a touchdown
WHAT’S UP NEXT:
A.L. Brown will play at Mooresville High School next Friday, while Carson will return home to play North Rowan.
GAME SUMMARY:
A.L. Brown 7 21 0 14 -- 42
Carson 0 0 0 14 -- 14
“We told the kids all week that we just had to play like ourselves,” A.L. Brown coach Mike Newsome said. “We were focused on playing our best football game. We were physical, tough, ran the ball and threw it when we had to.”
The Wonders had two touchdowns called back on their opening drive Friday but were able to battle back and show their versatility by airing the ball out and letting senior running back Terry Anderson break the seal by punching in the first score with a 5-yard run. They heaped on three more touchdowns before halftime. Nick Lyerly scored on a 6-yard run, while Jose Vargas and senior wideout Antonio Knight each hauled in receiving touchdowns to make the score 28-0 at the break. Vargas even connected on a 38-yard wide receiver pass to Knight. Everything was flowing for the Wonders.
“We just kept working on it,” Vargas said. “We ran over it a couple times in practice, so when they called it up, I was ready to go.”
Added Knight: “We had to make up for last week.”
Both teams were scoreless in the third quarter, but the Wonders extended their lead on the first play of the fourth quarter when sophomore quarterback Isaiah Black slung a 24-yard touchdown pass to Knight. Black went on to hurl a 41-yard scoring pass to tight end Steven Robinson in response to Carson’s first score of the night, a 6-yard run by Hunter Courtney. However, it wasn’t all about offense for the Wonders. The Cougars entered this week undefeated and relied on a run-heavy offense. They ran the ball 49 times for more than 200 yards, but for a majority of the game, the Wonders had them in check. Senior linebacker Justin Holsclaw laid some major hits and anchored the defense for the Wonders
“(The Cougars) run a triple option,” explained Holsclaw. “When I saw them heading to the right, I played the quarterback’s pitch and things went our way.”
RECORDS:
Carson is 2-1 overall and 0-0 North Piedmont 3A Conference; A.L. Brown is 2-1, 0-0 South Piedmont 3A.
THE PLAY OF THE GAME:
When the score was 35-7, the Wonders stormed down to the Carson 29-yard-line. From there, Jaron Cooper powered through multiple defenders on a relentless, 29-yard touchdown run for their final score of the game.
“It felt good,” Cooper said. “I’m a team player. I’m going to do what I have do and put my team first. I’m big, so if I keep running, eventually something will open up.”
PRIMETIME PERFORMERS:
Carson:
-- Senior quarterback Justin Smith ran for 75 yards and one touchdown while completing one of four pass attempts for 15 yards.
-- Junior running back Hunter Courtney ran for 62 yards and one touchdown, and caught a pass for 15 yards.
A.L. Brown:
-- Black was impressive in his debut while throwing for 182 yards and three scores.
-- Knight had three receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 40 yards.
-- Cooper rushed for 95 yards and had a touchdown
WHAT’S UP NEXT:
A.L. Brown will play at Mooresville High School next Friday, while Carson will return home to play North Rowan.
GAME SUMMARY:
A.L. Brown 7 21 0 14 -- 42
Carson 0 0 0 14 -- 14
Action Gallery #1
Action Gallery #2
Game #4
Kannapolis
vs
Mooresville
MOORESVILLE – Resilient is the one word first-year Mooresville football coach Thad Wells used to describe his team after the Blue Devils (3-0) turned A.L. Brown (2-2) over on downs and recovered a fumble in the last five minutes to secure a 24-21 win Friday night.
After turning the Wonders over on downs with 5:30 left, the Blue Devils took their own crack at turning the ball over on downs fewer than 30 seconds later. But a fumble by A.L. Brown quarterback Jordan Medley and a recovery by Mooresville’s Ellis Benjamin gave Mooresville the ball back with a fewer than three minutes remaining. Following two Kannapolis timeouts, Mooresville QB Hunter DeBerardino found Shawn Hill on third and eight for a decisive first down that ultimately allowed the Blue Devils to knee the clock out and stay unbeaten. Wells said he was proud of his defense’s effort tonight.
“Both teams struggled with penalties tonight and had some points left on the field but we are just proud of our defense for bailing us out at times,” Wells said. “Offense moved the ball but got stuck in the red zone a couple of times but the defense came up big in the fourth quarter with a couple of stops.”
Trailing 10-7 at halftime, A.L. Brown scored a touchdown on its first possession of the second half. But Mooresville responded with a 12-yard touchdown run by Glenwood Robinson two plays after Keshaun Black retuned the Wonders’ kickoff 75 yards into Kannapolis territory. Kannapolis would return the favor, scoring on a 37-yard Medley touchdown pass to Jose Vargas on what was the duo’s second touchdown connection of the evening. The touchdown, with 5:42 left in the third, gave the Wonders a 21-17 lead. After trading multiple three-and-outs and an interception by both teams, Mooresville finally found the end zone again with 6:23 left in the fourth quarter when DeBerardino found Quamir Conner on a wheel route for a 51-yard touchdown and what would be the game-winning score.
“Our offensive coordinator, Coach Helms, has a done a great job of getting our offense better each week,” Wells said. “He always seems to call big plays at the right time. It was a big throw and catch by Q Conner right there.”
Conner led the Mooresville offense with 110 rushing yards on 29 carries adding two catches for 85 yards and a receiving touchdown. DeBerardino pitched in 240 passing yards on 15-31 passing with two touchdowns. On a night where DeBerardino put up consistent numbers, he heaped the praise on his defense for closing the game out when they needed to.
“It was all a good team effort at the end,” the junior quarterback said. “Our defense just locked them down and shut them out.”
GAME SUMMARY:
Mooresville: 3 7 7 7—24
A.L. Brown: 7 0 14 0—21
First Quarter:
M—Isaac Riffle 23-yard Field Goal, 7:55
ALB—Jaron Cooper 1-yard run (Alex Gutierrez PAT), 4:09
Second Quarter:
M—DeBerardino 5-yard pass to Treymin Jackson (Riffle PAT), 9:54
Third Quarter:
ALB—Medley 19-yard pass to Vargas (Gutierrez PAT), 8:39
M—Glenwood 12-yard run (Riffle PAT), 8:11
ALB—Medley 37-yard pass to Vargas (Gutierrez PAT), 5:42
Fourth Quarter:
M—DeBerardino 51-yard pass to Conner (Riffle PAT), 6:23
Action Gallery #1
Action Gallery #2
Game #5
Kannapolis
VS
West Rowan
Kannapolis-42 West Rowan-13
By David Shaw: [email protected]
KANNAPOLIS —If West Rowan was looking for trouble, it came to the right place Wednesday night. Eighteen years after beating A.L. Brown for the first time in a memorable South Piedmont Conference showdown, the Falcons are still looking to do it again. Last night at Memorial Stadium — where West has never prevailed —the host Wonders delivered a spirited punch in the mouth.
“I think we came out sluggish and were never into it,” defensive end Levontae Jacobs said, after the Falcons dropped a 42-13 non-league decision. “That’s part of it. They were also a lot better tonight.”
The scoreboard testified as much. Playing mid-week due to an imminent hurricane, West (2-2) looked unprepared for Brown’s damn-the-torpedoes offense that featured a circus of big plays.
“Their defense was giving us the short, easy plays,” winning quarterback Jordan Medley said after the Wonders improved to 3-2. “That just opened up bigger plays for me to run and throw.”
Medley had a field day at West’s expense, passing for 260 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for two additional scores. Brown’s well-oiled offense amassed 481 total yards and scored on five consecutive possessions to crack open what had been a tight, scoreless first quarter. The Wonders recorded 11 plays that gained at least 15 yards and two that topped 40.
“They came out, they executed and they made plays when we didn’t,” said disappointed West coach Joe Nixon. “We didn’t do enough.”
West didn’t do much, particularly on defense. It was a 7-7 match midway through the second period before Brown scored three touchdowns in less than four minutes. Medley launched the pivotal sequence with a 6-yard TD pass to 6-3 junior Jose Vargas on the left side with 3:45 remaining in the half. Following a quick three-and-out, Jaron Cooper took a handoff and scored on a 27-yard sweep to the left, again attacking the spongy right side of West’s defense. And when Brown regained possession with 59.2 seconds on the clock, Medley directed a 69-yard scoring drive capped by Nick Lyerly’s 9-yard touchdown catch — on a left-side lob — with 0:00 remaining.
“Scoring with no time left, that was a big play,” Medley said. “It took the soul out of them. Up 28-7 at the half, I ain’t saying that’s comfortable. But it sure felt pretty good.”
Brown’s dagger-in-the-heart scoring drive included Medley’s 45-yard sideline completion to receiver Antonio Knight (6 catches/108 yards). A horse-collar penalty against the Falcons — one of their 15 infractions — moved the ball to the nine with just seconds to go.
“Mainly, it was just blown assignments,” said West linebacker Daniel Durham. “We couldn’t get lined up right and kept getting plays wrong. They were good at blocking us and using their speed to get to the outside. Once they got around the corner, it was basically an open field.”
There was some good news for West. Quarterback Payne Stolsworth and wideout Jalen Houston remain the county’s hottest combo after connecting four times for 88 yards — including a 37-yard touchdown play early in the second half. Stolsworth finished with 176 passing yards and two touchdown throws, but he spent much of the night running from the surge of hungry defenders.
“We knew we were facing adversity this week,” said Knight, who joined Lyerly (7 catches/117 yards) as a 100-yard receiver. “Everyone’s up against the storm. We’ve known since Monday we could be playing tonight. Whoever dealt with that adversity best, they would win the game.”
West may have sealed its fate late in the first quarter, when Stolsworth marched his unit to Brown 3-yard line following a fumble recovery by Jacobs deep in enemy territory. But on first-and-goal, a false start backed the Falcons up five yards. On second-and-goal, an illegal-man-downfield penalty moved the ball to the 15. Then came two incompletions and a fourth-down sack, ending the threat.
“Yeah, it was tight early,” Nixon said. “And we had some chances, but didn’t finish a couple drives. After that we were just trying to hold on until halftime.”
Brown extended its lead to 35-13 on Medley’s 10-yard bootleg early in the third quarter and added a rub-it-in touchdown when Knight scored on an 11-yard reception with 10:47 to play.
“We can’t hang our heads and blame each other,” Durham said. “We’ve been working four weeks to win this game. We’ve just got to go back to practice and work even harder.”
NOTES: Stolsworth completed 14 of 31 passes without throwing an interception. He was sacked three times and lost a fourth-quarter fumble that Brown’s Alante Johnson recovered. … West’s running game never found its legs (44 yards rushing), but senior Jaden Perry had 76 on 16 carries. … Ty’kese Warren scored West’s first touchdown on a first-quarter pass from Stolsworth. … Both teams return to action on Sept. 21. The Falcons host Concord and Brown entertains Davie County.
KANNAPOLIS – The Cream of Cabarrus fifth-ranked A.L. Brown Wonders turned a short week into a long night for the visiting West Rowan Falcons. The Wonders used a three-touchdown barrage inside the final four minutes of the first half to race past the Falcons, 42-13, in a non-conference high school football game Wednesday. Like most of the other Cabarrus County’s teams, and many across the state, A.L. Brown pushed its game up a couple days because of Hurricane Florence’s potential impending impact on the region. Wonders coach Mike Newsome was happy to play a game only five days after a heartbreaking defeat to Mooresville on Friday.
“After a loss, it’s really kind of a blessing to be able to play,” said Newsome. “Now it’s a tough turnaround. Football is the only sport that after you lose a game, you have to wait a whole week before you can redeem yourself.
“It’s just the best thing with this weather coming in.”
