CLEMMONSĀ ā Big plays can lead to a wave of momentum, especially in the quarterfinals of a tournament.
That was certainly the case Friday night at Jerry Peoples Stadium, when No. 10 Charlotte Vance walloped No. 3 West Forsyth 35-7 in the NCHSAA Class 4-AA playoffs.
The big plays for Vance (11-2) started on the first offensive play of the game when quarterback Austin Grier threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Payne to give the Cougars a 7-0 lead just 17 seconds into the game.
āThat was a big play, but we thought at that point we thought we were going to be OK,ā said Coach Adrian Snow of the Titans. āBig playsĀ ā theyāve been a big-play offense a lot of the year, done a lot of great things. (Grier) gets out in space and causes you problems, and (Payne) played well.ā
The Titans finished the season 11-2 after winning the Central Piedmont 4-A championship.
āBut you know what, itās one of those things, man, high school football donāt end well for about eight people,ā Snow said. āBut these kids have done a heck of a job. I canāt say enough about what theyāve doneĀ ā a conference championship. Thereās no way in the world, Iām talking about 11-2; 11-2 is awesome.ā
Grier finished the game 14-for-21 passing for 317 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for a touchdown. Vance advances to play at No. 1 Richmond Senior, which defeated No. 4 Charlotte Myers Park, next week in the NCHSAA Class 4-AA Western Regional final.
āIt gave us some juice,ā Grier said of the touchdown pass. āFrom then on out it was pretty much our game. You know, a lot of people didnāt believe that we could do it after beating (Charlotte Mallard) Creek (last week) because everybodyās pretty much lost after they beat them. We wanted to come out and make a statement.ā
Scoring against West Forsyth so early quickly showed that the Titans were in for an uphill battle.
āYeah I had to pull the defense in, and I just had to calm them down a little bit,ā said senior linebacker Giovanni Ricciardi of West Forsyth. āāHey, look at the time left. Thereās (12) minutes left in the first quarter. Do the math. I mean weāve got a long ballgame to play and I really believe weāre going to win.ā
āOur guys believed we were going to win and hats off to them. Theyāre a great team. But I still believe in our guys.ā
The Cougars tacked on another touchdown on a 15-yard run by Stefon Thompson with 7:29 left in the second quarter to push the lead to 14-0.
But the Titans responded when Gāmone Wilson, who missed part of last weekās game with what appeared to be a head injury, returned and scored on a 12-yard run to slice the lead to 14-7 with 4 minutes left.
Vance had a chance to extend the lead just before halftime, but Melvin Benitez missed a 38-yard field goal attempt with 7.4 seconds left.
āWe were feeling confident,ā said Ricciardi. āWe werenāt really too worried. We actually gotĀ ā we were joking around in a good way, a relaxed way, like, āWeāve got this, weāve got this.ā
āThis team from other teams in the past, Iāve never seen this team panic really. No one really hit the panic button.ā
Grier scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak with 2:04 left to push the Cougars' lead to 21-7.
āWhen they scored it picked up our sense of urgency,ā he said. āYou know, sometimes itās kind of hard to keep it going after you get a little lead. That definitely woke us back up.ā
Vance broke the game open early in the fourth quarter when Joseph Morris scored on an 82-yard to make the score 28-7 with 10:09 left.
āThatās the thing with offense,ā said Coach Glenwood Ferebee of the Cougars. āWeāre trying to find consistency. Penalties kill drives, holdings, turnovers, things like that. You know, the negative playsĀ ā they kill drives. So, you know, once we clean that stuff up, weāll be fine.ā
Vance capped its scoring when Daylon Smothers caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Grier with 5:24 left.
Vance finished with 560 yards of offense, and West Forsyth had 175.
āI think eventually it just snowballed on us there at the end,ā Snow said. āYou know, itās one of those things. But sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Sometimes you get rained out.ā
Vance;7;7;7;14;ā;35
W. Forsyth;0;7;0;0;ā;7
VĀ ā Jordan Payne 69 pass from Austin Grier (Melvin Benitez kick)
VĀ ā Stefon Thompson 15 run (Benitez kick)
WFĀ ā Gāmone Wilson 12 run (Jaylen James kick)
VĀ ā Austin Grier 1 run (Benitez kick)
VĀ ā Joseph Morris 82 run (Benitez kick)
VĀ ā Daylon Smothers 19 pass from Grier (Benitez kick)
Records: Charlotte Vance 11-2; West Forsyth 11-2
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Vance senior halfback Stefon Thompson (5) scores a touchdown on Friday, Nov. 29, 2019 in Clemmons, N.C.
