HighSchool OT

High School Sports

Mount Airy scores 37 unanswered, wins 1-A title

By The Associated Press

Dec 13, 2008

RALEIGH — Aaron Wheeler was looking for a test. When he and his Mount Airy teammates finally found one, they aced it.

Wheeler rushed for a touchdown and passed for another score Saturday as Mount Airy rallied past Williamston 37-14 in the Class 1-A North Carolina High School Athletic Association championship.

The Granite Bears (16-0), who entered the game having outscored their opponents by an average of 54-5 this season, came back from a 14-0 deficit to win their first state championship since 1948.

"I think in the back of our mind, this was the way that all the seniors wanted it," said Wheeler, the game’s MVP. "It actually made us use our heads, made us calm down and made us think. And we’re not used to doing that.

"But if I'm going to be a state champion, that's the way I want to do it."

Wheeler completed 9 of 15 passes for 124 yards and rushed 12 times for 101 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown run in the second quarter that put Mount Airy ahead 17-14. Michael Dobson added 61 rushing yards and two touchdowns for the Granite Bears, who ran for 227 yards.

Williamston (10-6), which had won seven consecutive games after starting the season 3-5, jumped ahead on a pair of touchdown passes from Emery Griggs to Kareem Bell in the first quarter. But the Tigers gained just 50 of their 145 total yards after the first quarter.

The Granite Bears forced five turnovers, including a fumble that Justin Collier recovered and returned 57 yards for a touchdown to close the scoring late in the fourth quarter.

Mount Airy's offense capitalized on the field position its defense generated. All five of the Granite Bears' offensive scores began on drives that started inside Williamston's 40-yard line.

"The Mount Airy kids did a great job of being resilient and bouncing back," Williamston coach Asim McGill said. "That was the biggest question I had coming into this game. I was wondering if Mount Airy ever got down, how would their team respond? Their kids did a great job of responding."