SR
SPORTS
The Kings Mountain Herald
November 2, 2006
Patriots beat Pumpkin Center for fifth in row
Kings Mountain Middle
School’s ~~ Patriots survived
Pumpkin Center's polecat
offense and numerous mis-direc-
tion plays to post their fifth
straight victory, 22-8 Wednesday
before a large crowd at John
Gamble Stadium.
The victory moved the Patriots
“into a showdown with Burns
yesterday for the Tri-County
Eastern Division championship
and a berth next week against
the Shelby-Crest Western
Division winner for the overall
conference championship. That
game will be played at either
Shelby or Crest next Wednesday
at5 p.m.
After recovering an onside
kick to open the game and driv-
ing consistently downfield in its
polecat, Pumpkin Center experi-
enced some penalties and gave
up possession on Zach Hopper’s
pass interception at the 20.
Hopper ran it back to midfield,
and Shelton Watson went 48
yards on KM’s first play from
scrimmage for a touchdown. He
also ran the two-point conver-
sion for an 8-0 lead.
“Had it not been for those
penalties they probably would
have scored, but they ended up
with a first and 20 and we held
them on Hopper’s interception,”
Coach Monty Deaton said
For the rest of the game,
Pumpkin Center used a tough
running game to control the
clock. On their second drive,
they again marched right down-
field but Schiron Burris forced a
fumble and Watson recovered it
inside the 20.
With 1:30 left in the half,
Pumpkin Center was forced to
punt and KM went to its passing
game. The Patriots threw three
incomplete passes, but went for
it on fourth and 10 and Hopper
ran 70 yards for a touchdown.
Watson again ran the two-point
conversion for a 16-0 halftime
advantage.
“That was a risky call, but it
paid off for us,” Deaton said.
“That's one of those cases where
you're either the hero or a zero, I
guess.”
Pumpkin Center's consistent
offense took up the entire third
quarter. They scored early in the
fourth quarter to make the score
16-8.
PC recovered an onside kick
and was driving again, but
another fumble cost them pos-
session.
The Patriots tacked on a late
fourth quarter touchdown to put
the win on ice. With 1:50 left, the
Pats faked a pitch and threw
deep to Tim Hines, who caught it
on the 40 yard line and outran
the PC defense to the end zone.
Kings Mountain ended up run-
ning only 17 offensive plays and
Pumpkin Center had possession
of the ball for 24 of the 32 min-
utes.
“We were very fortunate to
score quick and get ahead,”
Deaton said. “With them control-
ling the clock like they did and
us not being able to stop them, it
ended up being mistakes that
made the difference. We were
able to force some mistakes and
score when we could.
“The defense has to do a better
job of making stops. The offense
took care of business. When we
get the ball, we have to go down-
field and score. They sort of did
to us what we did to Shelby; we
just didn’t make the mistakes
that they did. If they hadn't
made the mistakes it could have
been different.
“They ran a lot of misdirection
and trick plays. We went over it
and the kids were familiar with it
and did a good job considering it
was the first time they've seen it
in a game.”
Watson finished with 137
yards rushing in 13 carries and
scored a TD and a pair of two-
point conversions to lead the KM
offense. Quarterback Cameron
Harris hit 2-of-4 passes for 100 .
yards and two touchdowns.
Burris played an outstanding
game on defense. He moved into
a starting role when several play-
ers left the team because of
injuries and disciplinary reasons.
“He wasn't getting much play-
ing time, but he has stepped up
and led our team in tackles and
forced the fumble,” Deaton said.
The coach also cited Jesse
Davis, Tim Hines and Zack
Hopper for their outstanding
play on defense.
GARY STEWART / HERALD
Kings Mountain quarterback Cameron Harris is brought down by a Pumpkin Center defender in
Wednesday’s game at Gamble Stadium.
KM soccer team qualifies for state playoffs
Kings Mountain High's men’s
soccer team wrapped up its first
playoff berth in over five years
Wednesday at John Gamble
Stadium with a 4-2 victory, over,
Burns.
“Erik Price’ S Mourltamatss *
were scheduled to host Fred T.
Foard at 7 o'clock Wednesday
night in the opening round of the
state 3A playoffs.
