The Weddington Warriors football team advanced to the West Regional Championship game with a blowout 42-14 win over the No. 1 seed Watauga from Boone, North Carolina. Their opponents one dimensional explosive rushing offense was contained by the stellar Warrior defense. The Warriors now have outscored their competition in the playoffs 123-20.
Weddington dominated the game from the second quarter with a 35-7 offensive stampede in the remaining three quarters over the Pioneers who had no response in slowing down the Warriors balanced attack. The Warriors lead at halftime was 21-7.
After the teams spared in a well played first quarter ending in a 7-7 tie, the Warriors defense shutdown the Pioneers. The offense ran over their opponent scoring the next six touchdowns to blow this game wide open. Rushing touchdowns of 10, 11 and 2 yards by Will Shipley and another from Wayne Dixie of 19 yards were back breakers. Also, the Warriors converted on 7-8 third downs to keep the Pioneers tired defense on the field.
Max Brimigion the senior receiver contributed with two touchdown passes from quarterback Whitner Litton. The senior QB completed the only two passes he attempted in the game which is highly unusual as the Warriors attack is normally much more balanced between rushing and passing.
It became obvious the Warriors had the superior defensive team. It appears the coaching staff game plan was to counter the Pioneers powerful running attack with their own to wear down their opponents defense keeping junior running back Bryce Satterfield off the field along with their entire running game. The coaches must have believed from video that they could control the line of scrimmage and time of possession. Whatever the final game plan, it worked to perfection and was executed by this smart group of student-athletes.
The rushing attack for Weddington was awesome led by Shipley who had 166 yards on 18 carries including a 65 yard run and teammate Wayne Dixie 131 yards on 20 carries.
Weddington the No. 5 seed will now face No.3 seed Mount Tabor, Winston Salem, North Carolina on Friday night December 7th at 7:30 pm. The winner of this football game will move on into the State Championship game to play the victor from East Regional Championship between Cleveland and South Guilford.
