High Point Central-Crest story

Bison left Crest-fallen in Boiling Springs
By Jeff Sikes, High Point Enterprise Staff Sports Writer 11/29/2003

There was no David Copperfield ending this time for High Point Central.

No last-second thrills, no wild, frenetic dash to the end zone with the clock racing down. No hero to mob at midfield.

The rabbit's feet, the lucky horseshoes, the four-leaf clovers and the destiny that had seemed to be riding on the Bison's shoulders were gone, too. Central was beaten by a more physical team Friday, one impervious to the Bison's comeback tendencies.

Central (10-4) dropped its 3AA Western Regional Final to Crest 14-6 on a gusty, blustery evening, falling one game short of the state finals.

The only thing remotely close to boiling Friday night at Charger Stadium was Crest running back Martray Littlejohn.

The 5-foot-9, 170 pound junior tailback gashed the Bison for several big plays, on his way to a 197-yard rushing night. Running Littlejohn behind an offensive line that averaged 280 pounds, Crest (11-3) had its way on a cold night tailor-made for a ground control offense.

"They outsized us tonight," Central coach Todd Staley said. "And they won the line of scrimmage battle on both sides. They were just a big, physical football team that was tough to stop. I'm proud of our kids. They fought so hard and so well all year long. We just ran into a great football team tonight."

The Chargers ran the ball relentlessly, risking little through the air. With Littlejohn playing a big role, they didn't have to.

After the two teams traded two punts apiece on the game's first four possessions, Crest cracked the Bison defense. Aided by junior Maurice Brooks' 39-yard punt return to the Bison 29, Littlejohn went 9, 4 and 15 yards on consecutive plays to take the Chargers to the edge of the goal line.

Crest's front five did the rest, as quarterback Maurice Guallatte followed the gaping hole his offensive line created for a 1-yard touchdown plunge and a 7-0 lead with 35.5 seconds left in the first quarter.

Central replied with a 77-yard drive of its own, aided by a 63-yard pass from quarterback Steve Johnson to Dennis Hamilton. But, the foray stalled at the Crest 3, and the Bison had to settle for a field goal. Andy Schlimmer's 20-yard kick made the score 7-3 with 8:26 left in the second quarter.

The next three possessions resulted in turnovers. Schlimmer fumbled on a punt return to give the ball to Crest, which in return gave it back to Central on Hamilton's interception at the goal line.

Central gave the ball right back a play later deep in its own territory. Six-foot-4 junior linebacker Brandon Spikes intercepted Johnson's screen pass attempt late in the second quarter, before being tackled at the Central 16. This time, the charitable turnover wound up hurting the Bison.

After a 13-yard run by Littlejohn brought the ball to the Central 3, Crest went to its "Heavy I" formation. The triple running back set featured Spikes as the lead. The 255-pound bulldozer plowed his way the final three yards for a score and a 14-3 Crest lead that held up until the halftime break.

Littlejohn had 112 yards rushing on 16 carries in the first half, doing most of the offensive damage.

"They were just blowing us off the ball tonight," Central linebacker Tim Applegate said. "They had a good scheme for us, and (Littlejohn) really followed his blockers well. We couldn't stop them when we needed to."

Central opened the third quarter with an effective possession, reaching the Crest red zone, and looked to have the swagger that produced three late-game playoff victories.

But the Bison drive stalled, and Central again came away with just three points when it badly needed seven. Schlimmer knocked a 33-yard field goal through to pull Central within 14-6 with 5:32 to go in the third quarter.

But the Bison could find no holes in the Crest defense over the final 17:32, and they couldn't plug up their defense enough to stop Littlejohn, who rushed for 85 yards in the second half.

Littlejohn had eight runs of 10 yards or more and finished over the 100-yard mark for the 12th time this season.

"When Martray's clipping off runs like he was doing, and the wind blowing in our faces at like 30 miles per hour, we were like 'Why throw it, let's keep running it,'" Crest coach Roy Kirby said.

Central mustered just 35 of its 160 yards total offense in the second half. Johnson finished the game 5-of-15 for 97 yards with one interception. Hamilton paced the Bison on the ground with 46 yards on 16 carries.

Crest meets top-seeded Eastern Randolph next Saturday in the 3AA state championship at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill.

Eastern Randolph upended Southern Durham 19-6 at home Friday.

 

And their opponents' story...

Championship game next for Eastern Randolph
By Keith Tolbert, Special to the Greensboro News & Record
11/29/03

RAMSEUR -- It takes a lot of things to make a championship football team, but one key ingredient is always heart.

R.J. Lassiter and Chris Headen proved they have as much heart as any two football players around during Eastern Randolph's 19-6 victory over Southern Durham in the semifinals of the 3-AA playoffs Friday night.

Both Lassiter and Headen were held out of practice this week due to ankle injuries, but they combined to rush for 234 yards and two touchdowns. Lassiter also made several key plays on defense, helping the Wildcats shut down a powerful Spartans offense.

"R.J. and Chris have big hearts," said Eastern Randolph coach Burton Cates. "The team always comes first with them."

Lassiter, who was limping off the field, said there was more to this game than the obvious goal of making it to the championship game.

"Nobody has ever been 15-0 at Eastern," Lassiter said. "That was a big motivation. It was also to play one more game with Chris Headen. He is like family to me."

The game didn't start well for the Wildcats. Quarterback Scott Riddle's first pass was picked off and returned 55 yards for a touchdown by the Spartans Tyrone Wilson.

But the Wildcats regrouped quickly, thanks to Headen. He took a handoff around the right side and sprinted down the sideline, cutting back about midfield and was finally brought down at the 5-yard line after a 65-yard gain. Headen would get the touchdown on a fourth-and-goal at the one to tie the score at 6.

Early in the second quarter, Lassiter led a drive with runs of 17 yards, 10 yards and 8 yards, before blasting up the middle for a 10-yard touchdown. That put the Wildcats ahead for good at 13-6.

But the two biggest plays came right before halftime. With Southern Durham backed up deep in its own territory and facing a 3rd and 11, Spartans quarterback Kevin Atkins rolled left to get away from pressure and threw the ball over the middle. Eastern's Tamar Glover was there to intercept it, his first of the season.

The turnover gave the Wildcats excellent field position and they would cash in on it on fourth-and-four. Instead of running the ball, Riddle dropped back and threw a perfect fade pass to Omar Butler for the 19-6 lead at halftime.

"That was the turning point of the game," Cates said. "Their corners were cheating in. We thought Omar could beat him."

An adjustment to the Spartans' running game helped Eastern control the ball and the clock for most of the second half. The only other time the Spartans threatened, Glover was there to pick off another errant pass and seal the win.

Eastern Randolph will play Boiling Springs Crest for the state championship Dec. 6 in Chapel Hill.