CONCORD — West Rowan’s awesome defense played at a higher level Friday night, thanks to an inspired effort from a player head coach Scott Young said showed “the most courage I’ve ever seen from a high school athlete.”

Less than 24 hours after learning his sister was missing and presumed dead aboard the USS Cole, James Francis anchored a Falcon defense that limited Concord to 106 yards of total offense for a stirring 17-3 win.

“He’s our defensive leader most of the time,” Young said. “James is always there, always playing an ‘A’ game, and tonight, with those circumstances he had, to play as well as he did just speaks volumes and volumes and volumes about his character.”

The news that Francis’ sister, Lakeina Monique Francis, was on board the USS Cole when terrorists attacked the ship in Yemen shocked the Falcons on Friday morning. What was supposed to be West’s biggest game of the year, a Class 3A South Piedmont Conference clash for first place, turned into a matter of family pride.

The Falcons no longer had to win one for first place: they had to win for Francis’ family, and West did just that. With back-to-back victories over SPC powers A.L. Brown and Concord, the Falcons moved into first at 5-0 in the league and 7-1 overall. Only three games separate West from its first ever SPC title, and none of the Falcons’ remaining foes hold much hope of being able to solve that ferocious defense.

With Francis and fellow linebacker S.J. Culbertson patrolling the middle of the field, Concord netted four yards on its first possession, lost six the next time and finally got a first down with three minutes to play in the first quarter. The Spiders’ offensive woes grew so much in the first half that, after reaching the West 22 with half a minute remaining in the first half, Concord attempted two failed running plays, then played for the last-second field goal.

Drew Walters’ kick from 42 yards out made it 3-0 at halftime, because as poor as Concord’s offense was, West’s was worse.

The Falcons managed just one first down the whole first half, thanks to a Concord personal foul. The Spiders piled up the yards next to West’s totals: 67 total yards to nine — count ’em, nine, all on the ground, for the Falcons.

“It was a mirror image of each other,” said Concord head coach E.Z. Smith, whose team fell to 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the SPC. “They knew what we were going to do, we knew what they were going to do. The question is, ‘Can you stop them?’ On this night, we didn’t stop them.”

The Concord defense did its part for most of the night, including on the first drive of the second half — another three-and-out. But on the Spiders’ ensuing possession, quarterback Jared John’s pass intended for Greg Cummings was deflected by Falcon Josh Drechsler and into Eric Weimer’s hands. He raced 26 yards untouched for the go-ahead score.

“That’s the kind of play we have to have in a game like this,” Weimer said. “I was like, ‘Oh, my God! We just did it!’”

And did it again, and again, and again. Concord kept running Josh Lott up the middle, and the Falcons kept limiting him to 1-yard gains. Finally, the QB John reeled off a 23-yard gain to midfield, bringing the Spider fans to their feet. On the next play, he fumbled the snap and the ball went back to West. Steven Meseroll’s 28-yard field goal made it 9-3.

As the fourth quarter began, the game remained up for grabs. The West defense held again, then the Concord defense made a stand and knocked Falcon quarterback Jared Barnette out of the game with a leg injury.

West’s defense forced yet another punt — both teams kicked it away seven times — and the Falcons went back to work from the 24-yard line. Backup QB Ben Hampton ran twice for no gain, and Concord called timeout to stop the clock with 2:13 remaining.

Barnette limped back out, took a quick snap and let fly down the field. Horatio Everhart circled underneath the ball, took it between two defenders and raced untouched for the 76-yard game-breaker.

“The line blocked well, I got the pass off and Horatio caught it and ran it in,” Barnette said. “Coach told me two or three different receivers to look at, but he told me if Horatio was wide open to throw it. I just threw it up. I could count on Horatio to catch it.”

Prior to the 76-yard pass, West’s offense had accounted for 75 yards.

Total.

“They were always playing off me, so I took a jive step out, got him to turn his back and I had him running in circles,” Everhart said. “I just caught up to the ball, ran up under it.”

In a fitting end, West called Francis’ number for the two-point conversion and he scored his first offensive points of the season with a rugged run around the right side.

“He played a great game, but I think he would have played a great game no matter what, because he’s a great linebacker,” Smith said.

And a courageous one, whose teammates carried him off the field on their shoulders.