Wallace-Rose Hill holds off Murphy for 1-A title

By The Associated Press

 

Jose Flores' 45-yard field goal with 6:57 remaining provided the winning points as defending champion Wallace-Rose Hill beat Murphy 22-21 in the Class 1-A North Carolina High School Athletic Association championship Saturday.

 

Wallace-Rose Hill (16-0), which has won 27 straight games, claimed its third state title. Murphy (13-3), which had a 12-game winning streak snapped, was denied its seventh championship.

Wallace-Rose Hill's Omar Carr rushed 18 times for 152 yards and a touchdown to earn MVP honors in a battle of two teams named Bulldogs.

Jonathan Drakeford added 89 yards and a 70-yard touchdown on eight carries for Wallace-Rose Hill, while quarterback Dawan McKinzie got the other touchdown on a 2-yard run.

"In the second half, when we went into what we call 'NASCAR' offense, I thought they were tired because they had kids going both ways," Wallace-Rose Hill coach Joey Price said. "And we have a guy who can kick a 45-yard field goal."

Seth Curtis completed 19 of 32 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown for Murphy, and rushed for 56 more yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Chris Edwards rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown for Murphy.

Murphy lost despite outgaining the winners in 413 yards to 297 and controlling the ball 36:08 to 11:52.

"I thought both teams played real hard," said Murphy coach David Gentry, who is 4-2 in state finals over 25 seasons. "It was a great ballgame. Even if we had won, it wouldn't have been an overwhelming victory; it was just a victory. Both teams have a lot to be proud of."

Murphy led 18-7 at halftime.

Wallace-Rose Hill trimmed the lead to five on Carr's 2-yard run on its first drive of the second half, but Chris Tarnowski put Murphy up 21-13 with a 24-yard field goal with 3:48 left in the third. Wallace-Rose Hill cut the margin to 21-19 with 10:42 to play on McKinzie's 2-yard run.

"Once we got NASCAR going, that's something we're used to and other teams aren't," Carr said.

After Flores' field goal. Murphy drove to the winners' 18 in the final minute before running out of downs.