The North Rowan and Burlington Times-News track classics won’t have anything on this football game.
When ultra-athletic Burlington Cummings and North Rowan meet in tonight’s Class 2Aquarterfinal football game, speed will take center stage. Some of the fastest athletes in the state will be on display, and they’re quite familiar with each other from the indoor and outdoor track seasons. They’ve already competed against each other in two of the most prestigious annual track events in North Carolina the past three years.
The matchup of Cavaliers —the Cavs from Cummings, seeded third in the West bracket, will own the homefield advantage over No. 7 North — could turn into a game of “anything you can do, I can do better.”
- North’s Shrine Bowl-bound quarterback, Alfonzo Miller, has thrown for 2,511 yards and 24 touchdowns. Cummings’ Drew Williamson has fired for 3,454 yards and 37
TDs.
- North Rowan (11-2) averages 32 points per game and 408 yards of total offense. Cummings (12-1) has amassed an average of 41 points and 409 yards.
- The North defense has allowed 17.5 points per game. Cummings? A mere 13.8.
- And what about all that North Rowan speed?Head coach Roger Secreast said Cummings boasts even more.
“It’ll be interesting to see so much speed on the field,”Secreast said. “We’re not slow. They’re just a little bit faster.
“They’ll present some problems for us. We’re not a finesse team. We try to out-athlete other people, and they have athletes that are a whole lot bigger and a little bit faster.”
Williamson, a 5-foot-11, 155-pound junior, doesn’t tower over the opposition. In fact, he’s nearly identical to Miller, North’s 6-foot, 175-pound senior.
“We’re a pretty good mirror of each other,”Cummings head coach Steve Johnson said. “It should make it an exciting game for the fans.
“Both teams throw the ball quite a bit and have put up some big numbers. It could come down to which defense can slow an offense down: ‘Hey defense, hold ’em to one point less than our opponent.’ ”
Cummings hasn’t taken part in any nail-biters this season. The lone loss came at the end of September, 31-22 at Graham. Cummings shut out three opponents this season and beat West Caldwell and Forest Hills a combined 106-41 in the opening rounds of the playoffs.
Williamson’s huge numbers —he’s completed 179 of 295 passes with just nine interceptions — come courtesy a big-play offense and a pair of big-play receivers. Senior Iverrick Harris, at 6-2, 208 pounds, boasts 50 catches for 1,001 yards and 10
TDs. Bryan Manning, a 6-1, 195-pound junior, has 60 catches for 891 yards and nine scores.
“They’re such large targets that they’re able to throw over a shorter secondary and catch it,”Secreast said.“Most of their pass plays have been big plays.”
With those two receivers to worry about, plus 5-9 wideout Michael Enzlow (24 catches for 727 yards) and 6-1 tight end Mike Hinton (29-676), Secreast said the North defense will take a different shape tonight.
Instead of playing three people in the secondary, another safety will be added. Cornerbacks Chris Oakman and Arel Radcliff and safeties Aundray Russell and Travis Wilson will be tested mightily.
Cummings is more concerned about North Rowan’s big front line than the deep men, however. Linemen Junior Farmer (6-7), James House (6-3), Marcus Hayes (6-3) and Thomas Hyde (6-3) have made life hard on opposing offenses this season.
“It’s easier for the defensive line this week because they don’t have to worry about so many running plays,”Secreast said. “We’re just going to turn them loose.
“They (Cummings)are going to get some big plays when they run the ball because we’re going to try to stop the pass first and the run second. Just like they will.”
Secreast has loads of confidence in stopping the run thanks to his big line and backers Jon Lomax and Leonard Atkins. Williamson leads Cummings with 463 rushing yards this season. Andre Gray, a 5-9 junior, is second on the squad with 334 yards.
“They have tremendous size and height, and when teams try to pass they bat it down, back the (offensive) linemen up,”Johnson said. “It makes it tough for people who want to run. We do like to mix the run in, but those big ol’ boys in there will be hard to move out.”
The North defense has played just good enough so far in the postseason, surrendering 20 fourth-quarter points in a first-round 24-20 win over Pisgah and hanging on for a 30-29 victory at West Wilkes. Miller’s late heroics provided the spark in the second round, and this shootout could be decided in the closing minutes, as well.
If that’s the case, then Secreast hopes his team can use the one slim advantage he sees — Cummings’ star receivers also play in the secondary, whereas North’s players go one way for the most part.
“Sometimes if you’re running a pass route on every play and you’re covering somebody on every play, you have to take a break to catch your breath at some point,”Secreast said. “That can be an advantage for us, but only if we can spot when that’s happening.”
The other advantage, whether it goes to North or Cummings, is an obvious one mentioned by both coaches. Whichever team makes the fewest mistakes is likely to win the game.
With a trip to the state finals just two wins away, Secreast and Johnson both remember the last time these teams met: the 1992 Class 3A championship, won 25-14 by Cummings. Johnson, then a defensive coordinator, watched his unit make the difference.
“I remember two fumbles and a fumbled punt,”Secreast said of that game. “I also remember that it was the only time North Rowan ever played for a state championship.”
When tonight’s track meet finally reaches the finish line, either North or Cummings may get that chance again.
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Directions:Take I-85 to the I-85/I-40 merger in Greensboro to Exit 143 in Burlington. Turn left onto Alamance Road/Highway 62. Go to the third stop light (past Dick Shirley Chevy) to theCircle K. Turn right onto Mebane Street through town. Mebane Street deadends into the Cummings’ parking lot.
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Contact Steve Hanf at 704-797-4287 or shanf@salisburypost.com
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