Stakes are high for Aycock, E. Wayne in regular-season finale

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on November 6, 2015 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

Head coach Phil Gray didn't mind hearing the celebration as the bus headed back toward Eastern Wayne after a victory over county rival Southern Wayne last Friday.

Once they arrived on campus, he quickly gave the Warriors a reality check.

Yes, it was true they had won a critical game that helped their postseason aspirations.

"I told them to not count your chickens before the eggs are hatched," Gray said. "We're not guaranteed a spot in the playoffs compared to years past. This is a big game for us with our record this year.

"We've got to go out and we've got to play."

Eastern Wayne's playoff destiny hinges on tonight's outcome against another county rival - Charles B. Aycock. A win guarantees Gray's squad the outright No. 1 seed from the 3-A portion of the Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference.

A loss may keep the Warriors (3-6 overall, 1-4 ECC) out of the playoffs since they would be one win shy of the minimum number of victories required by the N.C. High School Athletic Association.

The Golden Falcons (4-6, 2-3) are playoff bound regardless of the outcome.

"Huge (game)," said third-year CBA head coach Steve Brooks, whose team hungers to host a home playoff game for just the second time in school history.

"Since I've been at Aycock, you find out more and more every year that this is a big rivalry game between both schools and that both fan bases are pretty passionate. That goes across the board through the whole athletic department."

Each team has played strong offensively the past month.

The Warriors have scored 97 total points in their last three outings compared to 56 during a four-game stretch from late September to mid-October. Gray's switch at the quarterback slot has created two dual-threat forces -- Zeke Best and KK Best, who is back to his normal running back position which allows him to showcase his talent.

The duo has combined for 1,981 yards and 18 touchdowns this season.

"A bright move (on KK) because he's pretty special with the ball in his hands," Brooks said.

Aycock has its own dangerous twosome -- quarterback Jake Flowers and junior receiver Chandler Matthews. Flowers has thrown for 1,819 yards and an area-leading 24 touchdowns, including 12 scoring strikes to Matthews.

A three-year varsity performer, Matthews has 921 yards on 51 receptions and is approaching the 2,000-yard mark for his career.

"Chandler's playing with a chip on his shoulder because he feels like he was overlooked by a lot of people last season," Brooks said. "He's kind of going for the jugular as far as how everybody looks and responds to him. He and Jake have grown up together ... have a chemistry unlike most quarterbacks and receivers just because they do know each other so well."

So, the question is who can stop the other on defense.

Brooks and Gray both agree their respective teams must get 11 players to the football on each play and wrap up when they tackle. Zeke and KK, and CBA's Caleb Gough (973 yards) are capable of slipping through a defender's grasp and breaking free for an explosive play.

Overall, the Golden Falcons have the league's second-worst scoring defense. The Warriors rank third among the seven teams.

"Right now, I think on the offensive side, both teams are playing great football right now," Gray said. "Me and my coaching staff went back and looked at some film from earlier in the season and saw how well we played defense, and then we slacked off midway through (the year).

"We've emphasized defense (this week). We've got to come out and play hard, aggressive defense."