Area high school football teams push back games thanks to Tropical Storm Hermine
For Week 3 of the high school football season, the biggest player was Tropical Storm Hermine. Hermine interrupted some Thursday games with lightning and dumped heavy rain onto waterlogged fields, pushing many games back to Labor Day. A smattering of schools have decided to play Tuesday or later in the season.
Wake Christian’s home game against High Point Christian in a rematch of last year’s N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association Division III championship was outright canceled and will not be made up.
THURSDAY’S GAMES
Eastern Guilford 33, Broughton 0: The Caps (2-1) were held to just 94 yards of offense by the Wildcats (3-0).
Franklinton 38, Princeton 27: Franklinton senior Tyreese Williams rushed for 243 yards to go with three touchdowns as the Red Rams pulled away in the second half. Franklinton’s Justin Carver returned the opening kickoff of the second half for a 68-yard tally that pushed the Red Rams (2-1) ahead 31-13. Princeton (1-2) featured two long touchdowns from Earl Gibson – a 63-yard burst from scrimmage on the first series of the game along with an 82-yard kickoff return late in the first quarter.
Geoff Neville
No. 14 J.H. Rose 54, No. 23 Leesville Road 48 (3OT): Dontavies Harris scored three touchdowns in triple overtime to finish with six for the game as the Rampants overcame a 17-0 deficit to defeat host Leesville Road.
Harris finished with 240 rushing yards on 32 carries. He spearheaded the Rampants’ 91-yard scoring drive that sent the game into overtime late in the fourth quarter after Ryan Goodwin hit Grant Jarman for a 29-yard touchdown.
However, neither of Harris’ touchdowns in the second and third overtimes would’ve been possible if not for the effort of J.H. Rose’s field goal unit. It blocked what would’ve been a game-winner from Leesville standout kicker Jefferson Norwood at the end of the first extra period. Late in the second quarter, it had also blocked another kick that proved crucial as regulation wound to a close.
In the loss, Leesville Road quarterback Evan Provost was 19 for 31 passing for 285 yard and five TDs. Rose stuffed a 4th-and-goal run to preserve the win.
Ian Pierno
Nash Central 43, North Johnston 18: North Johnston’s best start since 2012 was ended, but Nash Central’s first winning streak since that same season has kicked off. Nash Central went up 30-8 on a 1-yard run by C.J. Pearce with 1:12 to play in the third quarter, then took advantage of a Kendall Winston interception and 50-yard return to set up a one-play, 11-yard TD drive. Central quarterback Travis Griffin rolled left and found Justus Locus open in the corner of the end zone for a 36-8 lead with 11:26 to play. Sharquez Tillery had 140 yards on just eight carries.
D. Clay Best
Northern Vance 27, Southern Vance 6: The Optimist Bowl trophy heads back with the Vikings (2-1) after losing the grip last year to the Raiders (0-3).
Rolesville 40, Enloe 27: The Rams (1-2) got five touchdown passes from Carnaji Andrews as he finished 13 of 23 passing for 276 yards. E.J. Hicks had four catches for 147 yards in the win. Enloe (1-1) took a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter on a 53-yard Carleon Merritt touchdown run. Tyler Bonds had 138 yards rushing in the loss.
Mike Mangan
No. 16 Sanderson 48, Apex 6: Sanderson (3-0) lost the shutout late in the third quarter, its first points allowed on the season, but the defense more than made up for that with four forced turnovers, three of which were returned for touchdowns.
Alim McNeill returned an interception and a fumble for touchdown and Tyrell Ford rounded out the defensive scoring with a 39-yard interception return just after Jordan Logan’s second touchdown run.
Cale Colosimo
No. 11 Southern Nash 31, No. 21 Bunn 16: The Firebirds (3-0) gained 418 yards on the ground to hand the Wildcats (2-1) their first loss of the season. Southern led 17-10 at halftime after a 4-yard scoring run by Jerod Wright and 2-point conversion by Nadir Thompson, and a Zonovan Knight 4-yard run followed by a failed conversion.
Dae’One Wilkins (35-yard run) and Knight (30-yard run) produced Southern’s other scores. Omar Rosa produced both of Bunn’s touchdowns, on runs from 3 and 7 yards out. Kendrick Bell led the Firebirds in rushing with 165 yards on 17 carries.
