Junior quarterback Brady Stober scored on an eight-yard keeper with 36 seconds left, and Hickory topped Seventy-First 33-26 in the NC High School Athletic Association 3A state championship on Friday night in Chapel Hill.
The Red Tornadoes hoisted the 3A trophy, finishing their season with a perfect 16-0 record. Seventy-First, which had tied the score 26-26 with just under three minutes to play, conclude their season at 15-1.
Isaiah Lackey scored three touchdowns for Hickory and finished with 111 rushing yards on 28 bullish carries. Most on the Seventy-First defense likely thought Lackey was getting the ball on what turned out to be the game’s decisive play. But Stober faked the handoff, slipped around the end and dove into the Carolina blue end zone to give Hickory its second-ever state championship, the first coming in 1996.
Stober finished 21-of-30 passing for 238 yards. He also rushed for 46 yards on five totes. Jamien Little hauled in nine catches for 133 yards for the Tornadoes.
Deandre Nance kept Seventy-First in contention until the end, throwing for two scores and rushing for 159 yards and two more TDs. Amire Drummond caught one TD pass, while Jaydyn Surgeon caught what would be the game-tying score with 2:42 remaining, deadlocking the game at 26-26. Donavan Frederick gave the Falcons’ two 100-yard backs, finishing with 122 rushing yards.
Will Prince had 11 tackles to lead the Hickory defense and clinched the championship by intercepting a pass in the end zone on the final play. Turner Wood and Henry Pitts added nine stops apiece for the Red Tornadoes. Zayvion Hill paced Seventy-First’s defense with 11 tackles.
The game only featured two punts, one from each team. Braeden McCourt hit a 26-yard field goal in the first half for Hickory.
Stober earned 3A Game MVP Honors. Pitts (Defense) and Lackey (Offense) were named Hickory’s Most Outstanding Players. Hill (Defense) and Nance (Offense) earned the same honors for Seventy-First.
Friday’s game at Kenan Stadium kicked off a full weekend of state championship action. Three games will be played on Saturday to wrap up the NCHSAA season:
1A State Championship | Saturday, Dec. 9 | Noon
Kenan Stadium | UNC Chapel Hill
[1] Tarboro (13-0) vs. [1] Mount Airy (15-0)
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2A State Championship | Saturday, Dec. 9 | 3 p.m.
Carter-Finley Stadium | NC State
[1] Clinton (15-0) vs. [1] Reidsville (14-1)
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4A State Championship | Saturday, Dec. 9 | 7 p.m.
Carter-Finley Stadium | NC State
[3] Hoggard (14-1) vs. [1] Weddington (13-2)
Tickets for the games will cost $15. The games will be live streamed and carried on various television channels.
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3A Most Outstanding Players
