Another year, another Grimlsey home win over Hough at Jamieson Stadium late in the playoffs.

The Whirlies outlasted the Huskies in a 35-28 thriller.

It was a rematch of Hough at Grimsley playoff bouts in 2022 & 2023. In 2022, it was also a fourth round matchup. Grimsley took that 40-27. Last year, it was a third round matchup between the Whirlies and the Huskies. Grimsley won that one in a 42-35 shootout.

Grimsley got out to a big lead by halftime thanks to star senior running back Mitchell Summers. The 5-foot-8, 165-plund back ripped off rushing touchdowns of 80 and 65 yards to put Grimsley ahead. Summers finished with an astonishing 302 yards on 30 carries.

With 52 seconds left in regulation, Grimsley 5-star junior quarterback Faizon Brandon threw a pretty 26-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end D.J. Howerton to break a 28-28 tie. The play came on a 4th down-and-7 without Summers on the field due to a brief injury. Brandon went on a designed rollout to his right and found Howerton leaking out into a wide open area up the left sideline. It was a perfect play call in a gigantic moment by offensive coordinator Jesse Tripp.

With one last chance for Hough to score, Grimsley 4-star Duke signee Bryce Davis came up with a clutch sack to set Hough back far enough to make a late score next to impossible.

Hough senior running back Jamison Funderburk scored three total touchdowns for the Huskies.

The Whirlies will face Weddington in the 4A West regional final next Friday. The 2-seeded Warriors downed 3-seed East Forsyth by a score of 37-21.

Scoring

First Quarter

• 1:47 – Jamison Funderburk six-yard touchdown rush. Huskies 6, Whirlies 0
• 1:35 – Mitchell Summers 80-yard touchdown rush. Whirlies 7, Huskies 6

Second Quarter

• 7:11 – Faizon Brandon 16-yard touchdown pass to DJ Howerton. Whirlies 14, Huskies 6
• 3:58 – Mitchell Summers 65-yard touchdown rush. Whirlies 21, Huskies 6

Third Quarter

• 7:48 – Jamison Funderburk 15-yard touchdown rush. Whirlies 21, Huskies 13
• 2:35 – Trey Blakeney 1-yard touchdown rush. Whirlies 21, Huskies 21

Fourth Quarter

• 9:40 – Faizon Brandon 15-yard touchdown pass to Hudson Cooper. Whirlies 28, Huskies 21
• 5:03 – Trey Blakeney 13-yard touchdown pass to Jamison Funderburk. Whirlies 28, Huskies 28
• 0:52 – Faizon Brandon 26-yard touchdown pass to DJ Howerton. Whirlies 35, Huskies 28