“It was nice to be able to watch
these guys win their senior night
game,” said Coach Price. “I have
watched them struggle the last
few years, but they wanted to
.win and that was the difference.”
Kings Mountain scored early
in the first half on a goal that was
not called. While the
Mountaineers were celebrating,
Burns played the ball out and
came down field and went up 1-
0.
In the 20th minute, Daniel
Bearden drew a foul inside the
box which gave him a penalty
kick. Bearden, who had been
held scoreless up until this point,
put the ball hard into the net to
tie the game at 1-all.
In the 32nd minute, Bearden
scored off a free kick 25 yards out
Q give. the Mountaineers. a xl.
Ae) lead
AL fine Ho “KM a.
were recognized. They are Ben
Galloway, Chris Greene, Paul
Mansfield, Chris Miller, Chris
Skibo, Andy Siravanta and John
Witherspoon.
“It has been my pleasure
coaching these young men,” said
Coach Price. “I have watched
them grow and develop both as
athletes and young adults and I
am going to miss them and wish
them the best in all that they do.”
In the second half, it took the
Mountaineers a few minutes to
settle down. In the 48th minute,
Burns scored on a play down the
left side to tie the game at 2-all.
The game turned physical
about that time as both teams
wanted to win. The KM seniors
on the field had never won a sen-
ior night game in their four years
KM netters defeated in playoffs
Kings Mountain High's two
doubles entries in the Western
Regional Tennis Tournament lost out in the first round last week.
Hannah McGill and Ariel. Martin, the #2 seed from the
Southwestern Conference, lost to the #4 overall seed, Trautmann and
Sandberg of Charlotte Catholic, 4-6, 6-0, 6-0.
The KM team of Dominique Jager and Kristen Tate, the #3 seed
from the SWC, lost to the #3 overall seed, Bell and Cassada of
Franklin, 6-0, 6-0.
Kings Mountain finished third in the SWC behind Shelby and R-S
Central. The Lady Mountaineers return all but one of their players
‘(Nikita Scotland) next year.
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of varsity play.
In the 63rd minute, Tony
Chanthaphaeng scored off a free
kick from 19 yards out to put KM
ahead 3-2 with 17 minutes | left
eF Mountaineers went into the
defensive end trying” to make
sure that Burns didn’t score.
again.
In the 71st minute, Bearden got
a hat trick when he scored from
35 yards out to end the scoring.
“Daniel could not have picked
a better night to finally find the
net and give us the boost we
needed,” Price said.
On Monday night, Kings
Mountain played one of its best
games in years in a 2-1 loss to
state power R-S Central.
“This was by far the best we
have every played a powerful RS
team,” said Coach Price. “RS
usually has their way with us,
but not on this game. We came to
play.”
Earlier in the month, prior to a
match with R-S Central, Kings
Mountains starting goalie went
out with a dislocated thumb in
practice, and that, along with the
“loss of ‘starting ‘senior * Chris
Miller to a lower back injury,
knocked the Mounties off track.
Price went to freshman keeper
Alex Howell, who stepped right
in and gave the team a hundred
percent.
“It was a lot to ask of a fresh-
man goalie to step in against a
team like R-S Central.” R-S won
that match.
“During warm-ups of last
week’s game with R-S, we decid-
ed to make a change to our start-
ing lineup and went with senior
Chris ‘Skibo in goal,” Price said.
“It was a gutsy call since Chris
had never even practiced as
goalie all year. Chris played well
in the goal and kept us in the
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game with some great saves.”
R-S was up 2-0 at the half, but
in the second half Ben Galloway
scored in the 60th minute to cut
the margin. to 2-1. John
Witherspoon iplayed a:ball in
from a free Kick about 30 yards
out to the right side. The ball
came in the box and Chris
Greene made a play on the ball
which went off a RS player and
straight back to Ben, who fin-
ished it.
Twelve minutes later Paul
Philavong scored off a break
away that was called back on an
offside call. That would have tied
the game: at 2. Kings Meuntain
had some more looks but could
not find the back of the net.
“Our whole team played a
gear game against a real good RS
program,” Price said.
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