DURHAM, NC -  The Wake Forest Cougars wrapped up a third consecutive perfect season with a 9-7 win in a defensive struggle for the 4AA State Championship with a tough Zebulon B. Vance team. Wake Forest nipped Vance with a safety in the final minute of the fourth quarter, surging into the lead for the first time late in the game and securing their 45th consecutive win.






Vance jumped into the lead on the second play of the game when Nyier Clark hauled in a 53-yard pass for a touchdown from Nigel Summerville to give Vance the lead 7-0 just 23 seconds into the ball game.



The two-time defending 4AA Champions from Wake Forest did not stay behind long, as after the teams traded possessions, Wake Forest mounted a 13 play, 52-yard drive that chewed up 5:45 off the first quarter clock. In typical Wake Forest fashion, the sustained drive was capped off by a three-yard touchdown run by Marquel Haywood, knotting the game at 7 with 1:36 to go in the first quarter.

4AA MVP Mateo Sudipo

Neither team scored for the balance of the game, with two defenses locked in a tightly contested field position battle for much of the rest of the game. In the closing minutes, the field position flipped in favor of the Wake Forest side when a 22-yard field goal attempt to potentially win the game was blocked by Vance and recovered by Vance at their own two-yard line.



In the shadow of their own goalposts, Vance mishandled the ball in the end zone, and in the chaos that ensued, the Wake Forest defense swarmed to the ball, tackling the quarterback in the end zone with just 32 seconds left for a safety and the decisive two points, lifting Wake Forest to a 9-7 win.



Vance was led by Most Outstanding Defensive Player Solomon Sutton, Jr. who had eight tackles in the game. Nyier Clark was chosen as the Most Outstanding Offensive Player for Vance with his five receptions for 78 yards and the lone Vance touchdown.



Wake Forest quarterback Mateo Sudipo was named the game’s Most Valuable Player with his 8 for 15 performance amassing 71 yards on the night. Sudipo also intercepted a pass on the night, returning it for 46 yards and had a pass break up. The Most Outstanding Offensive player for Wake Forest was Maquel Haywood who rushed ten times for 20 yards and the lone Wake Forest touchdown of the game. Chance Smith was tapped as the Most Outstanding Defensive Player from Wake Forest, leading the team with seven tackles including one sack.





Story and photos courtesy of the NCHSAA

It’s North Carolina’s largest city versus North Carolina’s capital city in the 4AA state championship game this Friday night as the Wake Forest and Vance play in the “Battle of the Cougars.”






After suffering three losses in the 4AA state title game in the early 2010s, Wake Forest was finally able to break through two years ago and win Wake County's first football state title in almost 3 decades. The Cougars have not let up since winning their second title last season and continuing on to win forty-four straight games and are aiming for their third straight state title this Friday night at Wallace Wade Stadium at Duke University.



Coach Reggie Lucas, even though the Cougars are the two-time defending state champions, he still coaches his team like they are the underdogs. This mentality is what helped fuel the Cougar running attack who has averaged 270 yards per game on the ground this season in averaging more than 40 points per game. Maquel Haywood into DeMarcus Jones have combined for almost 2400 yards on the ground and 35 touchdowns this season.



Vance was finally able to get over the hump in a regional final this season after three heartbreaks in the regional finals since 2014. The Cougars are hoping to take the mantle of Charlotte Power and bring the 4AA state title back to the Queen City. Coach Aaron Brand and his “All Gas, No Breaks” mentality for Vance means that the Cougars play with an intensity that many of their opponents cannot match up to. This intensity has seen the Cougars average 34 points a game on offense while giving up nine a game.



The Cougars have shut out five opponents this year, including an impressive 25-0 win over conference rival Hough to end the regular season. There’s talent all over the defense for the Vance Cougars with as many eight starters holding college offers.

The NCHSAA Regional Final Pairings have been set. Teams that win this week will move on to the state championship game. The state title games will be played on December 14th and 15th at NC State’s Carter Finley Stadium, UNC-Chapel Hill’s Kenan Stadium, and Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium.



1A

East

#2 Pamlico (12-1) vs. #4 Rosewood (9-2)

West

#3 Murphy (11-1) vs. #4 Robbinsville (11-2)



1AA

East

#1 Tarboro (13-0) vs. #3 Edenton Holmes (12-1)

West

#2 Starmount (7-6) vs. #4 East Surry (10-3)



2A

East

#1 Northeastern (13-0) vs. #6 Southwest Onslow (12-2)

West

#2 Reidsville (14-0) vs. #8 Brevard (11-3)



2AA

East

#1 Ledford (13-1) vs. #3 North Davidson (12-2)

West

#2 Hibriten (14-0) vs. #4 Shelby (11-3)