Senior quarterback Jordan Medley threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more while totaling 282 yards (219 passing, 63 rushing). In the final 3 minutes, 45 seconds of the second quarter, he threw for two of his scores and led the Wonders on an additional touchdown drive as they built a 28-7 halftime edge. West Rowan closed the gap on its first drive of the second half when it covered 53 yards on four plays for a score. A.L. Brown responded within a minute with the help of Nick Lyerly’s 44-yard catch-and-run, which led to Medley’s 10-yard touchdown run.
RECORDS:
West Rowan 2-2, 0-0 North Piedmont 3A; A.L. Brown 3-2, 0-0 South Piedmont 3A
THE PLAY OF THE GAME:
Shortly after it built a 21-7 second-quarter lead, A.L. Brown got the ball back at its own 37-yard line with 59 seconds left before halftime. The Wonders had no timeouts remaining. A 44-yard pass from Medley to Antonio Knight, extended by a 15-yard Falcons penalty at the end of the play, put the ball at the West Rowan 9. A running play yielded no yardage as the clock ticked inside 10 seconds. The Wonders hurried to get off one last play. Medley took the snap and rolled to his left as the buzzer sounded to end the half. He zipped a pass to a wide-open Lyerly near the back of the end zone for an easy touchdown.
PRIMETIME PERFORMERS:
West Rowan:
-- Speedy receiver Jalen Houston caught four passes for 87 yards and a 37-yard touchdown.
-- Senior linebacker Baiden Suddarth had eight tackles including six in the first half.
A.L. Brown:
-- Senior running back Jaron Cooper rushed for a game-high 93 yards on nine carries and scored once.
-- Knight had a game-high 90 receiving yards and a touchdown on six catches.
-- Senior defensive lineman Alante Johnson had three sacks, including one that led to his own fumble recovery.
3 OBSERVATIONS:
-- Cooper had a solid start to his game, but he got even better after he had a second-quarter wardrobe malfunction. Cooper usually wears No. 23, but his jersey got torn, forcing him to wear a different one. After he switched to No. 20, he gained 47 yards on his next two carries, including a 27-yard score.
-- On West Rowan’s 63-yard scoring drive in the second quarter, A.L. Brown was flagged three times for 35 yards, including two face mask penalties. On the first one, a West Rowan player lost his helmet. On the second one, it looked like the Falcons’ ball carrier had his head turned about 45 degrees.
-- The Wonders reached the West Rowan 7-yard line with 1:40 left in the game, easily enough time to tack on another score. In a classy move, A.L. Brown took two penalties and had its backup quarterback take a knee on two plays to kill the clock.
WHAT’S UP NEXT:
On Sept. 21, West Rowan plays host to Concord, while A.L. Brown faces its final non-conference foe, Davie, at home.
GAME SUMMARY:
West Rowan 0 7 6 0 -- 13
A.L. Brown 0 28 7 7 -- 42
First Quarter:
No scoring
Second Quarter:
ALB – Jordan Medley 3 run (Alex Gutierrez kick)
WR – Ty’Kese Warren 6 pass from Payne Stolsworth (Fredrico Cruz kick)
ALB – Jose Vargas 6 pass from Medley (Gutierrez kick)
ALB – Jaron Cooper 27 run (Gutierrez kick)
ALB – Nick Lyerly 9 pass from Medley (Gutierrez kick)
Third Quarter:
WR – Jalen Houston 37 pass from Stolsworth (Cruz kick)
ALB – Medley 10 run (Gutierrez kick)
Fourth Quarter:
ALB - Antonio Knight 11 pass from Medley (Gutierrez kick)
KANNAPOLIS —If West Rowan was looking for trouble, it came to the right place Wednesday night. Eighteen years after beating A.L. Brown for the first time in a memorable South Piedmont Conference showdown, the Falcons are still looking to do it again. Last night at Memorial Stadium — where West has never prevailed —the host Wonders delivered a spirited punch in the mouth.
“I think we came out sluggish and were never into it,” defensive end Levontae Jacobs said, after the Falcons dropped a 42-13 non-league decision. “That’s part of it. They were also a lot better tonight.”
The scoreboard testified as much. Playing mid-week due to an imminent hurricane, West (2-2) looked unprepared for Brown’s damn-the-torpedoes offense that featured a circus of big plays.
“Their defense was giving us the short, easy plays,” winning quarterback Jordan Medley said after the Wonders improved to 3-2. “That just opened up bigger plays for me to run and throw.”
Medley had a field day at West’s expense, passing for 260 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for two additional scores. Brown’s well-oiled offense amassed 481 total yards and scored on five consecutive possessions to crack open what had been a tight, scoreless first quarter. The Wonders recorded 11 plays that gained at least 15 yards and two that topped 40.
“They came out, they executed and they made plays when we didn’t,” said disappointed West coach Joe Nixon. “We didn’t do enough.”
West didn’t do much, particularly on defense. It was a 7-7 match midway through the second period before Brown scored three touchdowns in less than four minutes. Medley launched the pivotal sequence with a 6-yard TD pass to 6-3 junior Jose Vargas on the left side with 3:45 remaining in the half. Following a quick three-and-out, Jaron Cooper took a handoff and scored on a 27-yard sweep to the left, again attacking the spongy right side of West’s defense. And when Brown regained possession with 59.2 seconds on the clock, Medley directed a 69-yard scoring drive capped by Nick Lyerly’s 9-yard touchdown catch — on a left-side lob — with 0:00 remaining.
“Scoring with no time left, that was a big play,” Medley said. “It took the soul out of them. Up 28-7 at the half, I ain’t saying that’s comfortable. But it sure felt pretty good.”
Brown’s dagger-in-the-heart scoring drive included Medley’s 45-yard sideline completion to receiver Antonio Knight (6 catches/108 yards). A horse-collar penalty against the Falcons — one of their 15 infractions — moved the ball to the nine with just seconds to go.
“Mainly, it was just blown assignments,” said West linebacker Daniel Durham. “We couldn’t get lined up right and kept getting plays wrong. They were good at blocking us and using their speed to get to the outside. Once they got around the corner, it was basically an open field.”
There was some good news for West. Quarterback Payne Stolsworth and wideout Jalen Houston remain the county’s hottest combo after connecting four times for 88 yards — including a 37-yard touchdown play early in the second half. Stolsworth finished with 176 passing yards and two touchdown throws, but he spent much of the night running from the surge of hungry defenders.
“We knew we were facing adversity this week,” said Knight, who joined Lyerly (7 catches/117 yards) as a 100-yard receiver. “Everyone’s up against the storm. We’ve known since Monday we could be playing tonight. Whoever dealt with that adversity best, they would win the game.”
West may have sealed its fate late in the first quarter, when Stolsworth marched his unit to Brown 3-yard line following a fumble recovery by Jacobs deep in enemy territory. But on first-and-goal, a false start backed the Falcons up five yards. On second-and-goal, an illegal-man-downfield penalty moved the ball to the 15. Then came two incompletions and a fourth-down sack, ending the threat.
“Yeah, it was tight early,” Nixon said. “And we had some chances, but didn’t finish a couple drives. After that we were just trying to hold on until halftime.”
Brown extended its lead to 35-13 on Medley’s 10-yard bootleg early in the third quarter and added a rub-it-in touchdown when Knight scored on an 11-yard reception with 10:47 to play.
“We can’t hang our heads and blame each other,” Durham said. “We’ve been working four weeks to win this game. We’ve just got to go back to practice and work even harder.”
NOTES: Stolsworth completed 14 of 31 passes without throwing an interception. He was sacked three times and lost a fourth-quarter fumble that Brown’s Alante Johnson recovered. … West’s running game never found its legs (44 yards rushing), but senior Jaden Perry had 76 on 16 carries. … Ty’kese Warren scored West’s first touchdown on a first-quarter pass from Stolsworth. … Both teams return to action on Sept. 21. The Falcons host Concord and Brown entertains Davie County.
KANNAPOLIS – The Cream of Cabarrus fifth-ranked A.L. Brown Wonders turned a short week into a long night for the visiting West Rowan Falcons. The Wonders used a three-touchdown barrage inside the final four minutes of the first half to race past the Falcons, 42-13, in a non-conference high school football game Wednesday. Like most of the other Cabarrus County’s teams, and many across the state, A.L. Brown pushed its game up a couple days because of Hurricane Florence’s potential impending impact on the region. Wonders coach Mike Newsome was happy to play a game only five days after a heartbreaking defeat to Mooresville on Friday.
“After a loss, it’s really kind of a blessing to be able to play,” said Newsome. “Now it’s a tough turnaround. Football is the only sport that after you lose a game, you have to wait a whole week before you can redeem yourself.
“It’s just the best thing with this weather coming in.”
Senior quarterback Jordan Medley threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more while totaling 282 yards (219 passing, 63 rushing). In the final 3 minutes, 45 seconds of the second quarter, he threw for two of his scores and led the Wonders on an additional touchdown drive as they built a 28-7 halftime edge. West Rowan closed the gap on its first drive of the second half when it covered 53 yards on four plays for a score. A.L. Brown responded within a minute with the help of Nick Lyerly’s 44-yard catch-and-run, which led to Medley’s 10-yard touchdown run.
RECORDS:
West Rowan 2-2, 0-0 North Piedmont 3A; A.L. Brown 3-2, 0-0 South Piedmont 3A
THE PLAY OF THE GAME:
Shortly after it built a 21-7 second-quarter lead, A.L. Brown got the ball back at its own 37-yard line with 59 seconds left before halftime. The Wonders had no timeouts remaining. A 44-yard pass from Medley to Antonio Knight, extended by a 15-yard Falcons penalty at the end of the play, put the ball at the West Rowan 9. A running play yielded no yardage as the clock ticked inside 10 seconds. The Wonders hurried to get off one last play. Medley took the snap and rolled to his left as the buzzer sounded to end the half. He zipped a pass to a wide-open Lyerly near the back of the end zone for an easy touchdown.
PRIMETIME PERFORMERS:
West Rowan:
-- Speedy receiver Jalen Houston caught four passes for 87 yards and a 37-yard touchdown.
-- Senior linebacker Baiden Suddarth had eight tackles including six in the first half.
A.L. Brown:
-- Senior running back Jaron Cooper rushed for a game-high 93 yards on nine carries and scored once.
-- Knight had a game-high 90 receiving yards and a touchdown on six catches.
-- Senior defensive lineman Alante Johnson had three sacks, including one that led to his own fumble recovery.
3 OBSERVATIONS:
-- Cooper had a solid start to his game, but he got even better after he had a second-quarter wardrobe malfunction. Cooper usually wears No. 23, but his jersey got torn, forcing him to wear a different one. After he switched to No. 20, he gained 47 yards on his next two carries, including a 27-yard score.
-- On West Rowan’s 63-yard scoring drive in the second quarter, A.L. Brown was flagged three times for 35 yards, including two face mask penalties. On the first one, a West Rowan player lost his helmet. On the second one, it looked like the Falcons’ ball carrier had his head turned about 45 degrees.
-- The Wonders reached the West Rowan 7-yard line with 1:40 left in the game, easily enough time to tack on another score. In a classy move, A.L. Brown took two penalties and had its backup quarterback take a knee on two plays to kill the clock.
WHAT’S UP NEXT:
On Sept. 21, West Rowan plays host to Concord, while A.L. Brown faces its final non-conference foe, Davie, at home.
