PITTSBORO -- Northwood scored on its first three possessions and held Elizabeth City Northeastern to a single touchdown in the opening round of the state 2-AA football playoffs.
Tra Chandler carried the ball just three times for the Chargers (11-1) but finished with 162 yards rushing including touchdown runs of 66 and 92 yards.
Shane Peppers got Northwood on the board first with a 3-yard run, and Josue Pena added the first of his four point-after kicks for a quick 7-0 lead.
"First play of the game, we hit a 47-yard pass from [Sam] Griffin to [Ridge] Smith to set up first-and-goal, and Peppers took it in on third down," Northwood coach Bill Hall said. "On the second possession, we run an end around and Chandler took it 66 yards untouched to the end zone."
The third TD came on another Griffin-to-Smith hookup, this one for 22 yards and a 21-0 lead.
"We just jumped on them early and held on," Hall said.
The Chargers host South Granville, a 35-7 winner over South Lenoir in the opening round at Oxford Webb, next week in the second round.
Northwood 28, Northeastern 6
Northeastern 0 0 6 0-- 6
Northwood 21 0 0 7--28
SCORING SUMMARY
PN--Shane Peppers 3 run (Josue Pena kick)
PN--Tra Chandler 66 run (Pena kick)
PN--Ridge Smith 22 pass from Sam Griffin (Pena kick)
ECN--A. Fowler 17 pass from R. Harney (kick failed)
PN--Chandler 92 run (Pena kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Northeastern, C. Etheridge 17-48, A. Fowler 2-(-1), T. Williams 1-0, R. Cole 2-3, D. Ward 4-35, R. Harney 7-(-31), L. Vargas 1-(-4); Northwood, Shane Peppers 14-37, Sam Griffin 3-13, Tra Chandler 3-162, Harold Baldwin 1-4, Ridge Smith 2-(-1), Austin Mathews 2-18, Zack Vanhoy 1-0, Jordan Blackmon 1-7.
PASSING--Northeastern, T. Williams 0-4-0, R. Harney 8-22-126-1, C. Ethridge 0-1-0-0; Northwood, Sam Griffin 6-16-124-2.
RECEIVING--Northeastern, T. Williams 1-5, J. Williams 1-12, A. Fowler 4-111, R. Cole 1-1, C. Ethridge 1-(-3); Northwood, Ridge Smith 2-89, Austin Mathews 1-17, A.J. Farmer 1-11, Harold Baldwin 1-5, Shane Peppers 1-2.
Records--Northwood 11-1, Northeastern 7-5.
Up next--vs. South Granville.
Athens Drive 35, Person 17
RALEIGH -- The passing attack of Athens Drive proved too much for Person to stop and the Rockets fell in their first-round matchup in the 4-A playoffs.
Ben Snotherly was 21 of 34 for 328 yards against the Person defense and Louis Wilder hauled in seven of them for 189 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown.
Person fell behind on a safety in the first quarter and then allowed Athens Drive to score on a pair of 1-yard runs by Kyree Green and Zack Bender to go up 14-0 at halftime. The Jaguars extended their lead to 35-0 in the third quarter before Person finally got on the scoreboard in the final period. Walter Smith scored on a 13 yard pass from Chavon Burton, James Thorpe got a 42-yard touchdown run and Corey Zandt added a 39-yard field goal.
Athens Drive 35, Person 17
Person 0 0 0 17--17
Athens Drive 2 12 21 0--35
SCORING SUMMARY
AD--Mulbya 1 safety
AD--Green 1 run (J.Curfman kick failed)
AD--Bender 1 run (J.Curfman kick failed)
AD--Green 2 run (T.Evanoff kick)
AD--Jones 8 pass from B.Snotherly (T.Evanoff kick)
AD--Wilder 61 pass from B.Snotherly (T.Evanoff kick)
P--Walter Smith 13 pass from Chavon Burton (run failed)
P--James Thorpe 42 run (Chris Elliott run)
P--Corey Zandt 39 FG.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Person: James Thorpe 2-44, Rashad Woods 11-30, Thurman Clayton 5-25, Carl Allen 6-22, Chris Elliott 2-12, Walter Smith 3-5, Kevin Slade 2-2, Chavon Burton 1-(minus-4). Athens Drive: Snotherly 7-31, Green 15-29, Rodgers 3-17, Singer 3-14, Akimeyemil 2-7, Stallworth 1-2, Bender 1-1, Markulin 2-(minus-9).
PASSING--Person: Seth Oakley 2-12-28-0, Chavon Burton 1-1-13-1; Athens Drive: Snotherly 21-34-328-2, Markulin 1-3-28-0.
RECEIVING--Person: Smith 2-27, Keith McCain 1-21; Athens Drive: Wilder 7-189, Jones 4-43, Green 3-38, Stewart 3-37, Martin 1-28, Singer 2-17, Estes 2-4.
Pinecrest 28, Jordan 0
SOUTHERN PINES -- Jordan's defense gave up touchdown passes of 13 yards and 14 yards to Pinecrest quarterback Ben Williams, and the Falcons weren't able to get anything going offensively as they lost their 4-AA first round game.
T.J. Thorpe led Jordan with 73 yards on six carries and also a pair of catches for 9 yards. The Falcons had three interceptions to spoil their night with the ball, including one that was returned 30 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.
