By Mike London

mike.london@salisburypost.com

HENDERSONVILLE — A West Henderson interception return for a touchdown with 1:50 remaining made it a long, quiet bus ride back from the mountains for West Rowan.

When West Henderson missed on a 40-yard field goal that would have clinched victory with 2:21 remaining Friday night, West Rowan still had a chance to pull out an amazing road win, but that pick-six on a check-down pass to the sideline ended West Rowan’s hopes.

West Henderson stayed undefeated and won a spirited battle of blue Falcons 56-42 in the second round of the 3A West state playoffs.

“West Henderson is really good and has a very impressive quarterback (Lukas Kachilo) who stayed calm in the pocket when we came after him, and he hurt us with his legs,” West Rowan head coach Louis Kraft said. “But what a game. We fought like crazy, and there were times when we played great football.”

The 56 points were the most  ever allowed by West Rowan in a playoff game, knocking the 55-30 loss to Concord in 2012 out of the postseason record books.

It also was the first time in school history that 42 points were not enough to win a playoff game for West Rowan (9-3).

Seeded 15th, West Rowan led 19-7 after the first quarter, but West Henderson’s offense was relentless and unleashed a series of explosive plays on the ground and through the air.

There was a big swing late in the first half. Second-seeded West Henderson (12-0) got a crucial stop, a 71-yard run by Kachilo and a 9-yard touchdown run by Truitt Manuel in the final seconds of the half to take a 34-29 lead.

When West Henderson scored again to open the second half, West Rowan was in trouble and spent the rest of the game playing catch-up.

“No doubt the last two minutes of the first half and the first two minutes of the second half were really huge for them,” Kraft said.

West Henderson was able to hold West Rowan to field goals twice in the opening half after West Rowan had gotten to the West Henderson 5-yard line. Those semi-stops proved valuable for the home team as both teams waged an all-out assault on the scoreboard.

Juan Arteaga kicked a field goal on West Rowan’s first possession after a 43-yard pass from Lucas Graham to Adrian Stockton got West Rowan into the red zone.

West Henderson answered those three points with a scoring run by Tayman Howell.

West Rowan converted a fourth down and benefited from a pass interference call on its second scoring drive for a 10-7 lead. Kayvone Norman got the touchdown from the 10.

West Rowan got its only stop of the first half on West Henderson’s next possession, then blocked the punt attempt for a safety. Manuel punts for West Henderson, and he wisely booted the loose ball through the end zone to give the visitors two points instead of a point-blank chance at seven.

West Rowan was rolling at that point, got the ball at midfield after West Henderson’s free kick and scored on a 40-yard pass from Graham to Stockton. Arteaga’s PAT made it 19-7, and West Rowan took a healthy lead and momentum to the second quarter.

“That probably was the key to the ballgame right there,” Kraft said. “I mean, we really jumped on them early, but they withstood us.”

Kachilo threw a touchdown pass to Manuel, 48 yards, to cut West Rowan’s lead to 19-14.

Graham hooked up with Stockton again, this time for 68 yards, for 26-14. Stockton beat three defenders deep. Graham delivered a strike over the top.

Carson Dimsdale’s 42-yard scoring run made it 26-21.

West Rowan had a chance to hold serve after getting a long run to the West Henderson 4, but the Falcons couldn’t punch it in. Arteaga’s chip-shot field goal made it 29-21.

West Henderson answered that field goal in a matter of seconds — with a touchdown. Again it was Kachilo to Manuel. It was the 34th TD catch of Manuel’s career and was announced as a record for teams in the mountains of North Carolina. West Rowan led 29-28.

But next came that swing before the half. West Henderson got a rare stop followed by a quick touchdown for a 34-29 halftime lead.

Then West Henderson got the ball to start the second half and kept it going. Howell scored on a  52-yard run  to give West Henderson a 41-29 advantage.

West Rowan was far from done and answered. Graham scored on a sneak with 7:48 left in the third quarter to make it 41-35.

Dimsdale broke another one for a 48-35 West Henderson lead before the third quarter was in the books.

Landon Jacobs scored from the 2 to finish a West Rowan scoring drive with 9:04 left to play. Down 48-42, the Falcons’ defense tried to dig in.

West Henderson took a lot of time off the clock with its ground attack, marching near the West Rowan 15. West Rowan had to use two timeouts but did get the third-and-5 stop (on a running play) that it had to have. With 2:27 left on the clock, West Henderson lined up for a clinching field goal that would have provided a two-score lead. It was a 40-yard attempt, and when it sailed wide left, West Rowan was still alive.

West had 80 yards to go, but didn’t get there. The pick-six came next, followed by a 2-point conversion for the 56-42 final.

“It was the same scenario as our game with Davie County early in the season,” Kraft said. “It didn’t work out this time, but sometimes that happens. We had one heck of a season. So many of our guys improved so much from where they were last January. I couldn’t be prouder of our program — or our fans. They traveled up the mountain well. It was a packed house.”

West Henderson tacked on another interception at desperation time.

West Henderson will be home against Eastern Guilford in Round 3.