Survive the 1AA east gauntlet, a state title could be the reward

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on November 28, 2014 1:51 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

At least the 1-AA eastern teams have lived up to their billing during the N.C. High School Athletic Association football playoffs.

It's just one of two brackets among the eight classifications where the top four seeds have survived after two wacky weeks of play that started with a No. 1 seed -- reigning state 4-A champ Dudley -- forfeiting its spot due to an ineligible player.

Surviving the 1-AA east gauntlet without any significant wounds could lead to a much-deserved reward the second week of December in Raleigh. But reaching that point means navigating through a four-team regional that includes the reigning state title-holder, two former state champs and a team that's playing with unbridled confidence.

"I think it just happened to work out in our bracket that the one, two, three and four (seeds) are the best teams in the east," said James Kenan head coach Ken Avent Jr., who led his squad to the state 1-AA crown a year ago in Winston-Salem.

"All four, after watching Tarboro (on film), are very equal in how they play. (The east champ) will be just a matter of who has a good game, makes some plays."

Kenan faces Tarboro, which won three state 2-A titles from 2009-11, in one semifinal tonight. Traditional power Wallace-Rose Hill, which won consecutive titles in 2009 and 10, meets underdog Princeton in the other semifinal.

The four teams have combined to win 10 state titles and play for 18 overall in the past five-plus decades.

"We had a feeling it would come down to us four," third-year PHS head coach Derrick Minor said. "You have teams that have won multiple state championships and we're still seeking our first, but you just feel blessed that you're still able to play at this time of year.

"Whoever wins this bracket has definitely earned it."