Falcons soar to 4-A title

Hopper scores four TDs; Paroli earns first state crown

CHAPEL HILL -- Fayetteville Seventy-First's James Hopper ended the high school stage of his football career with a bang. And his coach had the day of his life against none other than his former team.

Hopper rushed for 192 yards and four touchdowns to help Fayetteville Seventy-First defeat Fayetteville Douglas Byrd 28-7 in the Class 4-A North Carolina High School Athletic Association championship game on Saturday.

The senior running back, who earned MVP honors, has committed to play for Virginia Tech.

"I just thought of it as a regular game," Hopper said. "I didn't really have [any] pressure on me."

Bob Paroli has coached the Falcons (14-2) since 2005, but previously spent 25 seasons on the Eagles' sideline and was 0-5 in championship games. Saturday, Paroli's new team handed his old one its sixth title-game loss in six tries.

"I love Douglas Byrd, I spent 25 years there, I had some of my greatest experiences with what we did there," Paroli said. "I couldn't afford to get caught up in the emotions."

Maurice Scruggs had 76 rushing yards for the Falcons, who closed the season with six consecutive wins for their second state championship in school history.

It was also the second time the Falcons defeated the Eagles (13-4) this season. The first game, on Oct. 3, ended in a 27-14 Fayetteville Seventy-First victory. Both teams play in the Mid-Southeastern Conference.

Malcolm Rowe's 6-yard run pulled the Eagles within 14-7 late in the third quarter. But a potential game-tying drive stalled at the Falcons' 23-yard line, and Hopper's two fourth-quarter touchdown runs -- from 1 and 5 yards -- sealed the victory.