After a 10-0 halftime deficit, Grimsley High School of Greensboro managed to pull out a 35-23 victory over Weddington in the 4A West regional championship.

Grimsley, the 1-seed, will play Rolesville, the East’s 5-seed, in the 4A state championship game on Friday night at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. It’s a return to the 4A title for Grimsley. In 2022, the Whirlies made it to the title game but lost to New Bern. The championship was ultimately vacated due to ineligible players discovered at New Bern.

A season ago, Grimsley was considered the favorite to represent the 4A West in the state championship game. But the Whirlies ran into Weddington, or more accurately, Weddington ran over Grimsley.

The Warriors’ 44-27 win over the Whirlies in 2023 propelled them to a state championship victory.

Tonight, Grimlsey got some revenge. Perhaps this will be the game that everyone looks back at the biggest on the journey.

The offense will get most of the attention for finding a way to score 35 points in the second half, but the defense had arguably the game’s biggest moment.

When Weddington went up 17-7 with 6:56 left in the third, the Warrior defense followed up the offense’s score with a strip sack by 4-star defensive lineman Aiden Harris on 5-star Whirlie quarterback Faizon Brandon.

Instead of giving up a potentially crippling score, Grimsley’s defense, coordinated by Joe Rigsbee, stepped up and forced a massive punt. The Whirlies’ 4-star defensive lineman Bryce Davis, a Duke signee, came up with a huge 12-yard sack on Warrior quarterback Gregory Fee.

Grimsley’s offense took advantage of the stand by the defense by putting together another touchdown drive to cut the lead to three.

Brandon lit up the skies for three passing touchdowns in the second half, all three to his fellow junior Kaden Catoe. Catoe took one short pass 39 yards for a touchdown but burned the Weddington coverage for deep scores of 45 and 55 yards as well.

In the fourth quarter, Grimsley’ sensational running back broke off a 43-yard touchdown run up the left sideline and then hit a 26-yard score off a counter to put the game away with two minutes left. The second half play calling by Jesse Tripp was tremendous for a second consecutive playoff run.

The Whirlies’ offensive line was tremendous considering the assignment: Weddington had three 4-star players along its defensive line. The offensive line gave Brandon enough time on the shot plays and gave Summers enough of a crease in a few moments for him to take advantage.

Scoring

First Quarter

• 2:21 – Owen McNulty 31-yard field goal. Warriors 3, Whirlies 0

Second Quarter

• 0:18 – Nick Diamond 1-yard touchdown rush. Warriors 10, Whirlies 0

Third Quarter

• 9:56 – Faizon Brandon 39-yard touchdown pass to Kaden Catoe. Warriors 10, Whirlies 7
• 6:56 – Gregory Fee 15-yard touchdown pass to Javon Barber. Warriors 17, Whirlies 7
• 1:02 – Faizon Brandon 55-yard touchdown pass to Kaden Cator. Warriors 17, Whirlies 14

Fourth Quarter

• 10:11 – Faizon Brandon 45-yard touchdown pass to Kaden Catoe. Whirlies 21, Warriors 17
• 6:53 – Mitchell Summers 43-yard touchdown rush. Whirlies 28, Warriors 17
• 5:59 – Gregory Fee 45-yard touchdown pass to Jon Manley. 2 pt. conversion no good. Whirlies 28, Warriors 23
• 1:56 – Mitchell Summers 26-yard touchdown rush. Whirlies 35, Warriors 23