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West Forsyth senior running back G'Mone Wilson (1) scores a touchdown.
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West Forsyth senior running back G'Mone Wilson (1) celebrates after scoring a touchdown.
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Vance senior defensive back Marqui Lowery (7) intercepts a pass intended for West Forsyth senior wide receiver CJ Graham (13).
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Vance senior wide receiver Jordan Payne (8) signals to West Forsyth senior defensive back Kendall Williams (2) as runs the ball for a touchdown on Friday, Nov. 29, 2019 in Clemmons, N.C. Payne was flagged for unsportsman like conduct for the gesture.
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West Forsyth senior quarterback Jalen Ferguson (7) is tackled by Vance senior defensive lineman Stephan Sings (9).
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West Forsyth senior running back Zy Dillard (4) is tackled by Vance senior linebacker Solomon Sutton (10) and senior defensive lineman Omar Robinson (14).
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West Forsyth senior running back G'Mone Wilson (1) is tackled by Vance senior defensive back Jordan Harris (28).
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Vance junior running back Joseph Morris (22) outruns West Forsyth sophomore defensive back Chris VanKleeck (33) on his way to a touchdown.
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West Forsyth senior running back G'Mone Wilson (1) is tackled after a run by Vance senior defensive lineman Stephan Sings (9).
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West Forsyth head coach Adrian Snow walks through the student section prior to the Titans' game against Vance.
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West Forsyth senior linebacker Giovanni Ricciardi (18) walks through the student section prior to the Titans' game against Vance.
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West Forsyth senior running back G'Mone Wilson (1) walks through the student section prior to the Titans' game against Vance.
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West Forsyth senior offensive lineman Isaiah Brooks (50) walks through the student section prior to the Titans' game against Vance.
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West Forsyth senior linebacker Slade Garraghty (10) takes the field for the Titans' game against Vance.
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Slade freshman wide receiver Kevin Conception (18) is upended by West Forsyth senior defensive back Kendall Williams (2) on a kick return.
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Vance senior wide receiver Jordan Payne (8) celebrates after scoring a touchdown.
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West Forsyth head coach Adrian Snow speaks with an official.
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West Forsyth senior running back Zy Dillard (4) runs the ball on Friday, Nov. 29, 2019 in Clemmons, N.C.
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Vance senior defensive back Marqui Lowery (7) intercepts a pass.
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West Forsyth senior defensive lineman Patrick Smith (98) pumps up the crowd on a third down.
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Vance junior quarterback Austin Grier (2) runs the ball on Friday, Nov. 29, 2019 in Clemmons, N.C.
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West Forsyth junior defensive back Jake Hill (19) and senior linebacker Giovanni Ricciardi (18) combine to tackle Vance senior halfback Stefon Thompson (5).
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West Forsyth senior running back Zy Dillard (4) runs the ball on Friday, Nov. 29, 2019 in Clemmons, N.C.
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West Forsyth senior defensive back Will Knight (6) celebrates after the Titans recovered a muffed punt.
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West Forsyth sophomore linebacker Mack David (20) celebrates after the Titans recovered a muffed punt.
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West Forsyth senior running back G'Mone Wilson (1) runs the ball as Vance junior linebacker Power Echols (1) attempts to tackle.
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Vance junior running back Joseph Morris (22) runs the ball.
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West Forsyth senior running back Zy Dillard (4) runs the ball.
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A West Forsyth student dressed as Santa Clause cheers on the Titans.
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West Forsyth senior quarterback Jalen Ferguson (7) runs the ball.
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West Forsyth senior defensive back Will Knight (6) celebrates a stop.
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West Forsyth sophomore linebacker Mack David (20) pressures Vance junior quarterback Austin Grier (2).
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West Forsyth head coach Adrian Snow signals a timeout on Friday, Nov. 29, 2019 in Clemmons, N.C.
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Vance junior quarterback Austin Grier (2) runs the ball.
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West Forsyth junior defensive back Jake Hill (19) stops Vance junior quarterback Austin Grier (2) short of a touchdown.
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Oh well, guess West Forsyth proved to be pretenders this season after getting walloped on their home field by Charlotte Vance. No doubt ol' Jerry's "rollin' over in his grave" over this abysmal performance by the so-called Titans.
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