3A

East

#1 Havelock (13-0) vs. #6 Jacksonville (10-1)

West

#3 Charlotte Catholic (13-1) vs. #5 Kings Mountain (12-2)



3AA

East

#2 Southeast Guilford (13-1) vs. #4 Cleveland (12-2)

West

#3 Mount Tabor (10-4) vs. #5 Weddington (13-1)



4A

East

#5 Seventy-First (11-3) vs. #10 Scotland (8-5)

West

#1 East Forsyth (13-0) vs. #6 Porter Ridge (9-4)



4AA

East

#1 Wake Forest (12-0) vs. #6 Pinecrest (11-3)

West

#5 Vance (13-1) vs. #6 Myers Park (13-1)

1A Football Playoff Second Round Pairings

East

#1 Northampton (11-1) vs. #4 Rosewood (8-2)

#2 Pamlico (11-1) vs.#3 Gates (10-2)

West

#1 Thomas Jefferson (12-0) vs. #4 Robbinsville (10-2)

#2 Mitchell (10-2) vs. #3 Murphy (10-1)



1AA Football Playoff Second Round Pairings

East

#1 Tarboro (12-0) vs. #5 North Stanly (11-2)

#3 Edenton Holmes (11-1) vs. #7 Riverside-Martin (10-3)

West

#1 Mount Airy (12-0) vs. #4 East Surry (9-3)

#2 Starmount (6-6) vs. #11 Polk County (5-8)



2A Football Playoff Second Round Pairings

East

#1 Northeastern (12-0) vs. #4 Kinston (12-0)

#6 Southwest Onslow (11-2) vs. #7 Wallace-Rose Hill (9-3)

West

#4 Wheatmore (12-1) vs. #8 Brevard (10-3)

#2 Reidsville (13-0) vs. #3 Mountain Heritage (11-1)



2AA Football Playoff Second Round Pairings

East

#1 Ledford (12-1) vs. #5 Hertford County (7-5)

#2 SouthWest Edgecombe (11-2) vs. #3 North Davidson (11-2)

West

#4 Shelby (10-3) vs. #8 North Lincoln (10-3)

#2 Hibriten (13-0) vs. #3 Bandys (12-1)



3A Football Playoff Second Round Pairings

East

#1 Havelock (12-0) vs. #4 Terry Sanford (10-3)

#6 Jacksonville (9-1) vs #7 Eastern Alamance (10-3)

West

#1 Northwest Cabarrus (13-0) vs. #5 Kings Mountain (11-2)

#2 Huss (13-0) vs. #3 Charlotte Catholic (12-1)



3AA Football Playoff Second Round Pairings

East

#4 Cleveland (11-2) vs. #9 Hillside (10-3)

#2 Southeast Guilford (12-1) vs.#14 Dudley (10-3)

West

#1 Watauga (13-0) vs. #5 Weddington (12-1)

#2 AC Reynolds (12-1) vs. #3 Mount Tabor (9-4)



4A Football Playoff Second Round Pairings

East

#8 South View (11-2) vs. #5 Seventy-First (10-3)

#3 Pine Forest (10-2) vs. #10 Scotland (7-5)

West

#1 East Forsyth (12-0) vs. #4 Grimsley (7-5)

#2 West Mecklenburg (9-2) vs. #6 Porter Ridge (9-4)



4AA Football Playoff Second Round Pairings

East

#1 Wake Forest (11-0) vs. #4 Leesville Road (10-2)

#2 Hoggard (10-1) vs. #6 Pinecrest (10-3)

West

#5 Vance (12-1) vs. #8 Hough (11-2)

#2 Richmond (11-1) vs. #6 Myers Park (12-1)

1A Football Playoff Second Round Pairings

East

#1 Northampton (10-1) vs. #9 Washington County (4-7)

#4 Rosewood (7-2) vs. #5 North Edgecombe (6-5)

#3 Gates (9-2) vs. #6 South Creek (8-4)

#2 Pamlico (10-1) vs. #7 Southside (5-7)

West

#1 Thomas Jefferson (11-0) vs. #8 Bishop McGuinness (8-4)

#4 Robbinsville (9-2) vs. #5 Elkin (7-5)

#3 Murphy (9-1) vs. #6 Alleghany (7-5)

#2 Mitchell (9-2) vs. #7 Cherokee (7-5)



1AA Football Playoff Second Round Pairings

East

#1 Tarboro (11-0) vs. #9 South Stanly (8-4)

#4 Granville Central (8-1) vs. #5 North Stanly (10-2)

#3 Edenton Holmes (10-1) vs. #6 East Carteret (8-4)

#2 Princeton (9-0) vs. #7 Riverside-Martin (9-3)

West

#1 Mount Airy (11-0) vs. #8 Swain County (7-5)

