STAFF PHOTOS BY DOUG R UTTER
^ REIDSVILLE QUARTERBACK BRIAN TURNER gets rid of the football under pressure
from Michael Lance (32) and Jonathan Faulk (55).
WEST'S PHILLIP JOHNSON (67) closes in on Reidsville running hack Otis Lynn.
STATE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
Trojans Humble Top-Ranked Reidsville 21-3
BY DOUG RUTTER
ReidsviSle'c Rams swaggered into
Rourk Stadium Friday night with
their 12-0 record, resenting the fact
that the top-ranked football team in
the state should have to travel four
hours to play a 9-3 team like West
Brunswick.
After all, Reidsville was the only
undefeated 3A squad in North
Carolina. The Rams had tiie awe
some defense that had recorded sev
en shutouts and allowed just 60
points all season.
But the host Trojans were not im
pressed with Reidsville's creden
tials. Behind its best defensive effort
of the season. West sent the cocky
Rams home with their first loss of
the year.
Steve Holmes scored two fourth
quarter touchdowns and West's de
fense held the Rams to 37 second
half yards as the Trojans posted a
21-3 victory over Reidsville in the
third round of the state high school
football playoffs.
The unheralded Trojans will host
Tarboro this Fiiday for the Eastern
North Carolina 3A Championship.
The winner plays for the state title
next week in Chapel Hill.
"1 got the impression their players
and fans and coaching staff did not
have a whole lot of respect for us,"
West Brunswick Head Coach Jim
Brett said following the game.
"They tried to intimidate us," said
West Brunswick two-way starter
Michael Lance. "They said they
shouldn't have to come down here
to a little town in Brunswick County
to play a team with three losses."
"We just had to step up on de
fense," said Lance, who scored one
touchdown from his fullbac^c posi
tion and set up another from his
iinebacker position with a second
half interception.
"It was exactly like 1 expected
coming in," Brett said of the game,
played before an estimated 2,200
fans.
"I knew if we had a chance we
were going to have to do it on de
fense," Brett said. "I thought our de
fense played a great game. It's the
best game they've played on defense
this year."
The Trojans used defensive line
stunts to put pressure on Reidsville
quarterback Brian Turner, who com
?
TRpJAfc DEFENDERS Wayne Branch (2) and Charlie Peele cel
ebrate one of West Brunswick 's four second-half sacks against the
Rams.
pleted just nine of 25 pass attempts
for 10.1 yar<l?; W fit cacked the se
nior quarterback four times in the
second half.
West's defensive backs coach,
Mike Alderson, had the young
Trojan secondary prepared for a
Reidsville team that passed for more
than 2,000 yards during the regular
season.
"Coach A worked with us all
week long in the secondary and said
it was in our hands," said junior cor
nerback James Morgan. "We played
our hearts out tonight."
Despite West's great defensive ef
fort, it was Reidsville that opened
the scoring midway through the sec
ond quarter with a 33-yard field goal
by Brad Huff.
The kick was set up by West
Brunswick's only big blunder of the
night ? a long snap that floated over
the head of Trojan punter Derek
Frink, who covered up the loose ball
at West's 35-yard line.
Reidsville's drive stalled at the
16, and the Rams settled for Huff's
field goal and a 3-0 lead with 7:20
left in the first half.
Stuffed on its first three posses
sions. West Brunswick's offense
started clicking following the field
goal. The Trojans took over at their
own 31 and marched 69 yards in 11
plays.
The big play was a 21 -yard pass
from junior quarterback Eric John
son to tight end Timmy Daniels that
gave the Trojans a first down at the
Reidsville 37-yard line.
On fourth-and-1 from the
Reidsville 7, Lance plowed up the
middle for his fourth touchdown of
the playoffs. Frink kicked the extra
point to give the Trojans a 7-3 lead
with 1:36 left in the half.
Reidsville took the ensuing kick
off and moved from its own 34-yard
line to the West Brunswick 18.
However, Huff's 35-yard field goal
attempt bounced off the left upright
as time expired in the first half.
With the Trojans clinging to a 7-3
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? "See the man with the red socks on!"
lead, the biggest play of the game
came late in third quarter when
Lance intercepted a Turner pass near
midfield and returned it to the
Reidsville 8-yard line.
"I just did my job," Lance said of
the interception. "When I looked up
all I saw was the ball coming
straight at me."
Lance then carried twice for five
yards. On third-and-goal at the 3,
Holmes took a quick pitch around
the left end and into the end zone.
Frink's PAT gave West Brunswick a
14-3 lead with 10:54 left in the
game.
With less than 5 minutes remain
ing, Reidsville's offense moved into
Trojan territory before Turner was
stuffed at the line of scrimmage on a
fourth-and-1 quarterback sneak.
The Trojans took over on downs,
and put the Rams away four plays
later when took a handoff and
sprinted 43 yards down the right
sideline for his second TD of the
game. Frink added the extra point to
close out the scoring.
Holmes, the target of the
Reidsville defense all night, finished
with 84 yards rushing on 13 carries.
Lance rushed 16 times for 63 yards.
Otis Lynn carried 16 times for 70
yards to lead Reidsville, which fin
ished the season 12-1.
Despite West Brunswick's suc
cess this year and a combined record
of 24-6 in 1991 and 1992, Brett said
the Trojans (10-3) are not getting the
respect they deserve across the state.
With only eight teams left in the
3A playoffs last week, West
Brunswick was ranked ninth in the
statewide power ratings.
Brett said the team's goal is to re
turn to the state championship game
for a third straight year and become
the first team in history to win a 2A
championship one season and a 3A
championship the next.
"It's a little mission right now,"
Brett said. "Our kids want to get
back to Chapel Hill."
THE YARDSTICK
West Brunswick Reidsville
8 First Downs 11
40-170 Rushing 26-57
1-1-21 Passing 9-26-103
1 -0 Fumbles-Lost 0-0
0 Ints. Thrown 1
5-27 Punts(No-Avg) 3-29
3-15 Penalties- Yards 1-5
Advance Tickets On Sale
Tickets fqr Friday's state semifinal high school football game be
tween West Brunswick and Tarboro will be on sale Thursday and Friday
at the school's main office.
Tickets can be purchased during school hours (7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m.)
for $6 each. Athletic Director Jim Brett said tickets will cost $7 at the
gate Friday night
"We're highly encouraging people to buy their tickets in advance so
we don't have the problems with long lines at the gate and people having
to wait to get in," Brett said.
Approximately 2,200 people attended last week's West Brunswick
game and Brett said 4,000 spectators are expected this week. Tarboro is
expected to bring at least 1,000 fans.
"It'll be by far the biggest crowd we've ever had in this stadium,"
Brett said. "People can save a lot of time and one dollar if they buy their
ticket early."
Score By Quarters
West Brunswick 0 7 0 14 ? 21
Reidsville 0 3 0 0 ? 3
Scoring Summary
(R) Huff. 33-yard field goal
(WB) Lance, 7-yard run (Frink
kick)
(WB) Holmes, 3-yard run (Frink
kick)
(WB) Holmes, 43-yard run (Frink
kick)
Individual Rushing
West Brunswick: Holmes, 13-84;
Lance, 16-63; Stanley, 7-17;
Johnson, 3-16.
Reidsville: Lynn, 16-70; Harrison,
2-6; Turner, 8-minus 19.
Individual Passing
West Brunswick: Johnson, 1-1
21.
Reidsville: Turner, 9-25-103;
Brown, 0-1-0.
Individual Receiving
West Brunswick: Daniels, 1-21.
Reidsville: Harrison, 3-53;
Brown, 3-36; Lynn, 2-4.
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