Greetings and welcome back to The Huddle!

The 2023 high school football season in North Carolina has come to a close. Weddington, Hickory, Reidsville, and Mount Airy were crowned state champions, along with Providence Day and Asheville School from the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association, after a 17-week season.

We witnessed large crowds attending a pair of entertaining games.

For this week’s edition of The Huddle, I have decided to keep things concise and share my overall impressions from the major championship games.

1st Down: Mount Airy Fulfills its Destiny to Repeat

Revised: Mount Airy successfully defends their title as 1A state champions by defeating Tarboro for the second consecutive year.

Few teams have ever been as certain of victory as this Mount Airy squad. It was clear during halftime of the 2022 1A state championship that the 2023 team was on track to win the title.

This team from Mount Airy is truly exceptional and dominant. They are one of the best I have encountered since I started reporting on high school football in 2016.

Tyler Mason, who has committed to be a running back at Virginia Tech, earned his second consecutive MVP award for the state championship. He achieved this by rushing for 133 yards and scoring a touchdown. Mason’s individual offensive output was nearly three times that of Tarboro’s.

I would like to acknowledge senior wide receiver Mario Revels for his resilience and perseverance in this game. Despite facing adversity, Revels was able to make a significant impact. During the first half, he missed an opportunity to score a touchdown, leaving the Bears trailing 3-0 at halftime. However, in the second half, Revels bounced back and successfully executed two important plays, including an 11-yard gain and an impressive 89-yard touchdown. He was ultimately recognized as the Most Outstanding Offensive Player for the Bears, with two receptions totaling 100 yards and a touchdown.

There has been an influx of unusual responses online from individuals who either support or oppose Tarboro. Many have shared their opinions on social media, claiming that Tarboro must incorporate passing into their gameplay in order to be a true competitor. But have these critics actually observed the few instances where Tarboro did choose to pass? In those six plays, Tarboro only gained an average of three yards per attempt.

The Tarboro running game, usually successful, did not perform well in the championship game. However, it is important to note that the Mount Airy team has an exceptional defense, possibly one of the best at the 1A level. More research is needed to confirm, but it could be the most impressive defense of the 21st century. Throughout the season, the Granite Bears achieved nine shutouts in 16 games and limited their opponents to fewer than 150 yards of offense, which is an astonishing feat.

Any large amount of criticism sent into the direction of coach Jeff Craddock or the Tarboro program as a whole is unfounded. These guys have won seven state championships since Craddock took over. They just ran into an all-time good group of players at Mount Airy these past two years.

Reidsville’s Dominance Emerges at the Perfect Moment in the 2nd Quarter

Reidsville regained their momentum after finishing as runner-up last year, defeating Clinton to claim the 2A championship.

Reidsville achieved its 19th actual state title in the debut season with Erik Teague as head coach, succeeding his renowned father Jimmy Teague.

The Rams faced difficulties at the beginning. They had to handle injuries to key players and struggled to incorporate new additions such as Cam’Ron Jones and Johnniyus Sharpe, who joined from Burlington.

Following a defeat to 3A Eastern Alamance and a series of narrow victories, Reidsville began to find their rhythm around the match against West Stokes on October 6. This momentum carried through the playoffs and ultimately led to a state championship win.

It seemed like Reidsville was on track for a significant lead. Despite having possession in the red zone before halftime, they were unable to score and appeared to ease up after going ahead 28-10. By the end of the first quarter, Reidsville was already leading 14-3.

Al Lee, the quarterback for Reidsville, had another outstanding performance in the postseason. He threw for 258 yards and four touchdowns on 17 completed passes. Lee’s playoff stats were impressive, as he ended with a total of 21 touchdowns and zero interceptions.

This team just looked so advanced offensively. Lee’s group of receivers are up there with any in the state, regardless of classification. So, this Reidsville team has pulled off 12-straight wins. Soon, my focus is going to turn to how they can back this up with so many of the weapons returning but not the catalyst at quarterback in Lee.

After star running back Josiah McLaurin suffered an injury in the second round, Clinton’s chances of winning the game decreased significantly. This was a major setback for the Dark Horses, as McLaurin had been a standout player for the school since transferring from Hobbton during his junior year.

I was impressed by the unwavering determination of the Dark Horses. Despite falling behind 28-10 and facing a missed pass interference call, Clinton persisted. The team drove down the field and ultimately scored a touchdown and two-point conversion, led by standout senior defensive lineman Amaris Williams.

However, this defeat is a difficult one for Clinton as the possibility of her returning to this position for another opportunity in the future appears to be less certain.