SCORING SUMMARY
Jordan 0 0 0 0-- 0
Pinecrest 0 7 14 7--28
P--James Baldwin 13 pass from Ben Williams (Jeremy Brock kick)
P--Damion Pride 4 run (Brock kick)
P--Darion Hailey 30 interception return (Brock kick)
P--Harrison Deen 14 pass from Williams (Brock kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Jordan: T.J. Thorpe 6-73, Afam Nwogalanya 11-19, Daquan Scott 3-6. Pinecrest: Damion Pride 9-63, Bret Toomer 16-73, Raphael Alston 4-16, B. Williams 7-4
PASSING--Jordan: Tony Mangili 3-15-21-3, Sam Selig 2-9-24-0; Pinecrest: B. Williams 10-16-10-88-0.
RECEIVING--Jordan: Bradley Sherrod 2-21, Scott 1-15, Thorpe 2-9; Pinecrest: Deen 3-31, Baldwin 4-46, Darian Harris 1-23
Records--Jordan 6-6, Pinecrest 10-2.
West Brunswick 34, Chapel Hill 0
SHALLOTTE -- Chapel Hill had no answer for West Brunswick's running game as five players got at least 50 yards each, and then the Tigers were not able to dent West Brunswick's defense.
West Brunswick (8-3) jumped on Chapel Hill early as Markel Jones broke a 40-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Quan Bates also scored for West Brunswick on runs of two and 25 yards.
Chapel Hill (5-7) finished its season with consecutive losses after putting together a three-game winning streak to earn a playoff spot.
SCORING SUMMARY
Chapel Hill 0 0 0 0- 0
West Brunswick 14 20 0 0-34
WB--Markel Jones 40 run (Corey Bell kick), 7:03
WB--Quan Bates 2 run (Corey Bell kick), 3:30
WB--Maverick Pate 2 run (Corey Bell kick), 8:47
WB--Vann Cobb 27 run (Corey Bell kick), 4:32
WB--Quan Bates 25 run (kick blocked), 3:58
Records--Chapel Hill 5-7, West Brunswick 8-3.
South Granville 35, South Lenoir 7
OXFORD -- Ian Bosley rushed for 235 yards and three scores on just 15 carries, helping South Granville pull away for a victory in the first round of the state 2-AA playoffs.
Clarence Peace also went for 135 yards and a pair of scores.
Peace's 3-yard score with 17 seconds remaining in the first half broke a 7-7 tie. The Vikings ran away in the second half to clinch the victory.
The game was played at J.F. Webb High School due to adverse field conditions at South Granville.
SUMMARY
South Lenoir 0 7 0 0--7
South Granville 7 7 14 7--35
SCORING SUMMARY
SG--Ian Bosley 84 run (Corey Phillips kick), 5:18
SL--Josh Hatch 55 pass from Cameron Parrish (Tom Ballard kick), 3:05
SG--Clarence Peace 3 run (Phillips kick), 0:17
SG--Bosley 59 run (Phillips kick), 11:35
SG--Bosley 45 run (Phillips kick), 5:17
SG--Peace 19 run (Phillips kick), 7:52
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--South Lenoir, Josh Hatch 16-79, Jesse Verduzco 7-28, Jordan Smith 1-4, Ty Kennedy 1-1, Parrish 3-(-7); South Granville, Bosley 15-235, Peace 20-135, Dillon Beck 2-5, Josh Bailey 6-4, Darien Smith 1-2, Josh Thorpe 5-(-2).
PASSING--South Lenoir, Parrish 11-23-4 135, Spencer Harrison 0-1-0 0; South Granville, Thorpe 0-3-0 0.
RECEIVING--South Lenoir, Hatch 4-88, Harrison 4-28, Kennedy 2-10, Verduzco 1-9.
Records--South Granville 9-3; South Lenoir 7-5.
East Bladen 42, Carrboro 18
Elizabethtown -- East Bladen ran out to a 28-6 halftime lead, pushing its way to the second round of the state 2-A playoffs.
Derek Bryant threw for 316 yards and two scores for Carrboro, playing its first football playoff game.
Andy Knapp and Juan Chavariaga each caught scores from Bryant, and Torrell Farrarr punched in a 2-yard scoring run in the third quarter.
A.J. McKoy rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns to lead East Bladen.
SUMMARY
Carrboro 0 6 12 0--18
East Bladen 15 13 0 14--42
SCORING SUMMARY
E--A.J. McKoy 2 run (Al Jordan kick)
E--Saquan Johnson 50 punt return (D.J. Lesane run)
E--McKoy 64 run (Jordan kick)
C--Andy Knapp 14 pass from Derek Bryant (conversion failed)
E--Xavier McKoy 80 run (kick failed)
C--Juan Chavariaga 8 pass from Bryant (conversion failed)
C--Torrell Farrar 2 run (conversion failed)
E--Antonio Murchison 1 run (Jordan kick)
E--X.McKoy 13 run (Jordan kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Carrboro, Deandre White 3-43, Farrar 16-26; East Bladen, A.J. McKoy 10-130, Lesane 12-77; X.McKoy 2-92.
PASSING--Carrboro, Derek Bryant 20-38-1 316; East Bladen, Daron Burney 1-7-0 21.