GAME SUMMARY:
West Rowan 0 7 6 0 -- 13
A.L. Brown 0 28 7 7 -- 42
First Quarter:
No scoring
Second Quarter:
ALB – Jordan Medley 3 run (Alex Gutierrez kick)
WR – Ty’Kese Warren 6 pass from Payne Stolsworth (Fredrico Cruz kick)
ALB – Jose Vargas 6 pass from Medley (Gutierrez kick)
ALB – Jaron Cooper 27 run (Gutierrez kick)
ALB – Nick Lyerly 9 pass from Medley (Gutierrez kick)
Third Quarter:
WR – Jalen Houston 37 pass from Stolsworth (Cruz kick)
ALB – Medley 10 run (Gutierrez kick)
Fourth Quarter:
ALB - Antonio Knight 11 pass from Medley (Gutierrez kick)
Action Gallery
**Photos Courtesy of Crystal Pearson Photography**
Game #6
Kannapolis
VS
Davie County
:
KANNAPOLIS – The Cream of Cabarrus fifth-ranked A.L. Brown football team used a dominant third quarter to pull away from Davie for a 56-27 win Friday night at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium. The game got off to a slow start for the Wonders, who led 7-0 after the first quarter. However, things started clicking for senior quarterback Jordan Medley in the second, as he led the A.L. Brown offense to 21 points. The War Eagles cut the deficit to 28-20 at halftime, but A.L. Brown got the ball to start the half and continued their destruction of the scoreboard with a 28-point outburst in the third quarter. Medley got the surge going by throwing for 61 yards on the second half’s opening drive, capping it with a 19-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Jose Vargas.
“I knew we were getting the ball when we came back out,” said A. L. Brown coach Mike Newsome. “I knew if we could drive down and score right when we came back out from halftime, that was going to put us up two scores ahead. As fast as we were moving, as efficient as we were, I knew if we could get two scores ahead, (the War Eagles) were going to have some trouble catching back up"
Medley finished the night with four total touchdowns, three passing and one rushing, to go with 260 yards through the air and 53 more on the ground.
“I’m confident in Jordan Medley every time we put him in,” Newsome said. “Every time he walks out on the field, I’m confident in him. I think that kid is a superstar. I think he is an unbelievable player.”
RECORDS:
Davie 3-3, 0-0 Central Piedmont 4-A Conference; A.L. Brown 4-2, 0-0 South Piedmont 3A
THE PLAY OF THE GAME:
After Medley found Vargas for the 19-yard score, the War Eagles engineered a drive that got them to the A.L. Brown 20 on third down. Quarterback Nate Hampton scrambled left and headed for the first down before being met by three Wonder defenders.
Before going to the ground, Hampton fumbled, and defensive end Alante Johnson scooped the ball up and rumbled down the sideline for the touchdown to give A.L. Brown a 42-20 lead with about halfway through the third.
PRIMETIME PERFORMERS:
Davie
-- Jack Reynolds caught a slant pass, broke a tackle, and ended up with a 68-yard touchdown.
A.L. Brown:
-- Knight was instrumental in the second quarter, hauling in a 47-yard touchdown and a catching a 37-yard pass to the War Eagles’ 1-yard line to set up another score.
-- Vargas’ 19-yard touchdown catch got the Wonders’ offense going in the third quarter.
OBSERVATIONS:
– The War Eagles got off to a good start by relying on their run game early. But when the Wonders got going, it proved disastrous for Davie quarterback Nate Hampton, who had the fumbled returned for a touchdown and threw an interception on the subsequent drive after being pressured by the Wonders’ defensive line.
– The way A.L. Brown came out in the second half and took over was impressive. The Wonders were impressive on both sides of the ball. While the score might imply that the A.L. Brown offense was the story of the game, the defense didn’t allow a touchdown in the second half until 1 minute, 8 seconds remained in the game.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
The Wonders are idle next week before heading to Central Cabarrus on Oct. 5 to start their conference slate. Davie also gets a week off before taking on R.J. Reynolds.
GAME SUMMARY:
Davie 7 13 0 7 -- 27
A.L. Brown 7 21 28 0 -- 56
FIRST QUARTER:
D - Nate Hampton 1 run (Skyler Shoppe kick)
ALB - Nick Lyerly 4 run (Alex Gutierrez kick)
SECOND QUARTER:
D - Jack Reynolds 68 pass from Hampton (kick failed)
ALB - Lyerly 16 pass from Jordan Medley (Gutierrez kick)
ALB - Antonio Knight 47 pass from Medley (Gutierrez kick)
ALB - Lee Anthony Davis 1 run (Gutierrez kick)
DC - Dnico Harris 11 run (Shoppe kick)
THIRD QUARTER:
ALB - Jose Vargas 19 pass from Medley (Gutierrez kick)
ALB - Alante Johnson 85 fumble return (Gutierrez kick)
ALB - Jaron Cooper 5 run (Gutierrez kick)
ALB - Medley 31 run (Gutierrez kick)
FOURTH QUARTER:
D - Adrian Cranfill 13 run (Shoppe kick)
KANNAPOLIS – The Cream of Cabarrus fifth-ranked A.L. Brown football team used a dominant third quarter to pull away from Davie for a 56-27 win Friday night at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium. The game got off to a slow start for the Wonders, who led 7-0 after the first quarter. However, things started clicking for senior quarterback Jordan Medley in the second, as he led the A.L. Brown offense to 21 points. The War Eagles cut the deficit to 28-20 at halftime, but A.L. Brown got the ball to start the half and continued their destruction of the scoreboard with a 28-point outburst in the third quarter. Medley got the surge going by throwing for 61 yards on the second half’s opening drive, capping it with a 19-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Jose Vargas.
“I knew we were getting the ball when we came back out,” said A. L. Brown coach Mike Newsome. “I knew if we could drive down and score right when we came back out from halftime, that was going to put us up two scores ahead. As fast as we were moving, as efficient as we were, I knew if we could get two scores ahead, (the War Eagles) were going to have some trouble catching back up"
Medley finished the night with four total touchdowns, three passing and one rushing, to go with 260 yards through the air and 53 more on the ground.
“I’m confident in Jordan Medley every time we put him in,” Newsome said. “Every time he walks out on the field, I’m confident in him. I think that kid is a superstar. I think he is an unbelievable player.”
RECORDS:
Davie 3-3, 0-0 Central Piedmont 4-A Conference; A.L. Brown 4-2, 0-0 South Piedmont 3A
THE PLAY OF THE GAME:
After Medley found Vargas for the 19-yard score, the War Eagles engineered a drive that got them to the A.L. Brown 20 on third down. Quarterback Nate Hampton scrambled left and headed for the first down before being met by three Wonder defenders.
Before going to the ground, Hampton fumbled, and defensive end Alante Johnson scooped the ball up and rumbled down the sideline for the touchdown to give A.L. Brown a 42-20 lead with about halfway through the third.
PRIMETIME PERFORMERS:
Davie
-- Jack Reynolds caught a slant pass, broke a tackle, and ended up with a 68-yard touchdown.
A.L. Brown:
-- Knight was instrumental in the second quarter, hauling in a 47-yard touchdown and a catching a 37-yard pass to the War Eagles’ 1-yard line to set up another score.
-- Vargas’ 19-yard touchdown catch got the Wonders’ offense going in the third quarter.
OBSERVATIONS:
– The War Eagles got off to a good start by relying on their run game early. But when the Wonders got going, it proved disastrous for Davie quarterback Nate Hampton, who had the fumbled returned for a touchdown and threw an interception on the subsequent drive after being pressured by the Wonders’ defensive line.
– The way A.L. Brown came out in the second half and took over was impressive. The Wonders were impressive on both sides of the ball. While the score might imply that the A.L. Brown offense was the story of the game, the defense didn’t allow a touchdown in the second half until 1 minute, 8 seconds remained in the game.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
The Wonders are idle next week before heading to Central Cabarrus on Oct. 5 to start their conference slate. Davie also gets a week off before taking on R.J. Reynolds.
GAME SUMMARY:
Davie 7 13 0 7 -- 27
A.L. Brown 7 21 28 0 -- 56
FIRST QUARTER:
D - Nate Hampton 1 run (Skyler Shoppe kick)
ALB - Nick Lyerly 4 run (Alex Gutierrez kick)
SECOND QUARTER:
D - Jack Reynolds 68 pass from Hampton (kick failed)
ALB - Lyerly 16 pass from Jordan Medley (Gutierrez kick)
ALB - Antonio Knight 47 pass from Medley (Gutierrez kick)
ALB - Lee Anthony Davis 1 run (Gutierrez kick)
DC - Dnico Harris 11 run (Shoppe kick)
THIRD QUARTER:
ALB - Jose Vargas 19 pass from Medley (Gutierrez kick)
ALB - Alante Johnson 85 fumble return (Gutierrez kick)
ALB - Jaron Cooper 5 run (Gutierrez kick)
ALB - Medley 31 run (Gutierrez kick)
FOURTH QUARTER:
D - Adrian Cranfill 13 run (Shoppe kick)
Action Gallery #2
Game #7
Kannapolis
VS
Central Cabarrus
CONCORD – Who knows how long it’s been since Viking Stadium rumbled like this? Twenty-nine years? Thirty-seven?
But when Central Cabarrus sophomore DeAndre Boykins followed a cavalcade of blockers around the left side and scored in overtime Friday night against A.L. Brown, it set off a seismic roar and ended decades of misery for the Vikings and their fans. The No. 1-ranked Central Cabarrus football team’s dramatic 33-30 victory at Dink Jordan Field marked the first time the Vikings had ever beaten the Wonders, dating back to their first meeting in 1981. The win also gave the Vikings’ their best start (7-0) since opening the 1989 season with seven consecutive victories.
After the teams went through postgame handshakes, a mass of Central Cabarrus students led a charge onto the field, where they celebrated in the far end zone with players and coaches. As supporters still milled around him, Vikings coach Kenneth McClamrock shook his head as he spoke of the significance of the victory.
“Any time you beat a Kannapolis, it’s a great feeling,” McClamrock said. “To know that it’s never been done here before continues to prove that our kids are doing things the right way.”
The Vikings twice had double-digit leads, scoring on their first two possessions to go up, 14-0, and taking a 24-14 advantage when KeShawn Harvey sprinted 60 yards for a touchdown with just 24.6 seconds to go in the third quarter. But A.L. Brown immediately cut that deficit when quarterback Jordan Medley made a fast and forceful 58-yard touchdown run with no time remaining in the third quarter to make it 24-20. Nico Soriano’s 33-yard field gave the Vikings a seven-point cushion early in the fourth, but another impressive run by Medley, this one 79 yards, knotted the game with 8 minutes, 51 seconds remaining.
The Wonders had a chance to take the lead as the clocked ticked just below four minutes, but as Medley neared the goal line, he fumbled as he was hit by DeAndre Boykins, and Central Cabarrus’ Kalil Lemons emerged from the pile with the ball on the 1-yard line. t was A.L. Brown’s fourth turnover of the night. The game eventually went into overtime, and the Wonders’ had their 25-game winning streak over the Vikings halted.
“They’re a good football team, and you can’t make mistakes against good football teams, and you can’t turn the ball over against good football teams,” Wonders coach Mike Newsome said. “We had the opportunity down here close with the time running out, and it probably changed the whole outcome. But you put the ball in your playmakers’ hands and hope they make plays.
“Like I told (my players): ‘This game can take us one of two directions,’ Newsome added. “I hope it’s a positive direction.”
RECORDS:
Central Cabarrus 7-0, 1-0 South Piedmont 3A Conference; A.L. Brown 4-3, 0-1 SPC
THE PLAY OF THE GAME:
After holding A.L. Brown to a field goal in the first portion of the overtime, it was the Vikings’ turn to get the ball at the 10-yard line. Central Cabarrus sent in several of its top defensive players, including linebackers Hakim Blakeney-Simmons and Logan Anderson as blockers on the line, and linebacker Derek Boykins was in the backfield as protection for his little brother, DeAndre Boykins, who lined up to take the direct snap.
