CARRBORO — Just as many great rivalry games are, this one was decided in the closing seconds.
Johnathan Allison recovered a fumble after Carrboro’s Derek Bryant was sacked at the Cedar Ridge 7 with 10 seconds left, preserving the Red Wolves’ 20-14 win over their Orange county rivals Friday night at the Jaguars’ field.
The victory, Cedar Ridge’s eighth straight, improved the Red Wolves to 8-1 and 2-0 in Carolina 9 2-A play in Joe Kilby’s first season as head coach.
Carrboro, which lost a 35-34 double-overtime heartbreaker at Pittsboro Northwood seven days ago, fell to 7-2 and 1-2.
“This is unbelievable — I’m shaking right now,” Kilby said. “I wasn’t expecting the game to be this low-scoring, but both defenses played tough and got after each other. Defense was just unbelievable. Hats off to them, they played good defense too.”
Cam Pappas carried 20 times for 43 yards and two touchdowns, also completing seven of 12 passes for 101 yards. Brent Burnette added 90 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.
“This game was crazy,” Pappas said. “For me this is new territory as the starting quarterback (as a junior.) I wasn’t trying to be the hero. I just
wanted to do what my team needed me to do to win. I take a beating every night. Our defense saved us.”
Derek Bryant completed 14 of 28 passes for 168 yards for the Jaguars, with Juan Chavarriaga catching seven for 108 yards. Torrell Farrar picked up 86 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.
Trailing 20-7 Carrboro got a huge break with 7:59 to go, as DeMarcus Powell blocked a Pappas punt and Tabius Sales returned it 25 yards for a touchdown.
Oscar Romero’s kick cut the lead to six.
Carrboro needed to go 85 yards in 1:40 following Cedar Ridge’s final punt, but the 12th play of the drive resulted in the fateful fumble.
“This game could have gone either way,” said Carrboro coach Jason Tudryn, who has been the only coach the four-year-old program has had and will have their first winning season. “It’s been great this season. These guys have worked to get to the point where they can play championship-caliber football in October and November.”