3rd Down: Hickory’s Perfect Season Ends in Thrilling Fashion

In the 3A championship, Hickory defeats Seventy-First thanks to Lackey’s 3 touchdown runs.

The most exciting game of the weekend turned out to be the initial one. Hickory defeated Seventy-First with a final score of 33-26 on Friday evening.

In 2023, there were only two North Carolina football teams that did not experience a loss: Mount Airy and Hickory.

In 2021, coach Joe Glass inherited a team with a record of 0-7. However, after two years, the team experienced a significant improvement with seven wins each year. In 2023, Glass and Hickory surpassed the total number of wins from their successful seasons in 2021 and 2022.

In the current year, Glass successfully implemented their entire program and plan. The offensive efforts were particularly effective.

Hickory’s offense posed similar challenges as their conference rival East Lincoln, who won the 3A state championship last year. Led by quarterback Brady Stober, the Red Tornadoes were able to effectively move the ball down the field. Their spread formation allowed for a strong running back to exploit the center of your defense. In the game, Isaiah Lackey played exceptionally well, rushing for 111 yards and scoring three touchdowns. Stober also had a successful game, connecting with junior Power 5 player Jamien Little for nine receptions and 133 yards. Stober’s mobility also proved to be an asset against Seventy-First’s defense as he rushed for 46 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown.

Seventy-First had moderate success with their passing game, but there were crucial moments where the ball was dropped. One such moment was during a 3rd-and-5 in the second quarter, when the score was tied at 7-7 against Hickory. Despite attempting a dropback pass, it was incomplete. While passing on third down is usually a better choice than running, Hickory had been unable to stop their quarterback DeAndre Nance or running back Donavan Frederick on the ground. It seems like either of them could have gained the necessary five yards, potentially changing the outcome of the game.

The Hickory team is quite intimidating. Not only did they not experience any losses this year, but a majority of the players were juniors, including the MVP and Most Outstanding Offensive Player. Additionally, the JV team for the Red Tornadoes dominated their opponents with a perfect 10-0 record.

This upcoming season, we will keep a close eye on the Seventy-First team since their top players are expected to come back.

Weddington High School dominated their way to victory in the 4A championship game.

Reworded: The 4A championship was secured by Weddington thanks to Budge and Jackson’s leadership, defeating Hoggard.

Weddington has claimed their first football state championship as a member of the 4A division. Their previous three state titles were achieved while they were competing in the 3A division. Specifically, Weddington was a 3AA team when they won their first titles during the split-classification state championships.

Weddington was ranked first in the final HSOT Statewide Top 25 football rankings because of their impressive performance in both individual games and the playoffs as a whole.

The Warriors’ performance was remarkable not only for their overwhelming success on the scoreboard, but also for the adaptations they had to implement in order to achieve it.

Tyler Budge, the starting quarterback, sustained a sprained AC joint in his shoulder during Weddington’s 14-10 victory against a formidable Chambers team in the second round. As a result, Budge was unable to throw the ball for the following week. The Warriors were aware that they needed to become a successful run-focused team in order to continue progressing in the playoffs.

Weddington dominated their opponents, Charlotte Catholic, Grimsley, and Independence, on their way to the 4A championship game. The Warriors’ strong offensive line, led by senior left tackle Logan Potes and junior right tackle Jimmy Randazzo, overcame tough defenses.

Budge is not fully recovered, but it is evident that his throwing shoulder has improved as he made some precise throws during the game against Hoggard. He especially threw a couple of well-executed jump balls to UNC wide receiver Keenan Jackson and had some impressive touch passes to his running backs as they came out of the backfield. Budge’s final stats were 17 completions out of 24 attempts, 243 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

It appeared that Hoggard had a higher likelihood of winning earlier in the game. When they took a 7-0 lead after a Weddington turnover, it seemed like they were following the same strategy that had brought them success before. I expected them to continue performing well, but unfortunately, things went downhill for Hoggard as the game progressed, particularly in the second half.

The play that I’ve been thinking about is the 3rd-and-two that Hoggard faced from its own 39-yard line when the game was tied at seven. The play ended up being a handoff to the smallest back on the roster and it gained a yard. I wonder if they could go back and change anything if they would’ve gone for it on the 4th-and-one or if they would’ve called something different on the 3rd-and-two. After that play, the Weddington machine started churning and never looked back.

Victory Formation

The Huddle will be released every Monday during the offseason, beginning next week. It will consist of a blend of offseason updates such as coaching changes, reflections on the season, and recruitment news. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you have any suggestions for topics to be covered.

Source: highschoolot.com