Friday night, Northwest scored on the last play, but when the Trojan fans leaped out of their seats, it wasn’t to storm the field, but rather to storm the parking lot to beat the traffic.

All Dusty Carmichael’s 34-yard scoring catch with 0:00 on the clock did was help his own personal stats. East had already put this one away.

The resounding 20-12 victory threw East (5-3 overall, 3-2 SPC) right back in the chase for a South Piedmont Conference playoff berth.

“Everybody had lost respect for us,” said a very proud coach Jeff Safrit. “There hasn’t been much mention of us even making the playoffs since we lost two early games.

“And the road is still long for us. But whether we make it or not, we can decide who does.”

East played like conference champions against a Northwest team that had beaten Concord and West Rowan in its two previous weeks. And this was a game the Trojans had been anxiously awaiting since the controversial 28-27 loss to the Mustangs in 1998.

“Emotion will carry you only so far,” shrugged Northwest coach Glen Padgett after his team fell to 3-2 and 6-2. “Football is a game of execution. And East had a very good game plan and controlled the line of scrimmage.”

While the Trojans could not solve the passing combination of Drew Davis and Brent Lambert, who combined for three scoring passes, they had no chance against the Mustang defense.

Playing practically the entire game, Danny Misenheimer, Henry and Chris Faavesi and Thomas Hendrickson picked up the Mustangs and willed them to victory.

Misenhimer and Henry Faavesi, who total over 500 pounds of muscle, opened holes for Chris Faavesi to gain 102 yards on 23 carries, most of them coming on John Riggins-like romps right up the middle. But it was on defense where those three and Hendrickson dominated.

All four had quarterback sacks and harassed Northwest’s talented signal-caller Ryan Woodham from the get-go.

“We couldn’t block Misenheimer,” moaned Padgett. “That was the key to our running game — our inability to move him and Faavesi.”

The East defense was at its best whenever Northwest threatened deep in Mustang territory:

• With East leading 13-6 late in the first half, Woodham passed the Trojans to the East 11. On first down, Hendrickson blitzed and nailed Woodham for a eight-yard loss. On second down, Woodham slipped to one knee for a six-yard loss. And on third down, Faavesi burst through for a sack, leaving Northwest on the 30. Padgett punted.
  
• With six minutes left in the game and East leading 20-6, Northwest had a first-and-goal at the nine. Defensive coordinator Leland Peacock went out for a visit.

“Something just came over us,” Misenheimer said.

On first down, Faavesi sacked Woodham at the 11. On second down, Misenheimer sacked Woodham at the 18. And on third down, Issac Washington picked off a pass to end the threat.

For Washington, it was his second interception and he also recovered a fumble.

“We played better because the offense played better,” Misenheimer said. “When the offense does great, the defense keeps pumping and pumping.”

How great was the offense? It kept the ball for 30 of the 48 minutes. It’s grinding running game outrushed Northwest 163-45. When Northwest stopped the run, Davis showed poise beyond his years.

The sophomore converted several third down plays by throwing to his favorite target Lambert, who finished with six catches for 95 yards.

East’s opening drive saw Faavesi power the ball downfield, setting up Lambert’s 19-yard scoring catch. A 20-yard touchdown catch gave East a 13-6 advantage at halftime.

But the clincher was the most beautiful of all. After hitting Lambert for 24 and 17 yards to keep a fourth quarter drive alive, Davis found the senior speedster for an 11-yarder and a 20-6 cushion with 7:35 remaining. Davis then let the defense do the rest.

“It was definitely Drew’s best game,” said Safrit.

Davis, who was 6-for-6 in the second half, finished 9-of-11 for 132 yards.

Misenheimer knows the Mustangs control their own destiny.

“People have overlooked us the whole year ... and I can’t say I blame them,” Misenheimer said. “We’ve played a good game, then a bad game. But we could’ve played like this all year.”

East can take solace in the fact it has handed the Trojans two excruciating losses. the latest being Northwest’s Homecoming on a night the Trojans were pumped up for.

“That’s what makes it even sweeter, knowing they had the revenge factor and we still beat ‘em,” Safrit chortled. “If we had played like that all year, we’d be 8-0.”

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