This weekend’s NCHSAA 3A state championship game will feature a pair of high schools with a long and storied history on the gridiron, West Charlotte vs. Seventy-First.
The Lions and Falcons, who once met in the 1986 state title game (won by Seventy-First 3-0), both have been to multiple championship games through the decades. On Saturday morning, at NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium, one of these stalwarts will be hoisting another banner.
West Charlotte knocked off defending state champion Hickory last week to get here. Seventy-First, meanwhile, hasn’t lost a game since suffering a defeat against Hickory in the 2023 finale.
Here are 10 things to know about this intriguing 3A match-up, which will kick off at 11 a.m. and launch a triple-header of NCHSAA football state championship games Saturday – two at Carter-Finley and the other at UNC’s Kenan Stadium.
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1. How West Charlotte Got Here: The Lions (12-2) finished third in their conference, losing league games to Mallard Creek by one point and to Hough 40-14. But since that Hough defeat, coach Sam Greiner’s group has been on a mission. Seeded eighth, West Charlotte has forged four shutouts, including a 58-0 blitzing of top-seeded Erwin in the third round. The Lions topped fifth-seeded Dudley in the 3A West Region semis, then scored a 36-20 triumph over defending state champ Hickory this past Friday. Hickory had won 30 games in a row before running into the Lions’ buzzsaw.
2. How Seventy-First Got Here: The Falcons romped through the regular season with relative ease. After edging Richmond 35-28 in the opener, no opponent managed to get closer than 21 points. Seventy-First, the No. 2 seed, has given up just 28 points in five playoff games, dominating Jacksonville 43-7 in Friday’s 3A East Regional final. Jacksonville had beaten top-seeded Havelock the week prior. Duran McLaurin coaches the Falcons.
3. Seventy-First saw an undefeated 2023 season end against Hickory. The Falcons had won 15 in a row last fall before dropping a 33-26 decision to the Red Tornadoes at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. Hickory quarterback Brady Strober notched the game-winning touchdown with 36 seconds to go. Seventy-First had just tied it up on a Deandre Nance-to-Jaydeyn Surgeon 13-yard touchdown pass with 2:42 left. The Falcons haven’t tasted defeat since that night – again winning 15 in a row – and this time will try to ice a title at NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.
4. West Charlotte defense has ball hawks. Davion Jones has recorded seven interceptions this season, including a big one Friday night in the Hickory win. K.D. Cotton has added another five picks, while Sincere Gray has made two. All told, the Lions have swiped 20 passes, while breaking up another 47.
5. Coach Sam Greiner is going for a state title at his second school. In 2017, Greiner coached Harding to a 30-22 championship win in the 4A title game against Scotland. After a stop at Hickory Ridge, he moved to West Charlotte in 2020. Now, he’ll try to lead another school in the Queen City to the ultimate prize.
6. West Charlotte is 1-6 all-time in state championship games dating back to 1978. Its lone title came in 1995, a 20-13 victory over Douglas Byrd, another Fayetteville foe. Its last appearance before this year was 2006 when J.H. Rose prevailed 26-12 in the 4A championship.
7. Both teams feature dual-threat quarterbacks. West Charlotte’s Jamouri Nichols has thrown for 2,539 yards and 27 touchdowns, while also rushing for 561 and nine scores. Seventy-First’s Deandre Nance is more balanced, throwing for 1,477 yards and 18 TDs, while picking up 1,398 yards with 9 TDs on the ground.
8. Seventy-First’s Donavan Frederick is a two-way terror. Frederick has contributed 1,382 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns to the offensive ledger. On the defensive side, he has amassed 103 tackles and 23 tackles-for-loss from his linebacker spot.
9. The Falcons are a rushing juggernaut. Seventy-First seniors Frederick and Nance average nearly 13 yards per carry (!) and almost 100 yards per game. Amazingly, Seventy-First has yet another 1,000-yard running back this season, per the team’s MaxPreps stats. Junior Jayson Franklin sits at 1,077 yards and 11 touchdowns heading into the title tilt. Sophomore Shon Pone has added another 712 and 10 scores. As a team, Seventy-First has gained 4,839 yards on the ground through 15 games, an average of 322.6 yards per contest. The team has rushed for 65 touchdowns, and players have combined for 24 100-plus yard games.
10. Seventy-First High School has been around since 1924, formed when six different schools within the Seventy-First Township consolidated into one. Per Wikipedia, the township and school drew their name from Scottish immigrants who were descendents of the 71st Regiment of Foot, a British infantry unit that fought with distinction in the French and Indian War. The 71st (Highland) Regiment was re-raised during the American Revolutionary War and again fought with distinction. On the football field, Seventy-First has played with distinction over the years, winning state titles in 1970, 1986 (also against West Charlotte, 3-0) and 2008.
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