On first down, DeAndre ran left and picked up 6 yards. On the next play, he took the snap and again headed left, with Derek bulling through clearing space. Moments later, DeAndre crossed the goal line and exulted as he ran through the back of the end zone with his teammates following, cheering wildly. The winless streak against the Wonders was dead. DeAndre Boykins described the play, which is called “19 Stretch.” “I saw the (A.L. Brown) dude right there in front of me,” he said. “I broke the tackle, and he tried to get my leg. My leg kind of locked in a second, and I saw my brother seal somebody out, and Logan just sealed him in. So I just ran in. It was just good blocking.”
McClamrock, now in his second season, said there was never a doubt about what he was going to do once the game went into overtime – give the ball to his star sophomore. And he wasn’t going to play for a tie. “If I had to run DeAndre four times in a row, he was going to get the ball four times in a row,” McClamrock said. “He’s the best athlete in the county, and he’s one of the best athletes in the state of North Carolina -- he was going to get the football.
“We weren’t going to lose with me thinking ‘What if I had given it to him a fourth time?’”
PRIMETIME PERFORMERS:
A.L. Brown:
-- Although he threw two interceptions, one the result of a tipped pass, and had the late fumble, Medley was dynamic. He rushed for a game-high 202 yards and two touchdowns. He also was 10-for-23 passing for 159 yards and another score.
-- Big receiver Jose Vargas caught five passes for 89 yards.
-- Tight end Steven Robinson had two catches for 94 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14 in the second quarter.
Central Cabarrus:
-- Blakeney-Simmons made major plays on defense, especially in overtime. On second down, the senior linebacker tackled Nick Lyerly for a 5-yard loss. The next play, he sped up and pressured Medley into a hurried throw, hitting the A.L. Brown quarterback hard as he released the pass and forcing the Wonders to kick a field goal.
-- Harvey had one of his best games of the season, carrying the ball 28 times for 194 yards and two touchdowns.
-- DeAndre Boykins ran for 43 yards and a pair of scores, and he was also effective on special teams and defense.
-- Defensive backs Devon Foley and Kevin Clerge each had interceptions.
-- Lemons wasn’t the only Viking to make a key fumble recovery. In the third quarter, senior Will Bowen came up with the ball after A.L. Brown muffed a punt, and the Vikings went on to kick a field goal for a 17-14 lead.
-- Soriano was vital, as he booted two field goals (from 21 and 33 yards, respectively) and nailed all three of his extra-point attempts.
OBSERVATIONS:
-- The crowd arrived early, and the stands on both sides of the stadium were filled nearly an hour before kickoff, including many spaces on the side of Central Cabarrus’ big hill overlooking the field.
-- This was one of the hardest-hitting high school games you’ll see. Tackles could be heard from far distances at times. The A.L. Brown and Central Cabarrus defensive linemen are some tough dudes.
WHAT’S UP NEXT:
A.L. Brown plays host to No. 3 Cox Mill, while Central Cabarrus travels to No. 2 Northwest Cabarrus.
GAME SUMMARY:
A.L. Brown 7 7 6 7 3 -- 30
Central Cabarrus 14 0 10 3 6 -- 33
First Quarter:
CC -- DeAndre Boykins 5 run (Nico Soriano kick)
CC -- KeShawn Harvey 32 run (Soriano kick)
ALB -- Nick Lyerly 4 run (Alex Gutierriez kick)
Second Quarter:
ALB – Steven Robinson 80 pass from Jordan Medley (Gutierrez kick)
Third Quarter:
CC – Soriano 21 field goal
CC – Harvey 60 run (Soriano kick)
ALB – Medley 58 run (kick failed)
Fourth Quarter:
CC – Soriano 33 field goal
ALB – Medley 79 run (Gutierrez kick)
Overtime:
ALB – Guttierrez 26 field goal
CC – Boykins 4 run
****An Historical Moment for Central Cabarrus****
by-Jamal Horton Independent Tribune
CONCORD – It was Central Cabarrus’ Inconvenient Truth. Few people in the Vikings’ football family knew about it, and even fewer wanted to talk about it. But the cold, hard reality was that Central Cabarrus had never – never ever – beaten the A.L. Brown Wonders in a football game. Usually, when the two teams faced off over the past several years, the 0-for-Forever streak was rarely brought up -- quite honestly because, in many of those meetings, folks didn’t think the Vikings had an honest-to-goodness chance to knock off the Wonders. But this year … well, this year is different.
The No. 1-ranked team in the Independent Tribune Cream of Cabarrus poll, the Vikings showed early this season that they had the ability to beat anybody. They vanquished rival Hickory Ridge, then ranked No. 1 in the Cream of Cabarrus, in the Bulls’ home stadium. The Vikings won their first six games for the first time since 1994. After going 4-7 last year, this group of Vikings had gotten used to doing the unimaginable. But none of the current Vikings knew of the ugly record against A.L. Brown. Until Tuesday. As Central began its weekly regimen of preparing for Friday night’s home game against No. 5 A.L. Brown, someone placed a telling T-shirt in the fieldhouse. It still hits a nerve with Vikings senior linebacker Hakim Blakeney-Simmons.
“They left a shirt in there that said ‘25-0,’ and they hung it up on a door before practice,” Blakeney said of the reference to the Wonders’ all-time record against the Vikings.That’s how we found out. We hung that up inside, and we kind of looked at it every single day we went out. So we were practicing for a reason – to make a statement and to go to the championship.”
The championship didn’t come Friday night, but so much more did. The Vikings squandered two double-digit leads, but they found the mettle to finally exercise their Wonder demons with a 33-30 overtime victory before their home fans. When sophomore DeAndre Boykins took a handoff and followed the Vikings’ starting linebacker trio with the sole motive of seeking and destroying any would-be tacklers that stepped in the way, it set off a celebration that easily surpassed the one Central had at Hickory Ridge this year. It started with Boykins’ being carried by his teammates like the protagonist in the movie “Rudy” was in the closing scene, and it turned into a small nation of students rushing Dink Jordan Field without faculty and security batting an eye. It was another of those Viking Moments that have become necessary seemingly every other week as the 2018 squad assaults the program record books.
Friday’s victory wasn’t just about beating A.L. Brown for the first time since the schools started playing football against each other in 1981; it also was the Vikings’ seventh straight win to start the season, which equaled the best start since 1989. Shoot, some of the current Vikings’ parents were traipsing the Central Cabarrus hallways with Walkmans and Jheri Curls – you know who you are! -- the last time the team won its first seven games. Why am I not writing about X’s and O’s in this column? How come I’m not helping you recall all the big plays and heroes from what many of you are calling the best high school game you’ve ever seen? Well, the Inconvenient Truth from this game is that the football doesn’t matter. OK, it does matter, because that’s what got everybody out to Viking Stadium to begin with. But the bigger thing is about how this group of teenagers and their coaches are galvanizing a school community.
It’s about how they’re creating moments like the ones Friday night, and providing lifetime memories for the kids and the adults affiliated with Central Cabarrus. Because I personally saw elderly fans being helped into the stadium, and I saw elementary-school aged children out there dancing with their siblings and parents in the far end zone. The people who were impacted ran the gamut. Here’s how Blakeney-Simmons, one of the toughest linebacker in Cabarrus County, described what struck him after he mauled the guy he was assigned to block on that final play and DeAndre Boykins stepped across the goal line.
“Tears, honestly,” he said. “I was just speechless. I walked to the corner, and I said, ‘Wow. We’re the first team in 52 years to beat Kannapolis.’”
No, the Vikings and Wonders haven’t been playing for 52 years, but that’s how long Central Cabarrus’s door have been open. And this team, the 2018 Vikings, accomplished something that no other squad in school history ever did. Logan Anderson, who joined fellow linebackers Blakeney-Simmons and Derek Boykins as blockers for that history-clinching series, was overwhelmed when the fans came rushing toward him.
“It was crazy!” he said with a broad grin. “I’ve never had that experience before, and it was the best experience I’ve ever had in my life. I couldn’t believe it. It was ridiculous. It was … I don’t know. It was just crazy.”
I know football coaches are built to get past the moment and focus on the long term. You ask some coaches to talk about their team’s accomplishments at the moment, and they’re eyebrows furl. But Central Cabarrus coach Kenneth McClamrock, Cabarrus County born and bred, knows what nights like this mean to these kids and this school. Can he take a moment and appreciate what’s going on?
“No doubt,” he said. “We will celebrate this until Redd’s restaurant closes tonight. And then I’m going to go to bed, and we’re going to wake up in the morning and get ready for Northwest.” Sigh.
Well, yeah, the Truth is football is what keeps giving the Vikings the kind of moment they had Friday night, so it’s on to focusing on next week’s opponent, No. 2-ranked Northwest Cabarrus, which is also undefeated. That, of course, will be an opportunity for one of the schools to celebrate another lifetime memory, as the 2018 Trojans also are enjoying a season that could leave their imprint on the program record book. Blakeney-Simmons, captain that he is, also spoke about next Friday’s big game. But on this night of accomplishment and on-field partying with Vikings fans, Blakeney-Simmons still couldn’t forget about the T-shirt that made him more focused than ever heading into the game.
“That’s how we knew we were going to beat Kannapolis – when they hung that ‘25-0’ on our wall,” Blakeney-Simmons said, shaking his head. He smiled. “But it’s gone now,” he added. “They can’t have that zero anymore.”
Action Gallery #1
Action Gallery #2
Game #8
Kannapolis
VS
Cox Mill
KANNAPOLIS — A.L. Brown’s tradition-rich football program was on the wrong side of history for the second straight week. A.L. Brown lost to Central Cabarrus for the first time a week ago. This time the history-maker was Cox Mill, which had been 0-5 lifetime against the Wonders before Friday’s contest. The Chargers prevailed in a mild upset at Memorial Stadium, 21-13, handing the reeling Wonders (4-4, 0-2 South Piedmont Conference) their first home loss of the year.
In a world-turned-upside-down scenario in the SPC, Cox Mill (6-2, 2-0) is tied for first with Northwest Cabarrus, while A.L. Brown is tied for last with Concord.
Cox Mill went up 7-0 on a quarterback sneak by Dane Horton in the first quarter. It was 14-0 after Horton connected with Christian Henry for a touchdown pass in the second quarter. That was the score at halftime. The Wonders finally got on the scoreboard with 5:14 left in the third quarter on a 7-yard run by Jaron Cooper to cut the deficit to 14-6. The killer play for A.L. Brown was a fumble return touchdown by Cox Mill cornerback Wesley Poindexter. That momentum-changer put the Chargers ahead 21-6 with 1:40 left in the third quarter.
A.L. Brown Jordan Medley hit Antonio Knight for a 75-yard touchdown with 8:13 left to play, and the PAT kick by Alex Gutierrez made it 21-13. Cox Mill missed a field goal that would have put the game out of reach with a little over two minutes left. The Wonders had one last chance to put a drive together, but an interception clinched the victory for the Chargers. Jnaz Jordan had an interception for the Wonders, Jatarius Mason recovered a fumble, and Steven Robinson had a big sack. Cox Mill hosts Robinson (4-3, 1-1) next week, while the Wonders host Northwest Cabarrus (8-0, 2-0).
KANNAPOLIS –An opportunistic defense and a blue-collar offense allowed Cream of Cabarrus third-ranked Cox Mill to beat fourth-ranked A.L. Brown for the first time in program history, 21-13, Friday at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium. The Chargers forced four turnovers, including two by junior defensive back Wesley Poindexter. His 28-yard scoop-and-score fumble recovery late in the third quarter and game-clinching interception in the game’s final minutes were decisive plays. Cox Mill, which opened in 2009, had not beaten A.L. Brown in five previous tries. The Chargers’ 6-2 overall record, which is their best record through their first eight games in program history.
