KERNERSVILLE, N.C. — Neither team had ever lost in the third round and neither planned on making Friday night a first in school history, so Mooresville and East Forsyth did what good football teams do and went tit-for-tat in the kind of game that makes the high school football playoffs special.

In the end, it was a late spurt by East Forsyth that propelled the Eagles to a 35-30 win over Mooresville, sending the Blue Devils home for the first time in the third round (both programs have exited the playoffs earlier and later, but never specifically in this round for whatever reason) and sending themselves into next week’s fourth round.

The undefeated Eagles (13-0) will head to defending state champion Weddington, which is seeded second, in the next round.

Sixth-seeded Mooresville (11-2), which came in on a 10-game win streak led 17-10 at halftime. A 47-yard run by Ja’darius McCombs and a pick-six by A.J. Graham combined with a 34-yard field goal by Andrew Cummings had the Blue Devils in front despite two on-the-money touchdown throws — one 40 yards, the other 10 — from East Forsyth quarterback Bryce Baker to senior wideout J.P. Gilchrist.

Following a Mooresville fumble, Cannen Rottweiler’s 5-yard touchdown run led off the second half scoring and gave East Forsyth its first lead with 8:14 left in the third quarter.

Mooresville answered, however, and the Blue Devils led 24-21 with 5:01 left in the third quarter on a 14-yard flip pass from Brody Norman to McCombs. East Forsyth scored on the first play of the fourth quarter, a 3-yard run by Corey Blair, to retake the lead 28-24.

Then came the final sprint that separated the Eagles from their visitors.

Mooresville faked a punt on its next drive and East Forysth stopped it short of the first down. However, East Forsyth fumbled just a few plays later, and it was Mooresville ball again, but again the Eagles held.

Just one play into its new drive, East Forsyth’s Blair ran 48 yards for a touchdown, breaking tacklers who were trying to strip the ball free. That made it 35-24 with 4:31 left.

Mooresville scored on a 1-yard run by Norman with 59.1 seconds left, but the two-point try — backed up five yards after a penalty negated an initially successful attempt — was no good and the onsides kick fell into the hands of the Eagles.