Harnett Central players celebrate their regional championship win over New Hanover.
Dec 5, 2009
Harnett Central scored on the first play from scrimmage en route to a 17-7 win over New Hanover to take the 4-A Eastern Regional Championship.
After New Hanover kicked the ball out of bounds, Jarrod Spears broke a 65 yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage. Brian Taylor's extra point gave Harnett Central an early 7-0 lead, a lead they would never lose.
New Hanover returned the ensuing Harnett Central kickoff to their own 40 yard line, and in three plays made it into Trojan territory. However, on second down on the Trojan 47 yard line, Tevin Mishoe fumbled the ball on a carry and Harnett Central recovered.
The Trojans scored their second touchdown with 2:47 left in the first quarter when Spears broke a five yard run.
Harnett Central led 14-0 after the first quarter.
It didn't take long for the Wildcats to score in the second quarter, though.
On the second play of the quarter, New Hanover handed the ball off to Mishoe on 3rd & 9 from the Central 13 yard line, and he broke into the end zone.
New Hanover had come within a touchdown.
Things appeared to turn against Harnett Central at that point. Torin Walker returned the ensuing kickoff for Harnett Central, but fumbled the ball on the Trojans' 32 yard line.
Despite the good field position for New Hanover, the defense stepped up and forced a 4th & 10 situation for New Hanover. The Wildcats elected to try for the first down, and quarterback Jordan Betts threw an incomplete pass to Mishoe, and the Harnett Central offense took over on downs.
The two teams went into the break with a 14-7 score in favor of the Trojans.
New Hanover repeatedly got good field position throughout the game, and kicker Nick Esquire missed two field goals from the middle of the field. Both attempts were long enough, but were wide right.
The dagger for New Hanover came in the fourth quarter. After getting the ball back with 9:53 to play, Betts was intercepted by Lemonte Taylor on the New Hanover 39 yard line. Mishoe tackled Taylor, but he tackled him out of bounds and the officials called a late hit penalty. That moved the ball up to the New Hanover 24 yard line.
Harnett Central ran the ball and took as much time off the clock as possible, and they ended the drive with a 29 yard field goal by Taylor to put the Trojans up by two scores, 17-7.
New Hanover got two more possessions, but one ended with a turnover on downs, the other ended in another interception by the Trojans.
The win means that, for the first time ever, a Harnett County team will advance to the state championship game.
Harnett Central will take on Asheville Reynolds in the 4-A state championship on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 3:30 p.m.
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