“I just feel like right now we can beat anybody,” said Cox Mill coach Craig Stewart. “We’ve played a pretty tough schedule … We’ve said (our non-conference games) set us up for the conference, and our guys are stepping up right now.”
A.L. Brown’s first critical mistake was not a turnover, but it sure felt like one. The Wonders’ first possession of the game ended with a punt attempt from their 49-yard line, but punter Alex Gutierrez had to recover a fumble off a high snap and was tackled for a 21-yard loss. Highlighted by runs of 14 and 12 yards from Damari Coleman, Cox Mill covered 28 yards in seven plays and scored on a 1-yard plunge by quarterback Dane Horton. Cox Mill built a 14-0 halftime lead with the help of a 12-play, 67-yard drive that ended with Christian Henry’s 4-yard touchdown pass from Horton. Protecting its lead in the second half, Cox Mill mostly relied on the hard running of Coleman and fellow running back Jelynn Barnett. For the game, they combined for 111 yards rushing on 33 carries.
“Cox Mill is a good football team,” said A.L. Brown coach Mike Newsome. “Our whole conference, really top to bottom, has gotten better. Right now we haven’t matched that, so we have to change some things we do and get better.”
RECORDS:
Cox Mill 6-2 overall, 2-0 South Piedmont 3A Conference; A.L. Brown 4-4, 0-2 SPC
THE PLAY OF THE GAME:
Only a few minutes after A.L. Brown scored its first points, Cox Mill was struggling to regain momentum in the third quarter. The Chargers had just punted, and the Wonders started a possession at their own 30-yard line. On second down, an A.L. Brown ball carrier fumbled as he was being tackled on a run to the right. The play came to a halt, as some players must have thought the play was whistled dead. But Poindexter and a couple teammates in the vicinity knew better. He picked it up and waltzed in to the end zone without any challenge from the Wonders.
“This is a huge win,” said Poindexter, who was in elementary school the first time Cox Mill and A.L. Brown played nine years ago. “I’ve always lived here, and I cannot remember the last time we beat this team.”
PRIMETIME PERFORMERS:
Cox Mill:
Horton threw for 124 yards by completing 10 of 19 pass attempts. As he was being sacked, he whirled a 19-yard pass to Michael Lewis on fourth-and-4, which led to his touchdown pass to Henry on the next play.
-- In the first quarter, senior linebacker Ahmad Baruti was in on five tackles, including one sack. He finished with nine tackles.
-- Senior linebacker Kendall Gilmore had seven tackles, including two sacks, and junior defensive back Cameron Webb had nine tackles.
A.L. Brown:
-- Senior quarterback Jordan Medley completed 14 of 24 passes for 155 yards and a 58-yard score to Antonio Knight in the fourth quarter. Medley rushed for 54 yards on 11 carries despite being sacked three times.
-- Antonio Kennedy, Justin Holsclaw, Terry Williams, and Jatarius Mason all stood out defensively.
OBSERVATIONS:
-- The A.L. Brown classes of 1968 and 1978 celebrated reunions at the game. Homecoming festivities scheduled for Friday were postponed until next week’s home game against Northwest Cabarrus.
-- About two dozen people in the A.L. Brown student section were dressed in neon orange and neon yellow. They highlighted the Kannapolis crowd.
-- Of Cox Mill’s three interceptions, senior defensive back Cody Cline’s was the most exciting. He picked off a pass on the final play of the first half and weaved his way through numerous tacklers before being dropped at the A.L. Brown 43 after a 45-yard return.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
Next Friday, Cox Mill plays host to Jay M. Robinson, and A.L. Brown welcomes Northwest Cabarrus.
GAME SUMMARY:
Cox Mill 7 7 7 0 -- 21
A.L. Brown 0 0 6 7 -- 13
First Quarter:
CM – Dane Horton 1 run (Carson Burt kick)
Second Quarter:
CM – Christian Henry 4 pass from Horton (Burt kick)
Third Quarter:
ALB – Jaron Cooper 9 run (run failed)
CM – Wesley Poindexter 28 fumble return (Burt kick)
Fourth Quarter:
ALB – Antonio Knight 58 pass from Jordan Medley (Alex Gutierrez kick)
In a world-turned-upside-down scenario in the SPC, Cox Mill (6-2, 2-0) is tied for first with Northwest Cabarrus, while A.L. Brown is tied for last with Concord.
Cox Mill went up 7-0 on a quarterback sneak by Dane Horton in the first quarter. It was 14-0 after Horton connected with Christian Henry for a touchdown pass in the second quarter. That was the score at halftime. The Wonders finally got on the scoreboard with 5:14 left in the third quarter on a 7-yard run by Jaron Cooper to cut the deficit to 14-6. The killer play for A.L. Brown was a fumble return touchdown by Cox Mill cornerback Wesley Poindexter. That momentum-changer put the Chargers ahead 21-6 with 1:40 left in the third quarter.
A.L. Brown Jordan Medley hit Antonio Knight for a 75-yard touchdown with 8:13 left to play, and the PAT kick by Alex Gutierrez made it 21-13. Cox Mill missed a field goal that would have put the game out of reach with a little over two minutes left. The Wonders had one last chance to put a drive together, but an interception clinched the victory for the Chargers. Jnaz Jordan had an interception for the Wonders, Jatarius Mason recovered a fumble, and Steven Robinson had a big sack. Cox Mill hosts Robinson (4-3, 1-1) next week, while the Wonders host Northwest Cabarrus (8-0, 2-0).
KANNAPOLIS –An opportunistic defense and a blue-collar offense allowed Cream of Cabarrus third-ranked Cox Mill to beat fourth-ranked A.L. Brown for the first time in program history, 21-13, Friday at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium. The Chargers forced four turnovers, including two by junior defensive back Wesley Poindexter. His 28-yard scoop-and-score fumble recovery late in the third quarter and game-clinching interception in the game’s final minutes were decisive plays. Cox Mill, which opened in 2009, had not beaten A.L. Brown in five previous tries. The Chargers’ 6-2 overall record, which is their best record through their first eight games in program history.
“I just feel like right now we can beat anybody,” said Cox Mill coach Craig Stewart. “We’ve played a pretty tough schedule … We’ve said (our non-conference games) set us up for the conference, and our guys are stepping up right now.”
A.L. Brown’s first critical mistake was not a turnover, but it sure felt like one. The Wonders’ first possession of the game ended with a punt attempt from their 49-yard line, but punter Alex Gutierrez had to recover a fumble off a high snap and was tackled for a 21-yard loss. Highlighted by runs of 14 and 12 yards from Damari Coleman, Cox Mill covered 28 yards in seven plays and scored on a 1-yard plunge by quarterback Dane Horton. Cox Mill built a 14-0 halftime lead with the help of a 12-play, 67-yard drive that ended with Christian Henry’s 4-yard touchdown pass from Horton. Protecting its lead in the second half, Cox Mill mostly relied on the hard running of Coleman and fellow running back Jelynn Barnett. For the game, they combined for 111 yards rushing on 33 carries.
“Cox Mill is a good football team,” said A.L. Brown coach Mike Newsome. “Our whole conference, really top to bottom, has gotten better. Right now we haven’t matched that, so we have to change some things we do and get better.”
RECORDS:
Cox Mill 6-2 overall, 2-0 South Piedmont 3A Conference; A.L. Brown 4-4, 0-2 SPC
THE PLAY OF THE GAME:
Only a few minutes after A.L. Brown scored its first points, Cox Mill was struggling to regain momentum in the third quarter. The Chargers had just punted, and the Wonders started a possession at their own 30-yard line. On second down, an A.L. Brown ball carrier fumbled as he was being tackled on a run to the right. The play came to a halt, as some players must have thought the play was whistled dead. But Poindexter and a couple teammates in the vicinity knew better. He picked it up and waltzed in to the end zone without any challenge from the Wonders.
“This is a huge win,” said Poindexter, who was in elementary school the first time Cox Mill and A.L. Brown played nine years ago. “I’ve always lived here, and I cannot remember the last time we beat this team.”
PRIMETIME PERFORMERS:
Cox Mill:
Horton threw for 124 yards by completing 10 of 19 pass attempts. As he was being sacked, he whirled a 19-yard pass to Michael Lewis on fourth-and-4, which led to his touchdown pass to Henry on the next play.
-- In the first quarter, senior linebacker Ahmad Baruti was in on five tackles, including one sack. He finished with nine tackles.
-- Senior linebacker Kendall Gilmore had seven tackles, including two sacks, and junior defensive back Cameron Webb had nine tackles.
A.L. Brown:
-- Senior quarterback Jordan Medley completed 14 of 24 passes for 155 yards and a 58-yard score to Antonio Knight in the fourth quarter. Medley rushed for 54 yards on 11 carries despite being sacked three times.
-- Antonio Kennedy, Justin Holsclaw, Terry Williams, and Jatarius Mason all stood out defensively.
OBSERVATIONS:
-- The A.L. Brown classes of 1968 and 1978 celebrated reunions at the game. Homecoming festivities scheduled for Friday were postponed until next week’s home game against Northwest Cabarrus.
-- About two dozen people in the A.L. Brown student section were dressed in neon orange and neon yellow. They highlighted the Kannapolis crowd.
-- Of Cox Mill’s three interceptions, senior defensive back Cody Cline’s was the most exciting. He picked off a pass on the final play of the first half and weaved his way through numerous tacklers before being dropped at the A.L. Brown 43 after a 45-yard return.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
Next Friday, Cox Mill plays host to Jay M. Robinson, and A.L. Brown welcomes Northwest Cabarrus.
GAME SUMMARY:
Cox Mill 7 7 7 0 -- 21
A.L. Brown 0 0 6 7 -- 13
First Quarter:
CM – Dane Horton 1 run (Carson Burt kick)
Second Quarter:
CM – Christian Henry 4 pass from Horton (Burt kick)
Third Quarter:
ALB – Jaron Cooper 9 run (run failed)
CM – Wesley Poindexter 28 fumble return (Burt kick)
Fourth Quarter:
ALB – Antonio Knight 58 pass from Jordan Medley (Alex Gutierrez kick)
Action Gallery #1
Action Gallery #2
Game #9
Kannapolis
VS
Northwest Cabarrus
KANNAPOLIS – Ding-dong, “The Streak” is dead.
At the same time, another streak is alive and full of vigor for an exuberant fan base. The newly minted Cream of Cabarrus No. 1 Northwest Cabarrus football team posted an emphatic 58-27 victory over No. 4 A.L. Brown Friday night at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium. It was the Trojans’ first win over the Wonders in 42 years. Just as impressive, after winning their first nine games, the 2018 Trojans are off to the best start in program history. The only other Northwest team to be unbeaten after nine games was the 1971 squad, which tied the season opener and then won eight in a row.
On Friday, the Trojans and their fans had an emotional celebration after finally winning another one in what many have dubbed “The Battle of Kannapolis.”
“It’s an awesome feeling,” said Northwest coach Brandon Gentry, his clothes still moist after his players showered him with water as the final seconds ticked off the scoreboard. “We won another game, we beat a good team,” he added. “We did this one for all the old heads. This is definitely a win for the community. They can’t talk about a (losing) streak anymore; now we’re on a winning streak. This is for the community and all of Northwest, old and new.”
The Trojans took command Friday with a bruising rushing attack led by junior Tyrese “Shady” Blake, who finished with 287 yards and five touchdowns. Northwest only passed the ball seven times for 30 yards, and their first completion didn’t occur until the second half. In the game’s first 24 minutes, the Trojans racked up 247 yards on the ground and held a 24-7 lead.
