RSS
 Randy Wrenn | Daily Herald Weldon senior running back Larry Williams finds some room in traffic during the Chargers' win Friday at Northwest Halifax. |
AURELIAN SPRINGS - A 15-minute quarter, an ejected quarterback, confusion over timeouts and a mysterious game-ending play.
Friday night's contest between host Northwest Halifax and visiting Weldon had everything necessary to deserve the label of weird.
Both teams came in looking for their first win of 2007, but when the bizarre affair concluded it was the Tar-Roanoke Conference 1A Chargers who had prevailed, erasing a 12-0 halftime deficit to down the Northern Carolina Conference 2A Vikings 14-12.
The unorthodox nature of the game set in early, as no one in the stadium - including the officiating crew - took note of the fact that the clock counted down from 15 minutes in the opening period, even though high school football quarters are supposed to be 12 minutes long. Despite the extra time, neither team managed to produce a point in the period as they exchanged possessions with the ball remaining mostly between the 30-yard lines.
But with time running down in the lengthy stanza, Northwest's Demetry Jones sacked Weldon quarterback Cassius Hines at the Charger 13-yard line, forcing a Weldon punt.
In keeping with the theme of the game, the clock started at 15 minutes in the second quarter. On the first play of the period, sophomore Kevonte Evans blocked Desmond Faulcon's punt and senior Jeremy Draughn recovered the ball in the end zone to put the Vikings up 6-0. An attempted two-point conversion was stopped, so Northwest's lead stayed at that number with 14:30 left.
With 13:33 showing, the timing mistake was finally noticed and the clock was adjusted down to 10:33.
Weldon's offense struggled to find a cohesive flow throughout the first half and the Chargers recovered their own fumbles an amazing five times before the break.
Meanwhile, the Vikings' offense began to click and advanced the ball inside Weldon's 10-yard line with about eight minutes left in the quarter.
But after a couple of losses on running plays, a surprise pass on a fourth-and-one play from the 11 fell incomplete.
Northwest (0-3) got another chance moments later after a three-and-out by the Chargers and this time capitalized with a 22-yard touchdown run by junior quarterback Antonio Richardson. But the scoring play was costly.
As Richardson was closing in on pay dirt, a pair of Charger defenders were closing in on him. Richardson covered the final yard of the play by diving into the left-front corner of the end zone, but his dive and roll prompted a penalty flag for taunting.
But despite Viking head coach Andre Stewart's pleas to the refs that his quarterback wasn't showboating but ranther trying to avoid being creamed, Richardson was tossed from the contest by North Carolina High School Athletic Association rule and will miss the Vikings' game this Friday as well.
The following two-point try was stopped again and Northwest ended up leading 12-0 at the half.
But Weldon's defense responded after the break by holding the Vikings and backup quarterback Sidney Hilliard scoreless.
The Chargers began their comeback in earnest midway through the third quarter when Hines finished a 70-yard drive with a 7-yard keeper up the middle for a touchdown.
A successful run for a two-point conversion by senior Larry Williams cut the deficit to 12-8.
The game's decisive defensive play occurred early in the fourth quarter when Weldon defensive back Latrell Avent intercepted a Hilliard pass at the Viking 38-yard line and returned it all the way to the 5.
Junior running back Joseph McGee banged through from the 3-yard line moments later and the Chargers (1-1) took a lead they would not relinquish. But the two-point conversion run came up short, setting up the strange game's strange ending.
Northwest began the final possession of the contest deep in Weldon territory after punt returner Brandon Daniels made a daring catch in traffic and a short run on a play that also featured a personal foul penalty on the Chargers.
Operating with no time outs - a situation that gave Stewart his second big reason to plead mercy to the referees, as he contended he had only called two in the second half up to that point - Northwest moved the ball to the Charger 13-yard line where an incomplete pass stopped the clock with an unknown amount of time remaining in the game.
Unknown because the clock showed 0:00.
Stewart figured his field goal team had a chance to conduct an untimed play. Not so, as whistles sounded, arms waved and referees started walking off the field just as the 30-yard field goal play began to unfold.
The indication by the officials was there were five seconds left and time was being kept on the field. The clandestine time keeping brought to an end a game in which Stewart and Weldon head coach Grady Williams (who at one point in the second half was literally in the middle of the field trying to figure out what the officiating crew was doing) each spent an inordinate amount of time wearing incrdualous looks or asking the question “what?”
Larry Williams played the biggest part in the comeback win, leading all rushers in the game with 104 yards on 16 carries, while also recording 10 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery from his spot at linebacker.
Weldon senior linebacker Garry Pullen was credited with 18 tackles, while senior linebacker Brian Allen tallied 15 tackles and a sack.
Senior Jomel Wade topped Northwest runners with 83 yards on 14 carries.
The Viking defense shared duties, as five players got in on at least five tackles, including junior Raymond Goddard, who was credited with four tackles and three assists.
Charger coach Williams said his team got over its first-half struggles and looked more like the one he hopes it is in the second half.
“We were flat and made some adjustments at halftime that I thought were key,” he said. “Coach Stewart has done a great job and has a great staff; they're great people and they work good. We just minimized the mistakes in the second half and played a lot better.
“We're still not where we need to be - we're way behind. But we're getting there and that's the key.”
Stewart was philosophical as he reflected on the evening's unusual start, middle and end.
“The ball sometimes bounces funny ways in the game of football,” he said. “My boys - and I call them my boys - laid it on the line tonight. They played their hearts out and they deserved to win. To be honest, both teams deserved to win because they played that hard.
“But unfortunately in this game, only one can come out on top.”
The Vikings were once again without Daily Herald preseason player of the year Bobby Hedgepeth. The senior running back is expected to be sidelined for a couple more weeks as he recovers from an injury.
While conference play is still a few weeks away, Stewart has already learned much in terms of being patient during his first season as a head coach.
“In the past few weeks, the breaks have not gone our way,” he said. “But we will keep the faith, continue to work hard and lay it on the line again next week. One thing about this game is God gives us the ability to play it and the ability to coach it. As long as we have that ability, it's our duty to go out and give it everything we have.
“If next Friday is given to us, we'll do it again.”
Should next Friday come, Northwest will play a road game at Northampton-East, while Weldon will host Warren County.
Comments