Wonders Lose 26-21

SALISBURY POST
BY MIKE LONDON

KANNAPOLIS - The Nick Maddox Era ended abruptly at Memorial Stadium Friday night as A.L. Brown fell 26-21 to Kings Mountain in the quarterfinal round of the state 3A football playoffs.

Ironically, it was another great running back - Kings Mountain's Anthony Hillman - who ended Maddox's prep career and the Wonders' dream of back-to-back state titles, with the type of magical performance that Wonder fans had grown accustomed to seeing from their own star over the past four years.

Hillman bowled and rolled the Wonders for an astonishing 297 rushing yards in 38 carries, and decided the game by crashing through several Wonder tacklers for a 20-yard tornado of a touchdown that gave the Mountaineers the winning points with only 35 seconds showing on the scoreboard clock.

''That fullback, we just never stopped him,'' said Wonder head coach Bruce Hardin.

''Hillman was the ball in a pinball machine tonight,'' added Wonder defensive coordinator Bill Wightman. ''He was a tough kid. After his first run, I could tell he was something special. We'd hit him, but he'd just keep digging and our kids would slide right off.''

Hillman, a 5-9, 202-pound junior, wasn't exactly a secret weapon, as he had already set the school's rushing record. But motoring behind offensive linemen the size of condominiums, the Wonders could not stop him with the game and a rematch with bitter rival Concord in next week's semifinals on the line.

Hillman carried the ball nine times for 67 yards as the Mountaineers (13-1) drove for a score on their first possession, and he never let up.

The decisive drive for Kings Mountain began after it took over at its own 20 after a Wonder punt with 3:05 left in the game. Down 21-20, the Mountaineers negotiated 80 yards of real estate with time winding down.

Three times on that heart-stopping drive, senior quarterback Anthony Ash threw for first downs. His last clutch toss came on a third-down pass to Kendrick Bell that moved the ball to the A.L. Brown 20. And from there, Hillman did his bash-and-crash routine to decide matters.

''We felt we could stop them,'' said Wightman. ''We'd stopped them in the second half when we had to. We thought they might settle for a field goal try, but Hillman just wouldn't be denied.

''Our kids took their best shot, but at the end there just wasn't much left. When I went out to talk to them during a time out on that last drive, some were so exhausted they couldn't hold their heads up. It was a war of attrition out there. At the end we simply ran out of healthy bodies.''

For most of the first half, Kings Mountain was dominating. The revenge-minded Mountaineers, who the Wonders beat last year in the state semifinals, marched through A.L. Brown for touchdowns on three of their first four possessions. The Mountaineers went 72, 70 and 80 effortless yards for those scores and a 20-7 lead, as their fans went crazy.

''They jammed it right down our throats,'' said Wightman, whose 190-pound defensive linemen were thrown around like feedsacks by an offensive front that averaged 300 pounds per man.

The Wonders (13-1) battled for a score after the opening kickoff, surviving two penalties on a 15-play, 65-march that was capped by Maddox's miraculous catch of a Justin Hardin pass for a touchdown.

But the Wonders were body-slammed on their next three possessions and looked helpless. Finally, late in the first half, a 26-yard pass from Hardin to Maddox sparked a drive for another score. Fullback Paul Allen got the TD on an 11-yard run. That cut the Wonders' deficit to 20-13, and appeared to restore some momentum.

At halftime, Wightman told the Wonders' defense to abandon the stunts that hadn't worked in the first half. The Wonder defense got back to basics in the second half with good results.

Allen and Nick Gill started making tackles, as the game became a defensive struggle. Neither team scored in the third quarter.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Hardin found Maddox for the 114th and final touchdown of his incredible career from 27 yards out. The mercurial Wonder beat double coverage to finish a drive that Hardin had gotten started with a 32-yard peg to a leaping Tramaine Robinson.

After Maddox's touchdown made it 20-19, Coach Hardin instructed his charges to go for two extra points and the lead.

''We had a play for that situation that looked good in practice,'' he said. ''We wanted to give our kids an opportunity to win.''

The play was an option run by quarterback Justin Hardin, who faked a pitch to Maddox, cut back and dove into the end zone. The Wonders' comeback was complete. They led 21-20 with 11:54 to play in the game.

From there it was up to the defense, which held until surrendering the winning run by Hillman in the closing seconds.

After Hillman's score, the Wonders had the ball at their own 38, with time for only last-gasp passing attempts.

Maddox got one hand on a pass at the Kings Mountain 30, but it was batted away. Then a pass to Nick Gill was deflected. Finally, Hardin's heave with nine seconds left was picked off by Jamar Moore to seal the Wonders' fate.

''That was a terrible feeling coming off that field for the last time,'' said a despondent Maddox. ''You never think about losing. You always believe there's a chance. But Kings Mountain played it just right. They didn't leave us enough time. They were tough and physical and deserved to win.''

Coaches Hardin and Wightman agreed with Maddox's assessment.

''That's the best team I've coached against since Lexington in 1989 or Statesville in 1990,'' said Hardin. ''You had the feeling that this game should have been played in Chapel Hill for the championship. It was a great football atmosphere.''

''Certainly the finest football team we've played this season,'' said Wightman. ''Big, strong and quick. We wish them well the rest of the way.''

NOTES: Maddox was held to 86 rushing yards and added 89 more on six pass receptions. He finished his career as the state's No. 4 all-time rusher and the all-time leader in TDs and points (686). ''He handled all the pressure this year with class, very professionally for a 17-year-old,'' said Hardin. ''I feel like I watched him grow up. He's like a part of the family.'' ... Junior Justin Hardin finished the season with a school-record 23 touchdown tosses. ... The game was attended by more than 10,000. ... The Wonders also lost in the quarterfinals in 1990, following their championship in '89. ... Wonder equipment man Jimmy Smith missed the game after a triple-bypass but Hardin says he is recovering well. ... Rumors persist that Wightman will retire after this season, but he said that he has yet to make a decision. ... Hardin is 109-23 in Kannapolis. ... The Wonders had their 20-game winning streak snapped. They were 43-10 during Maddox's four years.