“We wanted to make sure that we set the tone by running the football, because that’s what we’re good at,” Gentry said. “We’re good at passing, too; we’re about an even team. But we definitely wanted to set the tone and get Tyrese going and get that offensive line off. We just wanted to dominate the line of scrimmage.”
The Wonders, who have lost three games in a row, were again hurt by miscues and turnovers. They fumbled the opening kickoff and had to start the drive at their own 9-yard line, lost a fumble and twice turned the ball over on downs on the Trojans’ side of the field. While Friday night was difficult for the Wonders, coach Mike Newsome said it wasn’t just because they lost to a rival they’d dominated for the previous 41 seasons.
“It’s tough,” Newsome said. “Any loss is tough. Losing to one team is enough for me. Every loss is tough, not just this one. Losing like we did all these in a row is tough. It’s not the territory that we’re used to being in, it’s not territory that I’m used to being in.
“We’ve got to get our kids’ heads back in it and ready play. Because if not, it will be a tough end of the season for us.”
RECORDS:
Northwest Cabarrus 9-0 overall, 3-0 South Piedmont 3A Conference; A.L. Brown 4-5, 0-3 SPC
THE PLAY OF THE GAME:
A.L. Brown finally began to show an offensive spark late in the third quarter, when an eight-play, 80-yard drive ended with Nick Lyerly scoring a 2-yard touchdown to cut the Trojans’ lead to 38-14 with 58.6 seconds to go in the period.
Northwest made sure that momentum ended abruptly. On the Trojans’ next play from scrimmage, Blake took a handoff and darted into the heart of the A.L. Brown defense, speeding past the second level. A pair of Wonders defensive backs converged, prepared to end Blake’s run in the red zone. Suddenly, the junior running back made a quick cut right, losing the defending duo – and drawing an “oooh!” from the crowd -- and going untouched into the corner of the end zone.
Fewer than 10 seconds after A.L. Brown’s touchdown, the Trojans were back up by 31 points.
PRIME-TIME PERFORMERS:
Northwest Cabarrus:
-- Blake’s 287-yard, five-touchdown performance (on 34 carries) marked career-bests.
-- Quarterback Nick Wilds-Lawing repeatedly made plays with his feet, gaining 87 yards on 11 totes. He also fired a touchdown pass to Cam Saunders.
-- Another effective runner for the Trojans was receiver I.J. Sturdivant, who gained 60 yards on jets sweeps while also catching one of Wilds-Lawing’s two completions.
-- Defensive back Sam Walker was in on the first turnover of the night, grabbing a fumble as A.L. Brown moved into Northwest territory.
-- Caleb Funderburke and Joe Camara were in on sacks for the Trojans.
A.L. Brown:
-- Quarterback Jordan Medley made several big plays, finishing the night with 91 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns while also passing for 182 yards.
-- Lyerly made some effective plays in the return game. He had kickoff returns of 34 and 42 yards to put the Wonders in good starting field position. He also ran for a 2-yard touchdown.
-- Defensive lineman Steven Robinson had a sack.
3 OBSERVATIONS:
-- Although this fierce rivalry game saw one of the state’s longest losing streaks broken up, both teams’ players exhibited great sportsmanship. After the game, several Northwest players walked over and embraced crestfallen Wonders, and a number of A.L. Brown players came over and congratulated Trojans and their coaches.
-- This was only the fourth time Northwest has ever beaten the Wonders. The previous three times were all by shutout – in 1970 (8-0), 1975 (27-0) and 1976 (18-0).
-- During halftime ceremonies, A.L. Brown crowned its homecoming queen, and senior Jada Flynn wound up wearing the crown. Flynn is the younger sister of former Wonders great Travis Riley.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
Northwest Cabarrus plays host to Concord next Friday, while A.L. Brown travels to Jay M. Robinson on the same night.
GAME SUMMARY:
Northwest Cabarrus 7 17 21 13 -- 58
A.L. Brown 7 0 7 13 -- 27
First Quarter:
NWC – Tyrese Blake 10 run (Rico Sastoque kick)
ALB – Jordan Medley 1 run (Alex Gutierrez kick)
NWC – Sastoque 35 field goal
Second Quarter:
NWC – Blake 9 run (Sastoque kick)
NWC – Nick Wilds-Lawing 1 run (Sastoque kick)
Third Quarter:
NWC – Cam Saunders 19 pass from Wilds-Lawing (Sastoque kick)
NWC – Jahkiiry Bennett 1 run (Sastoque kick)
ALB – Nick Lyerly 2 run (Gutierrez kick)
NWC – Blake 54 run (Sastoque kick)
Fourth Quarter:
ALB – Medley 5 run (Bryon Noguera kick)
ALB – Jaron Cooper 5 run (kick failed)
NWC – Blake 12 run (kick blocked)
NWC – Blake 14 run (Sastoque kick)
At the same time, another streak is alive and full of vigor for an exuberant fan base. The newly minted Cream of Cabarrus No. 1 Northwest Cabarrus football team posted an emphatic 58-27 victory over No. 4 A.L. Brown Friday night at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium. It was the Trojans’ first win over the Wonders in 42 years. Just as impressive, after winning their first nine games, the 2018 Trojans are off to the best start in program history. The only other Northwest team to be unbeaten after nine games was the 1971 squad, which tied the season opener and then won eight in a row.
On Friday, the Trojans and their fans had an emotional celebration after finally winning another one in what many have dubbed “The Battle of Kannapolis.”
“It’s an awesome feeling,” said Northwest coach Brandon Gentry, his clothes still moist after his players showered him with water as the final seconds ticked off the scoreboard. “We won another game, we beat a good team,” he added. “We did this one for all the old heads. This is definitely a win for the community. They can’t talk about a (losing) streak anymore; now we’re on a winning streak. This is for the community and all of Northwest, old and new.”
The Trojans took command Friday with a bruising rushing attack led by junior Tyrese “Shady” Blake, who finished with 287 yards and five touchdowns. Northwest only passed the ball seven times for 30 yards, and their first completion didn’t occur until the second half. In the game’s first 24 minutes, the Trojans racked up 247 yards on the ground and held a 24-7 lead.
“We wanted to make sure that we set the tone by running the football, because that’s what we’re good at,” Gentry said. “We’re good at passing, too; we’re about an even team. But we definitely wanted to set the tone and get Tyrese going and get that offensive line off. We just wanted to dominate the line of scrimmage.”
The Wonders, who have lost three games in a row, were again hurt by miscues and turnovers. They fumbled the opening kickoff and had to start the drive at their own 9-yard line, lost a fumble and twice turned the ball over on downs on the Trojans’ side of the field. While Friday night was difficult for the Wonders, coach Mike Newsome said it wasn’t just because they lost to a rival they’d dominated for the previous 41 seasons.
“It’s tough,” Newsome said. “Any loss is tough. Losing to one team is enough for me. Every loss is tough, not just this one. Losing like we did all these in a row is tough. It’s not the territory that we’re used to being in, it’s not territory that I’m used to being in.
“We’ve got to get our kids’ heads back in it and ready play. Because if not, it will be a tough end of the season for us.”
RECORDS:
Northwest Cabarrus 9-0 overall, 3-0 South Piedmont 3A Conference; A.L. Brown 4-5, 0-3 SPC
THE PLAY OF THE GAME:
A.L. Brown finally began to show an offensive spark late in the third quarter, when an eight-play, 80-yard drive ended with Nick Lyerly scoring a 2-yard touchdown to cut the Trojans’ lead to 38-14 with 58.6 seconds to go in the period.
Northwest made sure that momentum ended abruptly. On the Trojans’ next play from scrimmage, Blake took a handoff and darted into the heart of the A.L. Brown defense, speeding past the second level. A pair of Wonders defensive backs converged, prepared to end Blake’s run in the red zone. Suddenly, the junior running back made a quick cut right, losing the defending duo – and drawing an “oooh!” from the crowd -- and going untouched into the corner of the end zone.
Fewer than 10 seconds after A.L. Brown’s touchdown, the Trojans were back up by 31 points.
PRIME-TIME PERFORMERS:
Northwest Cabarrus:
-- Blake’s 287-yard, five-touchdown performance (on 34 carries) marked career-bests.
-- Quarterback Nick Wilds-Lawing repeatedly made plays with his feet, gaining 87 yards on 11 totes. He also fired a touchdown pass to Cam Saunders.
-- Another effective runner for the Trojans was receiver I.J. Sturdivant, who gained 60 yards on jets sweeps while also catching one of Wilds-Lawing’s two completions.
-- Defensive back Sam Walker was in on the first turnover of the night, grabbing a fumble as A.L. Brown moved into Northwest territory.
-- Caleb Funderburke and Joe Camara were in on sacks for the Trojans.
A.L. Brown:
-- Quarterback Jordan Medley made several big plays, finishing the night with 91 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns while also passing for 182 yards.
-- Lyerly made some effective plays in the return game. He had kickoff returns of 34 and 42 yards to put the Wonders in good starting field position. He also ran for a 2-yard touchdown.
-- Defensive lineman Steven Robinson had a sack.
3 OBSERVATIONS:
-- Although this fierce rivalry game saw one of the state’s longest losing streaks broken up, both teams’ players exhibited great sportsmanship. After the game, several Northwest players walked over and embraced crestfallen Wonders, and a number of A.L. Brown players came over and congratulated Trojans and their coaches.
-- This was only the fourth time Northwest has ever beaten the Wonders. The previous three times were all by shutout – in 1970 (8-0), 1975 (27-0) and 1976 (18-0).
-- During halftime ceremonies, A.L. Brown crowned its homecoming queen, and senior Jada Flynn wound up wearing the crown. Flynn is the younger sister of former Wonders great Travis Riley.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
Northwest Cabarrus plays host to Concord next Friday, while A.L. Brown travels to Jay M. Robinson on the same night.
GAME SUMMARY:
Northwest Cabarrus 7 17 21 13 -- 58
A.L. Brown 7 0 7 13 -- 27
First Quarter:
NWC – Tyrese Blake 10 run (Rico Sastoque kick)
ALB – Jordan Medley 1 run (Alex Gutierrez kick)
NWC – Sastoque 35 field goal
Second Quarter:
NWC – Blake 9 run (Sastoque kick)
NWC – Nick Wilds-Lawing 1 run (Sastoque kick)
Third Quarter:
NWC – Cam Saunders 19 pass from Wilds-Lawing (Sastoque kick)
NWC – Jahkiiry Bennett 1 run (Sastoque kick)
ALB – Nick Lyerly 2 run (Gutierrez kick)
NWC – Blake 54 run (Sastoque kick)
Fourth Quarter:
ALB – Medley 5 run (Bryon Noguera kick)
ALB – Jaron Cooper 5 run (kick failed)
NWC – Blake 12 run (kick blocked)
NWC – Blake 14 run (Sastoque kick)
Action Gallery #1
Action Gallery #2
**Northwest Cabarrus Trojans 1st Victory Over A.L. Brown Since 1976**
**1st Victory at Memorial Stadium Since 1975**
Game #10
Kannapolis
VS
J.M. Robinson
CONCORD -- Suffering through a three-game losing streak and a first half filled with mistakes, the A.J. Brown football team trailed Jay M. Robinson by 10 points in the second half at Thursday night. But the Wonders took advantage of turnovers on back-to-back Jay M. Robinson possessions and turned them into touchdowns, helping them rally for a 28-17 victory in a key South Piedmont 3A Conference matchup at Bulldog Stadium.
“We had lost a couple of games, and we were hungry to get this win,” A.L. Brown quarterback Jordan Medley said. “A win like this shows the kind of fight we have.”