#4 East Surry (8-3) vs. #5 Bessemer City (7-5)

#3 North Rowan (9-2) vs. #11 Polk County (4-8)

#2 Starmount (5-6) vs. #10 Community School of Davidson (7-5)



2A Football Playoff Second Round Pairings

East

#1 Northeastern (11-0) vs. #9 Beddingfield (9-2)

#4 Kinston (11-0) vs. #5 Clinton (8-2)

#3 South Columbus (12-0) vs. #6 Southwest Onslow (10-2)

#7 Wallace-Rose Hill (8-3) vs. #15 Goldsboro (6-5)

West

#1 Randleman (12-0) vs. #8 Brevard (9-3)

#4 Wheatmore (11-1) vs. #5 West Stanly (7-4)

#11 Hendersonville (7-5) vs. #3 Mountain Heritage (10-1)

#2 Reidsville (12-0) vs. #7 East Rutherford (10-2)



2AA Football Playoff Second Round Pairings

East

#1 Ledford (11-1) vs. #8 Roanoke Rapids (8-4)

#4 West Craven (7-5) vs. #5 Hertford County (6-5)

#3 North Davidson (10-2) vs. #6 Cummings (5-7)

#2 SouthWest Edgecombe (10-2) vs. #7 Croatan (6-5)

West

#8 North Lincoln (9-3) vs. #16 East Lincoln (6-6)

#4 Shelby (9-3) vs. #5 Ashe County (10-2)

#3 Bandys (11-1) vs. #6 West Stokes (11-1)

#2 Hibriten (12-0) vs. #10 South Point (9-3)



3A Football Playoff Second Round Pairings

East

#1 Havelock (11-0) vs. #9 Franklinton (8-4)

#4 Terry Sanford (9-3) vs. #5 Rocky Mount (9-1)

#3 Western Alamance (11-1) vs. #6 Jacksonville (8-1)

#2 Southern Nash (10-0) vs #7 Eastern Alamance (9-3)

West

#1 Northwest Cabarrus (12-0) vs. #9 Tuscola (8-4)

#4 Statesville (9-3) vs. #5 Kings Mountain (10-2)

#3 Charlotte Catholic (11-1) vs. #11 Monroe (7-5)

#2 Huss (12-0) vs. #7 Crest (9-3)



3AA Football Playoff Second Round Pairings

East

#1 Northern Durham (11-1) vs. #9 Hillside (9-3)

#4 Cleveland (10-2) vs. #5 Conley (9-3)

#6 New Hanover (9-3) vs. #14 Dudley (9-3)

#2 Southeast Guilford (11-1) vs. #7 Eastern Guilford (10-2)

West

#1 Watauga (12-0) vs. #8 Parkland (11-1)

#4 South Iredell (7-5) vs. #5 Weddington (11-1)

#3 Mount Tabor (8-4) vs. #6 Erwin (10-1)

#2 AC Reynolds (11-1) vs. #10 Sun Valley (10-2)



4A Football Playoff Second Round Pairings

East

#1 South Central (11-0) vs. #8 South View (10-2)

#4 Riverside-Durham (7-3) vs. #5 Seventy-First (9-3)

#3 Pine Forest (9-2) vs. #6 Middle Creek (8-4)

#2 Cardinal Gibbons (10-1) vs. #10 Scotland (6-5)

West

#1 East Forsyth (11-0) vs. #9 Glenn (6-6)

#4 Grimsley (6-5) vs. #5 Mooresville (9-3)

#3 Page (6-5) vs. #6 Porter Ridge (8-4)

#2 West Mecklenburg (8-2) vs. #7 West Charlotte (7-5)



4AA Football Playoff Second Round Pairings

East

#1 Wake Forest (10-0) vs. #8 Fuquay-Varina (8-4)

#4 Leesville Road (9-2) vs. #12 Broughton (7-5)

#3 Holly Springs (7-4) vs. #6 Pinecrest (9-3)

#2 Hoggard (9-1) vs. #10 Garner (7-5)

West

#1 Mallard Creek (10-0) vs. #8 Hough (10-2)

#4 Ardrey Kell (5-6) vs. #5 Vance (11-1)

#3 Butler (9-2) vs. #6 Myers Park (11-1)

#2 Richmond (10-1) vs. #10 Reagan (8-4)

WINSTON-SALEM –John Jiles hauled in a 20-yard pass in the end zone with 5:25 left in the fourth quarter which ended up being the go-ahead score for Wake Forest, giving the Cougars their second straight 4AA state championship, 14-0, over Mallard Creek. This was the third time these two teams have matched up the state title game, but the first time Wake Forest was able to top its Charlotte foe.



