WINSTON-SALEM — South Rowan wanted a state playoff berth, but the disappointed Raiders had to settle for a championship.
The Raiders defeated Mount Tabor 33-13 here Friday night, then waited a few minutes to hear that West Forsyth had knocked off first-place R.J. Reynolds 29-22 to throw the 4A Central Piedmont Conference football race into a three-way tie for the regular-season title between West Forsyth, Reynolds and South. If Reynolds had won, South would have clinched a state 4A playoff berth.
South’s players rode home in activity buses, feeling great about an 8-3 record and a share of the conference championship but knowing coach Rick Vanhoy and principal Alan King were driving over to nearby Clemmons, where a drawing for the league’s two playoff berths was to be held at West Forsyth. They were hoping for the best.
The best didn’t happen. South drew No. 3, eliminating the Raiders from their second straight trip to the playoffs. West Forsyth was then awarded the league’s No. 1 seed on the basis of its victory over Reynolds.
“It was the worst case scenario,” said Vanhoy, who was upbeat about his team’s chances for the playoff berth when talking to his players after the game. “I’ve obviously had a little more time to get over the shock than the kids have right now. Once you get over the initial shock. That’s the hardest thing.”
Vanhoy’s players, after arriving back at South, waited for their coach to drive back from the drawing.
“We were all excited. We won a big football game, finished 8-3 and were looking forward to next week. Then, 30 minutes later, the season is over,” said Vanhoy. “We knew going up there that this was a possible scenario. Of course, the only thing we could do was win the football game. If we don’t win the football game, there’s no draw to begin with. Our kids did what we asked them to do. It’s a great group of kids. I’m just disappointed for them. Our juniors will get another chance, but not our seniors.”
“We kind of wanted Reynolds to win,” said one of South’s defensive leaders, junior linebacker Jay Phillips, who was in on a lot of tackles and had a pass interception. “We just had to win no matter what,” he said immediately after the contest.
South, ironically, went to the playoffs as the CPC’s No. 2 seed last year with a 4-7 record and lost to eventual state champion A.C. Reynolds of Asheville 33-0 in the opening round.
“This group had high expectations for themselves. Last year going to the playoffs was sort of, ‘Hey, we made the playoffs!’ This year they wanted to do a little bit more than just make the playoffs. I know their mindset would have been a whole lot different next Friday night than it was a year ago. Not seeing that come true for them is what’s disappointing for me,” said the South coach.
The Raiders led only 9-7 at halftime, but dominated the second half against a Mount Tabor team that finished in last place in the league at 0-4 and 1-9-1 overall. South finished with 379 yards total offense to 229 for the home team.
Quarterback Tim Cook and halfback Keith Garrett teamed up on the night’s biggest play, a 61-yard touchdown pass that gave South a 16-7 lead with 7:55 left in the third quarter. Garrett later broke loose for a 48-yard touchdown run.
Garrett rushed for 97 yards in 12 carries, giving the 155-pound senior speedster 1,037 yards for the season. South’s other outstanding halfback, senior Tore’ Girty, added 91 yards in 14 carries, giving him 671 for the season. Cook, who also ran 1 yard for a score, completed six of 12 passes for 140 yards.
Garrett’s 31-yard run set up South’s first score, a 25-yard field goal by Robbie Basinger on the final play of the first quarter.
The Spartans then took their only lead of the night, driving 75 yards for a touchdown. Running back Cedrick Hairston, a 255-pounder, ran through a big hole and went 35 yards for the score. Glenn Hurley’s conversion made it 7-3 with 8:32 left in the half.
When Garrett took a hard hit on his sore knee, sophomore halfback Brent Denby replaced him and had two big gainers to help set up Cook’s 1-yard TD run. First, Denby caught a 15-yard pass from Cook. Two plays later, he ran 7 yards to the Mount Tabor 1. It was 9-7 after Cook scored with 4:04 to play, then Basinger’s extra-point try was blocked by Kedrick Carpenter. That was the halftime score.
“We just wanted to come out second half like always and take it to them. We really came out fired up. Our best wasn’t enough in the first half, so we came out second half and got the job done, I guess. The coaches really inspired us tonight,” said Phillips.
South’s defense allowed only 13 total yards in the third quarter while shutting down the Spartans, and the offensive unit came through with 17 points to put the game out of reach before the fourth quarter started.
Garrett, after catching Cook’s pass in the clear at the Mount Tabor 40, went 61 yards for the first TD of the second half. Basinger’s conversion made it 16-7. Several minutes later Basinger kicked a 20-yard field goal to extend the lead to 19-7.
Garrett’s 48-yard touchdown run on the final play of the third period and Basinger’s conversion put the Raiders ahead 26-7.
Mount Tabor got on the scoreboard in the final quarter on a 17-yard TD pass from backup quarterback Anders Larson to wide receiver Terrell Cornelius. The Raiders’ Ricky Childers, who had an interception and broke up several passes during the night, intercepted Wes Bailey’s pass on a 2-point conversion try, leaving the score at 26-13.
Denby scored his first career touchdown on a 2-yard run with 30 seconds left in the contest, and Basinger added the extra point for the final 33-13 margin.
South matched the school’s best regular-season record since 1984’s 8-2 mark. The 1994 Raiders also went 8-3 in the regular season.
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