Aaron Moody
N&O area scores
East Carteret 35, Spring Creek 14
No. 8 Rocky Mount 35, Hertford County 14
St. David’s 40, Bethel Christian 20
Swansboro 32, Word of God 14
Union Pines 47, Providence Grove 8
Rest of the East
Ashley 34, Fairmont 12
Cape Fear 49, Gray’s Creek 12
Columbia 28, Cape Hatteras 0
East Bladen 42, St. Pauls 28
East Duplin 58, White Oak 13
E.E. Smith 15, Westover 14
Edenton Holmes 42, Plymouth 0
Gates County 17, Bertie 16
Havelock 37, New Hanover 7
KIPP Pride 28, Hobbton 14
Lakewood 50, Lejeune 0
North Myrtle Beach Christian (S.C.) 23, West Brunswick 0
Pender 34, South Brunswick 12
Pine Forest 28, Hoggard 26
Purnell Swett 28, South Robeson 8
Red Springs 25, Harrells Christian 14
Richmond County 62, Douglas Byrd 0
Scotland County 20, Marlboro County (S.C.) 0
Seventy-First 41, Hoke County 22
South Columbus 35, Loris (S.C.) 14
South Lenoir 44, North Duplin 36
South View 28, Lumberton 21
Southwest Onslow 21, Richlands 12
Terry Sanford 48, Jack Britt 20
Topsail 36, Dixon 24
West Carteret 35, Croatan 16
Whiteville 35, West Bladen 6
Trask 48, West Columbus 0
Union 40, Jones 12
Wallace-Rose Hill 34, James Kenan 0
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Camden County at Northeastern, late
Sandhills Home School at Fayetteville Christian, late
J.F. Webb at South Granville, late
North Raleigh Christian at Hickory Grove Baptist, late
Person at Bartlett-Yancey, late
SATURDAY’S GAMES
No. 5 Pinecrest at Weddington (at Monroe High), 9 a.m.
MONDAY’S GAMES
N&O area
Arendell Parrott at Wayne Christian, 6 p.m. (Parrott leads 22-20 in second)
Athens Drive at Grimsley, 6 p.m.
Ayden-Grifton at North Pitt, 7 p.m.
Beddingfield at Greene Central, 6 p.m.
C.B. Aycock at North Lenoir, 6 p.m.
Chapel Hill at Carrboro, 6 p.m.
No. 18 Cleveland at Apex Friendship, 6 p.m.
Clinton at Smithfield-Selma, 6 p.m.
No. 4 D.H. Conley at Washington, 6:30 p.m.
East Chapel Hill at Cedar Ridge, 6 p.m.
East Wake at Cary, 6 p.m.
Fike at Kinston, 5 p.m. (Kinston up 7-0 entering fourth)
No. 17 Fuquay-Varina at No. 6 Millbrook, 6 p.m.
Green Hope at No. 13 Cardinal Gibbons, 7 p.m.
No. 20 Holly Springs at No. 24 Northern Durham, 6 p.m.
Jordan-Matthews at Northwood, 5 p.m.
Knightdale at No. 9 Heritage, 5 p.m.
No. 22 Lee County at Laney, 5 p.m. (Lee up 16-0 at half)
Midway at Rosewood, 7 p.m. (Midway up 18-0 in first quarter)
Northeast Academy at Grace Christian Raleigh, 7 p.m.
Pamlico County at Farmville Central, 6:30 p.m.
Riverside at No. 10 Orange, 6 p.m.
No. 25 South Johnston at Clayton, 6 p.m.
No. 15 Southern Durham at No. 7 Hillside, 6 p.m.
T.W. Andrews at Ravenscroft, 6 p.m.
No. 2 Wake Forest at Southeast Raleigh, 5 p.m.
Rest of the East
Hickory (Va.) vs. Currituck County (at Virginia Beach, 1 p.m.)
Northside (Jacksonville) at Jacksonville, 5 p.m. (Northside up 32-29 late in fourth quarter)
Perquimans at Pasquotank County, 7 p.m.
Riverside (Williamston) at South Creek, 7 p.m.
West Craven at New Bern, 6:30 p.m. (West Craven up 16-0 near halftime)
TUESDAY’S GAMES
N&O area
Goldsboro at Southern Wayne, 7 p.m.
Halifax Academy at Cary Christian, 6 p.m.
Harnett Central at Triton, 6:30 p.m. (0-0 in second quarter)
Overhills at Western Harnett, 6:30 p.m.
Rocky Mount Academy at Community Christian, 6 p.m.
SouthWest Edgecombe at South Central, 6 p.m.
Warren County at Northampton County, 6 p.m.
Rest of the East
First Flight at Manteo, 7 p.m.
Northside (Pinetown) at Southside, 7 p.m.
Northwest Halifax at Southeast Halifax, 7 p.m.
OTHER POSTPONMENTS
Kestrel Heights at Chatham Central (Sept. 12)
Panther Creek at Jordan (Nov. 4)
Tarboro at Northern Nash (Sept. 12)
Hunt at Corinth Holders (likely Sept. 30)
Weldon at Roanoke Rapids (Sept. 30)
J. Mike Blake: 919-460-2606, @JMBpreps
This story was originally published September 2, 2016 at 5:29 PM with the headline "Area high school football teams push back games thanks to Tropical Storm Hermine."