Devon Lawrence led Wake Forest with 135 yards rushing but found himself bottled up for most of the first half of the game. Fellow running back Marquis Dunn broke through for a 54-yard score with 3 minutes left in the game and Lawrence added a late score to seal the scoring for the Cougars and get Wake Forest back to the type of running stats that the Wake Forest faithful are used to seeing.



Mallard Creek's Nasjzae Bryant tried to get the Maverick offense moving, but the Wake Forest defense stood tall throughout the game. Bryant's 100-plus yard day was minimized by poor snaps and other miscues that kept the Mavericks out of the end zone.



Both quarterbacks were limited in passing action, possibly as a result of the inclement weather. The Wake Forest defense was stifling and only allowed 112 yards of offense by Mallard Creek. Javon Terry played a role in this by picking off a pass and tallying a couple tackles.



With the win, Wake Forest became the first team from Wake County to win back-to-back titles since Raleigh High School won three straight in 1912 to 1915.

Championship Game Awards

West (Mallard Creek) Most Outstanding Defensive Player – Jacob Roberts

West (Mallard Creek) Most Outstanding Offensive Player – Nasjzae Bryant



East (Wake Forest) Most Outstanding Defensive Player – Javon Terry

East (Wake Forest) Most Outstanding Offensive Player – John Jiles



Championship MVP – Wake Forest – Devon Lawrence

The 3:00 game at BB&T Field in Winston-Salem features two undefeated 4AA teams in Wake Forest and Mallard Creek. These two teams have met in the title game twice before with Mallard Creek victorious both times, in 2013 and 2014, but Wake Forest broke through last year and defeated Page in the title game. The Cougars come into this matchup with the targets on their backs as the defending 4AA state champion.

BB&T Field

Wake Forest has a fairly balanced offensive attack, averaging 238 yards on the ground and 134 yards through the air. Leading the rushing attack for the Cougars is senior running back Devin Lawrence, who has found the end zone 32 times this season. Quarterback Chris James has passed for over 1800 yards and 22 touchdowns.



Coach Reggie Lucas is especially proud of his defense, which has held eight opponents to ten points or less this season and has posted three shutouts.



The Mavericks with Mallard Creek of played one of the toughest schedules in North Carolina this season with two state finalists and two regional finalists on the slate of games. And the Mavericks had to do it with almost entirely new line up. Coach Mike Palmieri wasn't sure how his team was going to be on the field this season with 19 new starters, but after 14 games it's clear to see in that they're back to playing the type of Mallard Creek football that won three straight state titles between 2013 and 2015.

Carter-Finley Stadium
NC State University, Raleigh

1A

1AA

Kenan Stadium
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

2AA

2A

Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium
Duke University, Durham

3A

3AA

BB&T Field
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem

4AA

Wake Forest 21, Mallard Creek 0

4A

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Wake Forest Cougars defense led the way to make the school’s fourth appearance in the state championship game and defense dominated the day bringing the Cougars their first state championship with a 29-0 victory over Greensboro Page.



The Cougar defense held the explosive Page offense to just 142 yards of offense all day and forced four interceptions. The defense opened the day by forcing a three-and-out on the Pirates first offensive series. Then Wake Forest special teams came up big as Darius Hodge broke through and blocked the Pirate punt. The block was recovered by Thomas Murray who scooped up the ball at the Pirate 10 and scored to give the Cougars a 7-0 lead with 10:42 to go in the first quarter.



After another Pirate three-and-out on the ensuing possession, Wake Forest took over near midfield at their own 42, driving seven plays and cashing in on the good field position with a 2-yard Devon Lawrence touchdown run. The point after was blocked and the Cougars jumped in front 13-0 with 5:45 to go in the first.



The Pirate offense continued to struggle, as Wake Forest continued to force the pressure on Pirate quarterback Will Jones. Darius Hodge dominated the game from the linebacker spot making 17 tackles on the afternoon, including the blocked punt. He was named the game’s M.V.P. Seth Williams had two interceptions and was tapped as the Cougars Most Outstanding Defensive Performer.



The Cougar offense capitalized on good field position most of the night as Lawrence turned in a strong performance against the Pirates solid defensive front. Lawrence gained 77 yards on the ground, scoring two touchdowns rushing while throwing for another on a halfback pass to Lex Goodwin with 10:08 to play in the fourth, giving Wake Forest a 29-0 lead.



The Pirates completed their season 14-2 on the year and champions of the All-Metro 4A Conference. Javon Leake was named Page’s Most Outstanding Offensive Performer with 36 hard-earned yards on 18 carries.



Wake Forest finished the year unblemished at 16-0, they were the champions of the CAP 8 4A Conference. They claimed the school’s first championship and made their fourth appearance in the state finals, all since 2010. The win for Wake Forest was the first Football Championship for a team from Wake County since Garner won the title in 1987, snapping a 29-year drought.





Story courtesy of the NCHSAA