A.L. Brown dominated the first half, outgaining Jay M. Robinson by nearly 100 yards, 234 to 144. But the Wonders also dominated in the penalty department, picking up eight in the first half for 85 yards. And when the Bulldogs’ Dominique Wiley returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown, the Bulldogs had a surprising 14-7 lead at the half.
“We knew we were moving the ball on them really consistently,” A.L. Brown coach Mike Newsome said. “But every time we’d get a good play, we’d get a penalty that would push us back. It is what it is, I guess.”
Trailing 17-14, A.L. Brown got a big break when Jay M. Robinson’s Josh Grant lost a fumble on the Bulldogs’ 20. Four plays later, again on fourth down, Medley connected with Jose Vargas on an 18-yard touchdown pass, giving the Wonders the lead, 21-17 early in the fourth quarter.
“Those turnovers were big, especially deep in (the Bulldogs’) territory, giving us the ball in great field position,” Newsome said.
The Wonders put the game away later in the final quarter when Medley connected for another touchdown pass, this time 30 yards to Steven Robinson.
RECORDS:
A.L. Brown 5-5 overall, 1-3 South Piedmont 3A Conference; Jay M. Robinson 4-5, 1-3 SPC
THE PLAY OF THE GAME:
On a night when he scored a touchdown on offense and defense, Wiley fumbled after a 15-yard run with the Bulldogs up 17-7 late in the third quarter. A.L. Brown recovered and, eight plays later, Cooper scored his second TD of the game, pulling the Wonders to within three points, 17-14.
PRIMETIME PERFORMERS:
A.L. Brown
-- Medley completed 14 of 19 passes for 227 yards with 2 TD and 1 interception. Both of Medley’s TD passes came in the fourth quarter, one to give the Wonders the lead, and the next to put the game out of reach.
-- Cooper was a force all night long, rushing for 160 yards and two touchdowns.
Jay M. Robinson
-- Dominique Wiley was all over the field on Thursday. He finished with 50 yards rushing, caught two passes for 30 yards and a TD and returned an interception 34 yards for another score.
3 OBSERVATIONS
-- It was senior night at Jay M. Robinson, as 24 seniors took the field for their final home game.
The two teams combined for 22 penalties that racked up 209 yards in penalties. Many of the penalties were for unsportsmanlike conducted, and this total did not include at least a pair of offsetting unsportsmanlike penalties.
- After watching kickers for Mount Pleasant and Forest Hills have two kicks bounce off the goal posts, it was an encouraging sight to see the Wonders and Bulldogs combine to kick six extra points and a field goal.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
A.L. Brown takes on Concord next Friday. Jay M. Robinson travels to play Central Cabarrus.
GAME SUMMARY:
BOX SCORE:
A.L. Brown 7 0 7 14 -- 28
Jay M. Robinson 0 14 3 0 – 17
First Quarter:
AL – Jaron Cooper 12 run (Gutierrez kick)
Second Quarter:
JR – Wiley 4 pass from Caldwell (Mares kick)
JR – Wiley 34 INT return (Mares kick)
Third Quarter:
JR – Mares 19 FG
AL – Cooper 7 run (Gutierrez kick)
Fourth Quarter:
AL – Vargas 18 pass from Medley (Gutierrez kick)
AL – Robinson 30 pass from Medley (Gutierrez kick)
“We had lost a couple of games, and we were hungry to get this win,” A.L. Brown quarterback Jordan Medley said. “A win like this shows the kind of fight we have.”
A.L. Brown dominated the first half, outgaining Jay M. Robinson by nearly 100 yards, 234 to 144. But the Wonders also dominated in the penalty department, picking up eight in the first half for 85 yards. And when the Bulldogs’ Dominique Wiley returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown, the Bulldogs had a surprising 14-7 lead at the half.
“We knew we were moving the ball on them really consistently,” A.L. Brown coach Mike Newsome said. “But every time we’d get a good play, we’d get a penalty that would push us back. It is what it is, I guess.”
Trailing 17-14, A.L. Brown got a big break when Jay M. Robinson’s Josh Grant lost a fumble on the Bulldogs’ 20. Four plays later, again on fourth down, Medley connected with Jose Vargas on an 18-yard touchdown pass, giving the Wonders the lead, 21-17 early in the fourth quarter.
“Those turnovers were big, especially deep in (the Bulldogs’) territory, giving us the ball in great field position,” Newsome said.
The Wonders put the game away later in the final quarter when Medley connected for another touchdown pass, this time 30 yards to Steven Robinson.
RECORDS:
A.L. Brown 5-5 overall, 1-3 South Piedmont 3A Conference; Jay M. Robinson 4-5, 1-3 SPC
THE PLAY OF THE GAME:
On a night when he scored a touchdown on offense and defense, Wiley fumbled after a 15-yard run with the Bulldogs up 17-7 late in the third quarter. A.L. Brown recovered and, eight plays later, Cooper scored his second TD of the game, pulling the Wonders to within three points, 17-14.
PRIMETIME PERFORMERS:
A.L. Brown
-- Medley completed 14 of 19 passes for 227 yards with 2 TD and 1 interception. Both of Medley’s TD passes came in the fourth quarter, one to give the Wonders the lead, and the next to put the game out of reach.
-- Cooper was a force all night long, rushing for 160 yards and two touchdowns.
Jay M. Robinson
-- Dominique Wiley was all over the field on Thursday. He finished with 50 yards rushing, caught two passes for 30 yards and a TD and returned an interception 34 yards for another score.
3 OBSERVATIONS
-- It was senior night at Jay M. Robinson, as 24 seniors took the field for their final home game.
The two teams combined for 22 penalties that racked up 209 yards in penalties. Many of the penalties were for unsportsmanlike conducted, and this total did not include at least a pair of offsetting unsportsmanlike penalties.
- After watching kickers for Mount Pleasant and Forest Hills have two kicks bounce off the goal posts, it was an encouraging sight to see the Wonders and Bulldogs combine to kick six extra points and a field goal.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
A.L. Brown takes on Concord next Friday. Jay M. Robinson travels to play Central Cabarrus.
GAME SUMMARY:
BOX SCORE:
A.L. Brown 7 0 7 14 -- 28
Jay M. Robinson 0 14 3 0 – 17
First Quarter:
AL – Jaron Cooper 12 run (Gutierrez kick)
Second Quarter:
JR – Wiley 4 pass from Caldwell (Mares kick)
JR – Wiley 34 INT return (Mares kick)
Third Quarter:
JR – Mares 19 FG
AL – Cooper 7 run (Gutierrez kick)
Fourth Quarter:
AL – Vargas 18 pass from Medley (Gutierrez kick)
AL – Robinson 30 pass from Medley (Gutierrez kick)
Action Gallery #1
Action Gallery #2
Game #11
Kannapolis
VS
Concord
CONCORD – Someone once sang “Saturday night’s alright for fighting,” and A.L. Brown and Concord definitely got a little action in during their annual “Battle for the Bell” game. A player whose name is much in tune – A.L. Brown’s Jordan Medley – was his team’s catalyst, as the Cream of Cabarrus fourth-ranked Wonders and the host Spiders combined for the most points in the legendary series’ history. In a game postponed a day because of Friday rains, the senior quarterback ran for two scores and threw for three more, as A.L. Brown left Robert C. Bailey Stadium with a 54-35 victory. The regular-season series, which began in 1931, is now tied for the first time since 1932. Both teams have won 42 times, and there have been four ties.
“We knew we couldn’t take (Concord) lightly,” said A.L. Brown senior receiver Antonio Knight, who scored a touchdown receiving and rushing. “We knew we had something we could do that’s not been done in a long time, which is having the Bell four years. So we had to make sure we could handle that.”
The last time A.L. Brown won four Bell Games in a row was 1997-2003 (which included a Concord forfeit loss in 2001). The Wonders’ handled extending their winning streak against their rival as well as plenty of other things. They built an insurmountable lead of 26-0 in the second quarter and rolled to 516 total yards. Medley, who was named the game’s most valuable player, completed 11 of 17 passes for 172 yards and ran for 124 yards on 14 carries. He even caught a pass in the red zone from receiver Jose Vargas for 12 yards which led to A.L. Brown’s fourth touchdown, a 6-yard Medley-to-Knight score. Senior running back Jaron Cooper rushed for 150 yards on 17 carries, giving him three straight games with more than 100 yards and allowing him to eclipse 1,000 yards for the year. His 17-yard scoring run early in the third quarter led to a 33-15 lead and broke the momentum Concord had going into halftime.
The Spiders scored 15 points in the last five minutes, 25 seconds of the second quarter. Two of L.J. Currie’s three touchdowns were scored in that span, sandwiched around a safety the Spiders tallied when they blocked a punt through the back of the end zone. Like his quarterback counterpart, Concord’s Dajon Johnson had a fine game, passing for a season-high 203 yards by completing 15 of 26 attempts. He also rushed for 85 yards on 15 carries, many of them scrambles. The Spiders finished with 423 yards.
“Our kids are very resilient,” said Concord coach Marty Paxton. “They could have given up when it was 26-0. I told them at halftime I was a little nervous. But I knew the kids that I know don’t quit, and those guys showed up.”
RECORDS:
A.L. Brown 6-5 overall, 2-3 South Piedmont 3A; Concord 1-10, 0-5 SPC
THE PLAY OF THE GAME:
Among A.L. Brown’s eight touchdown plays, the most important was the one that came on the first play of the second quarter. The game’s outcome was still undecided, and the Wonders were nurturing a 6-0 margin.
Facing second and 4 at the Concord 46, Medley looked to pass and locked in on Vargas sprinting down the middle of the field. Medley took two steps forward and winged a throw in Vargas’ direction.
The Spiders’ defender kept his pace, but Medley placed the ball perfectly for Vargas, who caught it at the 5-yard line and galloped across the goal line for a 12-0 lead.
PRIMETIME PERFORMERS:
A.L. Brown:
-- Steven Robinson caught three passes for 92 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown in the third quarter on which he was uncovered and ran almost 50 yards after making the catch.
-- Linebackers B.J. Foster, Antonio Kennedy, and Dezmond Adams, lineman Terry Williams, and defensive back Tyreik Harris were the Wonders’ defensive standouts.
-- Sophomore Mario Carmona, up from the junior varsity, made all five of his extra point attempts.
Concord:
-- Currie scored two of three touchdowns in the first half, but he compiled most of his rushing yardage in the second half. The junior gained 54 of his 70 yards after halftime.
-- Deonte Brown had a game-high five receptions for 53 yards. One of his two fourth-quarter touchdowns went for 14 yards and was a one-handed catch on a fourth-down play.
-- Senior linebackers Clint Bost and Jourdan Heilig stood out defensively.
3 OBSERVATIONS:
-- Bost and A.L. Brown’s Alex Zimmerman were named Great American Rivalry Series Scholar-Athletes before the game.
-- Attendance was definitely high but not the packed house that the Bell Game normally brings. Even though there were people standing on the rim of the Bailey Stadium bowl, there were open seats in both the home and visitors bleachers.
-- Concord twice entered the red zone without scoring. Its first drive of the game resulted in a missed field goal, and a short second-quarter possession ended on a Jacob Booker interception just inside the end zone.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?:
A.L. Brown will most likely earn a berth in the state playoffs, which will begin Nov. 16. Brackets will be announced next weekend. Concord’s season concluded with Saturday’s loss.
