Due to technical (internet) problems, we were unable to post details of the first half as the games were in progress.  We had the info, but couldn't get it online.  We have some details in our after-the-games writeup.  Since we supplied ways to follow the games online or on radio, fans hopefully got the info they wanted without our posts.

FRIDAY NIGHT (NOV. 25TH) SCORES:

3A PLAYOFFS:

East Lincoln 46, Kings Mountain 20

It didn't take long for the East Lincoln Mustangs to show how their defense would rule the night while their offense ran wild against the previously unbeaten Mountaineers.  East kicked off to Kings Mtn. but linebacker Matthew Watson intercepted a Lamont Littlejohn pass and Christopher Daley II took it from midfield to the end zone.  When the Mounties couldn't move the ball against the powerful Mustangs defense, they punted, and Keandre Walker returned the punt 45 yds for another East score.   A two-point EP try failed and it was 12-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Early in the secnd period, Ben Cutter's long run set up a Tyler Mizell  pass to Keandre Walker who went 17 yards for another East touchdown.    This time, Christopher Mileta nailed the EP and East led 19-0.  

When the Mounties got the ball agasin, AJ Richardson ran seven yards for a touchdown and Jaden Ellis kicked the extra point to cut the lead to 19-7.

With just over two minutes left in the first half, Daley ran 50 yards for a TD and Mileta's kick gave East a 26-7 lead.  That might have been the halftime score, but as the Mounties tried to score before halftime, Walker intercepted a Littlejohn pass and his pick-six covering 70 yards gave the Mustangs a 32-7 lead.  The EP try was no good and the first half ended with East leading by 25 points.

On the Mustangs' first possession of the second half, Christopher Daley II ran 80 yds for another TD and Mileta's EP kick made it 39-7. On their second possession, Clark took a Mizell pass 93 yards for another TD.  Mileta's kick made it 46-7. 

Richardson scored again for the Mounties with five minutes left in the third period, but a two-point EP try was no good and East led 46-13. 

After a missed field goal by the Mustangs, the Mountaineers' Caleb Holland ran for a TD.  Jaden Ellis kicked the EP and the score was East Lincoln 46, Kings Mountain 20 and that was the final score.  East, now 14-0, will host South Point next Friday for the West region 3A title and a spot in the state championship the following Saturday (Dec. 10th) in Raleigh.

Stars for the night for the Mustangs: Keandre Walker, three touchdowns including a punt return and a pick-six interception for TDs; Christopher Daley II, 170+ yards rushing and two touchdowns.  After 14 wins, the closest any team has come to East was a 16-point loss by Hickory, but they only scored late to cut the margin after East had built a 21-0 lead.  Impressive as the high-scoring offense is (581 points, an average of 41.5 points per game), the Mustangs' defense has allowed only 87 points in 14 games, 20 of those Friday night (an average of only 6.2 points per game). 

South Point 28, Eastern Guilford 17

South Point kicked off to Eastern Guilford.  The Wildcats kicked a field goal for a 3-0 first quarter lead.  Chanyce Ford then returned a block punt early in the second period and Charlie Birtwistle's kick made it 7-3.  Eastern Guilford scored just before halftime to lead 10-7 at the half. In the third period, the Raiders drove for a score with Cam Medlock going two yards for a TD and Birtwistle's EP kick made it South Point 14, Eastern Guilford 10.

Eastern Guilford scored with a minute left in the third period and with the EP kick, took a 17-14 lead. Early in the fourth quarter, Patrick Blee ran 11 yds for a Red Raiders' score and Birtwistle's kick gave South Point a 21-17 lead. A Cam Medlock TD run and another EP kick made it 28-17.  The Wildcats scored with less than a minute left in the game to made the final South Point 28, Eastern Guilford 17. Next week, the Raiders will visit East Lincoln for the West region 3A championship and a trip to the state championship Dec. 10th at Carter Finley Stadium in Raleigh.

2A PLAYOFFS:

Reidsville 34, Maiden 7

Reidsville kicked off to Maiden, but the Blue Devils suffered a pick-six on their first possession and trailed 6-0. Maiden had no success moving the ball against a tough Rams defense throughout the first period. In the second quarter, Reidsville score again for a 12-0 lead. The Blue Devils finally saw some success as Wesley Thompson hit Chris Culliver with a long pass, but the drive stalled at the Reidsville 36.
Reidsville scored again with two minutes left in the first half. This time, their EP kick was good and they led 19-0 at halftime. Ben Gibbs was ejected from the game near the end of the first half.

The Blue Devils kicked off to the Rams to start the second half. When Maiden got the ball, another interception turned the ball over to Reidsville.  On their next possession, Thompson threw a long pass to Raheim Misher to get Maiden to the Reidsville 15; but the Rams intercepted a pass to stop the drive and it was still 19-0 at the end of the third quarter.

Early in the fourth period, the Rams threw a TD pass and then ran for two extra points to lead 27-0.

A long pass to Jacob Sigmon set up a short one to Chris Culliver and Maiden finally scored with seven minutes left in the game to cut the lead to 27-7; but Reidsville threw another TD pass and with the EP led 34-7 with less than two minutes left in the game, and that was the final score.  Maiden's season ends with a record of 12-2.  Reidsville, who were seeded #1` in the west in the 2A playoffs, will host Burns next week.

Burns 49, Monroe 40

On their opening possession after taking the kickoff, the Bulldogs scored on a 41-yd pass from Ben Mauney to Ryan Thompson and Ansley Camacho's kick made it 7-0. On their second possession, Burns scored again as Mauney hit Kamari Surratt for a 19-yd score, and the EP kick gave the Bulldogs a 14-0 first quarter lead.

In the second period, a long pass got the Redhawks on the scoreboard and cut the lead to 14-6; but another Mauney to Thompson pass, this one for 64 yards, put Burns ahead 21-6. Monroe then scored again and made a two-point conversion to cut that to 21-14, but Mauney threw a 20-yd touchdown pass to Surratt with less than a minute left until halftime to give the Bulldogs a 35-28 halftime lead.

Burns kicked off to the Redhawks to start the second half.  They made it to the Burns 18-yd line, but turned the ball over on downs. Mauney then threw a 37-yd pass to Ryan Thompson for another Bulldogs score, and the EP kick by Ansley Camacho made it 42-28. 

Monroe then drove to the Burns 25 but a tackle for loss by Amari Rankin-Littlejohn and a sack by Nicholas Vinson pushed the back to the 34 and there they turned it over on downs.  

Monroe scored again midway through the final period; they missed the EP kick and it was Burns 42, Monroe 34. 

A long kickoff return by Thompson got the Bulldogs into Redhawks territory; then Thompson finished the drive with a 6-yd touchdown run and Camacho's EP kick made it 49-34.  Monroe scored with five minutes left in the game, but missed the two-point EP try and Burns led 49-40.  With less than a minute left in the game, the Redhawks' last gasp was an interception by the Bulldogs' Lemont Wilson and Burns won 49-40 to advance to the West region championship game next Friday at Reidsville.