One playoff game Thursday night

Bison post double-overtime playoff victory
By Jeff Sikes, High Point Enterprise Staff Sports Writer
11/14/2003

For the second consecutive week, High Point Central took a playoff game to the wire.

And for the second consecutive week, the Bison found a way to beat their opponent to it.

Dennis Hamilton's 10-yard run in the second overtime lifted the 10th-seeded Bison (10-3) past pass-happy East Gaston (8-5), denying the 15th-seeded Warriors an upset at Simeon Stadium with a 21-15 victory.

Central will play the winner of tonight's Ashbrook-Mooresville 3AA second round next Friday on the road in the state quarterfinals.

"As a coach, it isn't good for the color of your hair to play so many games like this," Central coach Todd Staley said. "But, when you play good teams like we have, the Trinitys, the Ragsdales and the Tuscolas, there's a greater chance of it happening. We played a great team, and barely got out of here with a win."

Barely was an appropriate description of how close Central came to being bounced from the playoffs. After a botched 21-yard field goal led to kicker Andy Schlimmer's failed pass attempt in the end zone to end the Bison's opening series in the first overtime, East Gaston had a chance to give the Bison the boot.

But kicker Adam Davis hit the left crossbar on a 21-yard field goal attempt that would have sent the Bison packing.

"All you can do is give yourself an opportunity to win, line it up, and hope for the best," East Gaston coach Mark Latham said. "It's just one of those deals you don't want to happen. How many times did it happen to Florida State against Miami?"

East Gaston got the ball first in the second overtime, but Central defensive back Brian McLeod picked off Warriors' quarterback Jadarian Moore's first pass of the series.

Hamilton (19 carries, 119 yards, two rushing touchdowns) then sent everyone home, taking an isolation dive play up the middle for 10 yards and a touchdown.

On the play, Hamilton was held up at the eight by a would-be tackler, but he kept his legs driving. He bowled over his own blocker and ran through two more Warrior tackle attempts at the 2-yard line, emphatically sticking the ball past the goal line for the victory.

"We just stayed focused and kept believing and we saw it through," Hamilton said. "The defense played great tonight. Everyone was reading their keys and making plays. That's what it takes to win games."

Central's defensive game plan was to hound East Gaston quarterback Moore. And despite allowing 214 passing yards in the first half, the Bison could say they had done that by sacking him three times.

The Warriors senior quarterback, who's on the top of a handful of ACC schools' recruiting wish lists, finished with his fifth 300-yard game of the season on 30 of 38 passing. But he was sacked seven times, three by linebacker Tim Applegate.

The Bison defense also blew up the Warriors' running game, limiting them to minus-26 yards on 24 carries. Central rushed for 204 yards on 31 carries.

"We knew (Moore) was more of a thrower than a speed guy," Central linebacker Chris Mosely said. "We've got a lot of speed on our defense and we really bothered him tonight with it."

The Bison are 4-1 in games decided by seven points or less, with that only loss coming to Ragsdale on a 10-yard, game-ending run by Toney Baker in a week 8 loss at Simeon.

Central also advanced past the second round for the first time since 1999 when it won the 2A state championship.

"I've got a lot more left in me," said Hamilton, who rushed for a 48-yard touchdown in the first quarter. "I don't know about everyone else, but I don't want to stop playing until December 6th (the 3AA state finals)."

 

Congrats to HPC on the win.


Congrats to Coach Latham and the entire staff at East Gaston. Still need those guys at Kings Mountain.