Second try beats Hillside

DURHAM -- It was a bizarre ending, with the eventual loser celebrating what it thought was a victory on the field with seven seconds left.

But on a cold night at Blunt Stadium, the referees called a personal foul on a 25-yard field attempt that had just been blocked.

With 2.7 seconds left, Fayetteville Byrd's Danny Fischer did not miss a second time and put a 20-yard field goal through to beat Durham Hillside 9-7 and move Byrd into the N.C. High School Athletic Association 4-A state final.

Roughing the snapper was called on Fischer's first attempt, which was an automatic first down. The kick had been blocked and a crowd prematurely rushed the field. The officials moved the ball to the Hillside 5.

Hillside (12-2-1) had been nursing a 7-6 lead, and had opportunities to put the game away, but was unable to in the fourth quarter, when it failed to sustain a clock-draining drive late.

But Hillside coach Ray Harrison echoed many comments shouted after the game by Hornets fans.

"I've been coaching for years, and I've never seen a call like that," Harrison lamented. "It was a horrible call. They can send a fine to my house. You should never let the refs decide the game."

Byrd coach Russell Stone made no apologies.

"They had to hurdle our center to block it," Stone said. "The rules clearly state you can't hit the center on [a kick]. I thought the call was legit."

Byrd (12-3) didn't score until 3:59 was left in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Malcolm Rowe carried the ball for a 1-yard rushing touchdown. Stone gambled and went for a rushing 2-point conversion that was stopped, leaving his team behind 7-6.

"We looked pretty stupid there for a few minutes," Stone said.

Hillside scored in the second quarter when Nick Stone intercepted a Rowe pass and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown.

Rowe didn't get anything going in the air until his team's final drive, when he completed a pair of passes, which helped inch his team into field-goal territory. He finished the night 3-of-13 for 31 yards.

Stone said he was never really worried.

"That's the third week in a row that the winning points have come off of [Fischer's] foot," he said.

Hillside stopped Byrd's offense three times in the red zone. Twice Byrd fumbled the ball away, and a field goal was blocked.

While Hillside running back Desmond Scott accumulated 94 yards on 20 carries and quarterback Corey Gattis added 68 rushing yards plus 65 passing yards, Hillside just couldn't break through.

"It hurts big-time, when you can't put it in," Harrison said. "It's going to bite you in the end."