Daily Roundup: April 23, 2021

April 23, 2021, 11:55 pm | by Tim Hower

FOOTBALL

No. 7 Clayton 27, No. 3 West Brunswick 16

Second round NCHSAA 3AA playoffs

***Click here to view a gallery of 50 photos from the action***

The visiting Comets forced three turnovers and scored 13 unanswered points to secure their second straight road victory and advance to the 3AA East final.

West Brunswick (6-2) grabbed its first lead of the game on an 18-yard field goal from Lauch Murphy with 2:37 remaining in the third quarter and the defense forced a 3-and-out on the ensuing possession, but a costly fumble changed the momentum of the game.

On first-and-10 from its own 29-yard line, the Trojans attempted a trick play, but it was sniffed out by the Clayton (8-1) defense.

Johnnie Magbie received a handoff and started to run left. He wanted to hand the ball to wide receiver JJ Cobb on a reverse, but junior defensive lineman Cade Cyrus got great penetration and forced Magbie to fumble the ball before the handoff could happen. Isaiah Mananga scooped up the bouncing ball and returned the it to the 2-yard line.

Quarterback Cade Sakowski scored on the next play to put the visitors on top for good. The Comets got a 5-yard touchdown run from Jayden Farrington on a jet sweep with 4:25 to play to seal the win.

“The fumble was a trick play that I called and I’m disappointed in myself,” West Brunswick coach Brett Hickman said. “I apologized to them and then I told them how appreciative I was with what this team did. We lost 15 starters off last year’s team and then had to deal to COVID-19.

“This is the best team I’ve ever been a part of in terms of how they practiced and how they do things for us and I’m going to miss coaching these 14 seniors.”

The Trojans got off to a rough start as the only first down they picked up in the first quarter came on a pass interference penalty. They found themselves trailing 14-0 with 1:20 left in the first half following an 11-yard touchdown run from Clayton senior running back Dashawn Hinton.

That’s when the momentum flipped. West Brunswick went 62 yards in five plays to cut the deficit in half following a 4-yard touchdown pass from Monzelle Campbell to Avery Clemmons with 14 seconds remaining until halftime.

The Trojans received the second half kickoff and got a terrific 75-yard return from Patrick Vereen. He was caught from behind and tackled at the 8-yard line, but the home team was able to capitalize on the great field position when Campbell hit Michael Smith in the back of the end zone.

The extra point was blocked, so the Comets were able to maintain a 14-13 lead. Clayton committed two penalties on its ensuing drive and was forced to punt on a fourth-and-18.

West Brunswick took over at midfield and drove all the way to the 1-yard line, but eventually settled for the go-ahead field goal from Murphy.

The Comets did a terrific job containing Campbell, who entered the game with 1,026 rushing yards and 15 TDs. He was held a season-low 39 yards on 20 carries.

“Our defensive coordinator (Eddie) Price and the entire defensive staff had a good plan and they really got after it” Clayton coach Shane Handy said. “The kids played really hard.”

No. 2 Rolesville 47, No. 3 Hoggard 30

Second round NCHSAA 4AA playoffs

Senior quarterback Gabe Johnson completed 8 of 19 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown, but the Vikings suffered their first loss of the season in the battle of unbeatens.

Johnson connected with a wide-open Conrad Newman for a 71-yard touchdown with 7:40 left in the opening quarter to put Hoggard (7-1) on top 10-3.

After allowing 13 consecutive points, the Vikings regained a 17-16 lead on Issa Baggett’s 5-yard touchdown run with 8:47 remaining in the second quarter.

The Rams (8-0) took control by scoring the next 17 points to build a 33-17 advantage.

Baggett had another 5-yard scoring run with 6:25 to play to cut the deficit to 40-30, but the Vikings weren’t able to get the defensive stop they needed.

Sam Jones split time with Johnson at quarterback and finished 6-for-13 for 81 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown to Chad Hollar.

Hollar had six catches for a team-high 95 yards. Paul Roland led the ground attack with eight carries for 106 yards.

Kicker Damien Sorrells made all three extra points he attempted and also connected on a 23-yard field goal in the first quarter.

BASEBALL

Wilmington Christian Academy 12, Bethel Christian Academy 5

The Patriots scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and never trailed in the comfortable home win.

Trey Pierce and Hayden Naylor combined to strike out eight batters and walk only two. Pierce earned the victory by allowing five hits and fanning seven in his five innings.

Naylor recorded the final six outs and also had a productive afternoon at the plate. He went 2-for-3 with two walks, five stolen bases, one RBI and three runs scored.

Naylor drove in the first run of the game on a single to left field that allowed Pierce to score from third base.

Pierce had a single, two walks, six stolen bases and two runs scored. Tyler Brooks finished with three hits, three RBI and one run scored, while Chase Matthews and Isaiah Brooks each collected a pair of hits.

WCA (9-6, 7-1 NCCSA 2A East) hosts Faith Christian Academy on Monday at 4:30 p.m.