A.L. Brown 6 20 14 14 -- 54
Concord 0 15 6 14 -- 35
First Quarter:
ALB – Jordan Medley 3 run (kick failed)
Second Quarter:
ALB – Jose Vargas 46 pass from Medley (kick failed)
ALB – Medley 32 run (Mario Carmona kick)
ALB – Antonio Knight 6 pass from Medley (Carmona kick)
C – L.J. Currie 10 run (kick blocked)
C – Safety on blocked punt through back of endzone
C – Currie 5 run (Isaiah Clark kick)
Third Quarter:
ALB – Jaron Cooper 17 run (Carmona kick)
C – Currie 26 run (run failed)
ALB – Steven Robinson 67 pass from Medley (Carmona kick)
Fourth Quarter
ALB – Nick Lyerly 43 run (Carmona kick)
C – Deonte Brown 14 pass from Dajon Johnson (Jourdan Heilig run)
ALB – Knight 10 run (Carmona kick)
C – Brown 4 pass from Jo Jo Bond (run failed)
Fourth Quarter:
ALB – Nick Lyerly 43 run (Carmona kick)
C – Deonte Brown 14 pass from Dajon Johnson (Jourdan Heilig run)
ALB – Knight 10 run (Carmona kick)
C – Brown 4 pass from Jo Jo Bond (run failed)
“We knew we couldn’t take (Concord) lightly,” said A.L. Brown senior receiver Antonio Knight, who scored a touchdown receiving and rushing. “We knew we had something we could do that’s not been done in a long time, which is having the Bell four years. So we had to make sure we could handle that.”
The last time A.L. Brown won four Bell Games in a row was 1997-2003 (which included a Concord forfeit loss in 2001). The Wonders’ handled extending their winning streak against their rival as well as plenty of other things. They built an insurmountable lead of 26-0 in the second quarter and rolled to 516 total yards. Medley, who was named the game’s most valuable player, completed 11 of 17 passes for 172 yards and ran for 124 yards on 14 carries. He even caught a pass in the red zone from receiver Jose Vargas for 12 yards which led to A.L. Brown’s fourth touchdown, a 6-yard Medley-to-Knight score. Senior running back Jaron Cooper rushed for 150 yards on 17 carries, giving him three straight games with more than 100 yards and allowing him to eclipse 1,000 yards for the year. His 17-yard scoring run early in the third quarter led to a 33-15 lead and broke the momentum Concord had going into halftime.
The Spiders scored 15 points in the last five minutes, 25 seconds of the second quarter. Two of L.J. Currie’s three touchdowns were scored in that span, sandwiched around a safety the Spiders tallied when they blocked a punt through the back of the end zone. Like his quarterback counterpart, Concord’s Dajon Johnson had a fine game, passing for a season-high 203 yards by completing 15 of 26 attempts. He also rushed for 85 yards on 15 carries, many of them scrambles. The Spiders finished with 423 yards.
“Our kids are very resilient,” said Concord coach Marty Paxton. “They could have given up when it was 26-0. I told them at halftime I was a little nervous. But I knew the kids that I know don’t quit, and those guys showed up.”
RECORDS:
A.L. Brown 6-5 overall, 2-3 South Piedmont 3A; Concord 1-10, 0-5 SPC
THE PLAY OF THE GAME:
Among A.L. Brown’s eight touchdown plays, the most important was the one that came on the first play of the second quarter. The game’s outcome was still undecided, and the Wonders were nurturing a 6-0 margin.
Facing second and 4 at the Concord 46, Medley looked to pass and locked in on Vargas sprinting down the middle of the field. Medley took two steps forward and winged a throw in Vargas’ direction.
The Spiders’ defender kept his pace, but Medley placed the ball perfectly for Vargas, who caught it at the 5-yard line and galloped across the goal line for a 12-0 lead.
PRIMETIME PERFORMERS:
A.L. Brown:
-- Steven Robinson caught three passes for 92 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown in the third quarter on which he was uncovered and ran almost 50 yards after making the catch.
-- Linebackers B.J. Foster, Antonio Kennedy, and Dezmond Adams, lineman Terry Williams, and defensive back Tyreik Harris were the Wonders’ defensive standouts.
-- Sophomore Mario Carmona, up from the junior varsity, made all five of his extra point attempts.
Concord:
-- Currie scored two of three touchdowns in the first half, but he compiled most of his rushing yardage in the second half. The junior gained 54 of his 70 yards after halftime.
-- Deonte Brown had a game-high five receptions for 53 yards. One of his two fourth-quarter touchdowns went for 14 yards and was a one-handed catch on a fourth-down play.
-- Senior linebackers Clint Bost and Jourdan Heilig stood out defensively.
3 OBSERVATIONS:
-- Bost and A.L. Brown’s Alex Zimmerman were named Great American Rivalry Series Scholar-Athletes before the game.
-- Attendance was definitely high but not the packed house that the Bell Game normally brings. Even though there were people standing on the rim of the Bailey Stadium bowl, there were open seats in both the home and visitors bleachers.
-- Concord twice entered the red zone without scoring. Its first drive of the game resulted in a missed field goal, and a short second-quarter possession ended on a Jacob Booker interception just inside the end zone.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?:
A.L. Brown will most likely earn a berth in the state playoffs, which will begin Nov. 16. Brackets will be announced next weekend. Concord’s season concluded with Saturday’s loss.
A.L. Brown 6 20 14 14 -- 54
Concord 0 15 6 14 -- 35
First Quarter:
ALB – Jordan Medley 3 run (kick failed)
Second Quarter:
ALB – Jose Vargas 46 pass from Medley (kick failed)
ALB – Medley 32 run (Mario Carmona kick)
ALB – Antonio Knight 6 pass from Medley (Carmona kick)
C – L.J. Currie 10 run (kick blocked)
C – Safety on blocked punt through back of endzone
C – Currie 5 run (Isaiah Clark kick)
Third Quarter:
ALB – Jaron Cooper 17 run (Carmona kick)
C – Currie 26 run (run failed)
ALB – Steven Robinson 67 pass from Medley (Carmona kick)
Fourth Quarter
ALB – Nick Lyerly 43 run (Carmona kick)
C – Deonte Brown 14 pass from Dajon Johnson (Jourdan Heilig run)
ALB – Knight 10 run (Carmona kick)
C – Brown 4 pass from Jo Jo Bond (run failed)
Fourth Quarter:
ALB – Nick Lyerly 43 run (Carmona kick)
C – Deonte Brown 14 pass from Dajon Johnson (Jourdan Heilig run)
ALB – Knight 10 run (Carmona kick)
C – Brown 4 pass from Jo Jo Bond (run failed)
Great American Rivalry Series 15th Anniversary
Pre Game Awards Ceremony
Coin Toss
Action Gallery #1
Action Gallery #2
**Historical Note** The Wonders 54-35 victory over the Concord Spiders in the 88th Annual Battle for the Bell game, made the 2018 A.L. Brown Wonders the first team to record four straight victories in the series since the A.L. Brown Wonders did it in a stretch from 1997-2000. Congratulations to the 2018 A.L. Brown Wonders on this milestone Battle for the Bell/Great American Rivalry Series achievement. -The editor
Post game Celebration
Game #12
Kannapolis-28 A.C. Reynolds-35
ASHEVILLE – Most of the cowbells had had been quiet in the stands throughout the night at R.L. Dalton Stadium. That’s pretty common considering Reynolds rarely needs the extra encouragement from a 12th man in the stands. The noise swelled on Friday, late in the fourth quarter as the Rockets held a lead slim lead in the opening round of the Class 3AA playoffs. Their defense, which had been shredded at times by the Wonders from A. L. Brown, needed to convert on fourth down or ensure defeat.The defensive pressure flushed Brown quarterback Jordan Medley to his left. He fired the ball 45 yards to the goal line. The last gasp drew no breath. Reynolds junior Seth Eberhart intercepted the pass at the 1-yard line. Three snaps later, the Rockets prevailed 35-28.
“Maybe I should have knocked it down, but I knew that I couldn’t let my guy catch that pass,” Eberhart said. “I dropped two interceptions earlier. They both touched my hands, so I should have had them.”
Much like Eberhart on Friday evening, the Rockets made mistakes early but big plays in the end.
“We won tonight because these kids expected to win,” Reynolds coach Shane Laws said. “We have a tradition and a group of seniors that has some unfinished business, and I think they refused to let us lose tonight.”
The business is winning a state championship. Last year, the Rockets reached the championship game. In the west regional final, they knocked off Sun Valley 28-25. That rematch will happen next week. Sun Valley, the No. 10 seed with future Florida State quarterback Sam Howell, upset Cox Mill 30-14 on Friday, setting up the game against No. 2 Reynolds.
“I’m excited for the rematch,” Reynolds senior quarterback Alex Flinn said. “At the end last year, our defense made a big stop and then we drove down the field and took a knee in the end. It was an exciting game, and I’m excited for next Friday."
Flinn scored one touchdown on a run and threw two more touchdown passes, including one in the second quarter to I’Dre Bell who had been out since Sept. 27 with a knee injury.
“I’m happy to play and get used to the brace, and I’m happy to help the team win and get to where we were last year,” Bell said. “This is my first week back, so next week I’ll be way better.”
It’d be tough to find a better No. 15 seed in the playoffs than the Wonders. Senior running back Jaron Cooper carried 20 times for 148 yards and a touchdown. Medley, the quarterback, ran 18 times for 76 yards and threw for 212 yards. Their mistakes occurred in the kicking game. Reynolds senior Eli Hembree blocked a field-goal attempt in the first quarter and Eberhart returned it almost 50 yards, setting up the Rockets for a 14-0 lead, but the Wonders rallied to pull within 21-20 at halftime. They also tied the game at 28 on a run by Medley and two-point conversion with 7:01 to play. But less than three minutes later, the Rockets scored again, leaving the defense to make the defining play of the night.
“I think people get spoiled in that some people think these first round games are going to be easy,” Laws said. “We didn’t get rewarded with this draw.”
“Maybe I should have knocked it down, but I knew that I couldn’t let my guy catch that pass,” Eberhart said. “I dropped two interceptions earlier. They both touched my hands, so I should have had them.”
Much like Eberhart on Friday evening, the Rockets made mistakes early but big plays in the end.
“We won tonight because these kids expected to win,” Reynolds coach Shane Laws said. “We have a tradition and a group of seniors that has some unfinished business, and I think they refused to let us lose tonight.”
The business is winning a state championship. Last year, the Rockets reached the championship game. In the west regional final, they knocked off Sun Valley 28-25. That rematch will happen next week. Sun Valley, the No. 10 seed with future Florida State quarterback Sam Howell, upset Cox Mill 30-14 on Friday, setting up the game against No. 2 Reynolds.
“I’m excited for the rematch,” Reynolds senior quarterback Alex Flinn said. “At the end last year, our defense made a big stop and then we drove down the field and took a knee in the end. It was an exciting game, and I’m excited for next Friday."
Flinn scored one touchdown on a run and threw two more touchdown passes, including one in the second quarter to I’Dre Bell who had been out since Sept. 27 with a knee injury.
“I’m happy to play and get used to the brace, and I’m happy to help the team win and get to where we were last year,” Bell said. “This is my first week back, so next week I’ll be way better.”
It’d be tough to find a better No. 15 seed in the playoffs than the Wonders. Senior running back Jaron Cooper carried 20 times for 148 yards and a touchdown. Medley, the quarterback, ran 18 times for 76 yards and threw for 212 yards. Their mistakes occurred in the kicking game. Reynolds senior Eli Hembree blocked a field-goal attempt in the first quarter and Eberhart returned it almost 50 yards, setting up the Rockets for a 14-0 lead, but the Wonders rallied to pull within 21-20 at halftime. They also tied the game at 28 on a run by Medley and two-point conversion with 7:01 to play. But less than three minutes later, the Rockets scored again, leaving the defense to make the defining play of the night.
“I think people get spoiled in that some people think these first round games are going to be easy,” Laws said. “We didn’t get rewarded with this draw.”