Garner, Jack Britt have history

The history's there and that's why it always gets brought up in weeks like this one.

Garner will host Fayetteville's Jack Britt on Friday with a spot in the state 4AA high school football championship game on the line.

Garner (14-0) will try to make its first state final since 1998 and to buck the path of previous Wake County vs. Cumberland County clashes.

Since 1999, the largest school systems in the eastern half of the state have squared off in football games 43 times. The Cumberland County side has won 31 of those games.

But Britt coach Richard Bailey said Garner has earned statewide respect.

"One thing everybody will tell you down here is that Garner isn't considered to be a part of Wake County," Bailey said. "They've never been lumped into that Wake County equation, because they're consistently so athletic, talented and have a tradition of great coaching over the past three decades.

"Garner's a different animal than any other school in that area."

Fayetteville is known for power football. Wake County is known for speed and finesse.

"You see more spread football (in Wake County) than you do down there," said Garner coach Nelson Smith. "Even the Fayetteville teams that do spread you out, they're still power football teams."

Britt (11-2) has been the most successful program in Cumberland County over the past 13 years. The Buccaneers are 11-1 against Wake teams, winning their past seven matchups.

Britt's last loss against a Wake school? A 17-14 setback against Garner in 2006.

Friday's game will be the fourth meeting between the schools since 2005. The Bucs won 28-17 in 2005 (a 12-1 Garner team) and 39-3 in 2008 (an 8-5 Garner team).

The Trojans are 2-4 since 1999 against Fayetteville schools.

Since 1970, Wake County schools have produced four teams - state champion Broughton in 1970, state champion Garner in 1987 and finalists Garner in 1998 and Wake Forest-Rolesville in 2010 - that played for the state 4AA or 4A title.

During the same period, Cumberland teams won three titles, shared another championship, and reached the state final 13 other times.

In 2008, Cumberland schools had three teams in the 4A and 4AA championship games.