Mount Airy rides Mason, defense to North Carolina 1A title

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – Quarterback Ian Gallimore took one final snap out of a shotgun victory formation and flung the ball as excessive and so far as he might at Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday. The celebration among the many Mount Ethereal trustworthy within the stands had already begun, as had the collection of hugs alongside the Bears sideline.

Mount Ethereal had as soon as once more captured the NCHSAA 1-A state soccer championship with a dominant defensive efficiency for a 20-7 win towards Tarboro, the Bears’ first state championship since 2008 and their seventh general.

Operating again Tyler Mason was the workhorse for the Bears, speeding 23 occasions for 139 yards and all three of Mount Ethereal’s touchdowns in his Most Beneficial Participant efficiency.

“I used to be seeing my linemen actually get off the ball and I used to be seeing the holes very well,” Mason stated. “I used these holes to my benefit to rise up the sector. I simply got here out scorching. That was my greatest factor. I used to be simply seeing the sector effectively and tried to hit the holes as onerous as I might.”

And the Bears protection shutdown an explosive Tarboro offense which entered the sport averaging 44 factors per sport and 400 yards of offense, with Walker Stroup recording 9 tackles and forcing a fumble within the fourth quarter that helped to seal the win. Stroup was named because the Excellent Defensive Participant and in addition downed two punts contained in the 20-yard line.

The Vikings’ might muster a lone landing run to Mason Satterfield within the third quarter and 179 yards of complete offense. It was Tarboro’s sixth-straight journey to the 1-A championship sport, of which they’ve come away with 4 wins.

“I believe considered one of our identities during the last two years has been our protection,” Coach J.Ok. Adkins of Mount Ethereal stated. “And anytime you’ll be able to have a protection like that, you’ve got an opportunity to win on any given night time. Our teaching workers do an incredible job every week of game-planning. I believe the most important factor we do is play with large effort. We’ve acquired guys enjoying each methods and also you noticed it late within the sport—after we wanted a cease, we discovered a strategy to get the ball stopped. I believe the extent of effort units us aside.”

The Bears won’t be executed. Most of their key gamers might be returning subsequent season.

“It’s straightforward to take a look at our roster and make projections for subsequent 12 months and that’s additionally the harmful factor to do,” stated Adkins, who received his first state title because the helm of the Bears. “Now we have a small senior class of eight and we’re going to overlook these guys. However our area was suffering from juniors and a few sophomores, and we had two freshman defensive linemen play 80 p.c of the snaps tonight. It’s straightforward to challenge however I don’t see it that manner. Proper now, we’re grateful for what has occurred. And we additionally perceive that going into subsequent 12 months, we’ve got to show ourselves once more.”

Coach Jeff Craddock of Tarboro stated he knew his workforce would have a tricky job forward of them within the title sport.

“It’s a disappointing manner finish an important season,” Craddock stated. “Mount Ethereal’s an important workforce. I assumed after movie that that they had the sting in sure locations and that we needed to play an important sport, and we simply didn’t do this. That’s not a slight to Mount Ethereal. They had been the higher workforce they usually received it and I’m completely satisfied for his or her program. They executed their opening drive to perfection, and we had been down rapidly, and we couldn’t get something happening offense. They had been simply rock stable on the road of scrimmage.”

Mason’s 15-yard landing run on the opening drive gave the Bears a 7-0 lead, one they might by no means relinquish. He added a 1-yard scoring run with 2:29 left within the first half to provide Mount Ethereal a 14-0 lead at halftime. He added one other 1-yard scoring run early within the third quarter to push the result in 20-0.

Tarboro, which completed the season 14-2, might solely handle a 9-yard landing run by Mason Satterfield with 3:52 left within the third quarter.

“I’m so grateful and so blessed to be surrounded by these guys and the fellows within the locker room,” stated Coach J.Ok. Adkins of Mount Ethereal, whose workforce completed 15-1. “I like these guys. They’ve hearts of champions tonight. I’m so pleased with our workforce and really prideful for our neighborhood and our college. That is an superior expertise and I simply really feel blessed.”

Mount Ethereal   7    7    6   0   — 20

Tarboro        0    0     7   0  — 7

MA—Mason 15 run (Stroup kick)

MA—Mason 1 run (Stroup kick)

MA – Mason 1 run (kick missed)

T—Satterfield 9 run (Craddock kick)