Down 14-0, Wildcats rally past Blue Comets late

ASHEBORO — Learning how to win a high school football game.

That’s a special quality some high school programs have and some, like Asheboro High School, are trying to find.

Eastern Randolph already has that trait.

The Wildcats found a way to win Friday night by breaking a tie with two touchdowns in a three-minute span late in the fourth quarter for a 33-21 victory over the Blue Comets, ER’s sixth straight win in the rivalry.

The Wildcats are 2-0 as they travel to Southern Lee Friday, while AHS is 1-1 with a bye week before having its home opener against Providence Grove on Sept. 13.

With the game tied at 21-21 late in the game, ER used a strong running attack to score the go-ahead touchdown on a run by Kobe Walker for a 27-21 lead.

With Asheboro trying to answer as the clock ticked down, quarterback Logan Laughlin was hit from behind, fumbled the ball and it was scooped up by defensive lineman Zuri Francis, who scampered 40 yards for a touchdown and a 33-21 advantage, sealing the win.

“It will come,” AHS coach Calvin Brown said of winning tight games. “It starts by winning the games you are supposed to win and then winning against a team no one thinks you can beat. 

“Our kids put a lot of effort into this week. Emotionally they are drained a little. It hurt them to lose that one. Eastern is a really good football team and they played a really good game and we were right there.”

AHS led 14-0 in the first half — scoring on a 36-yard pass from Laughlin to Elijah Woodle and a 9-yard TD run from Quincey Lee — before ER fought back to tie the game at 14-14 at halftime. Lucas Smith had runs of 6 and 20 yards for scores, the second after ER gained possession by recovering an AHS fumble.

“The big positive thing we took away from last night was our kids were resilient,” ER veteran head coach Burton Cates said. “They did not complain and knew they had to make the next play and they did that. I remember times we were down and we found a way to get back and win the football game.” 

Brown pointed to a fumble on the opening possession after AHS started by moving downfield and the fumbled kickoff as key plays.

The Wildcats scored the only points of the third quarter on a Cade McCallum run, before the Blue Comets tied the game in the fourth behind some stout running from freshman Connor Brinton. 

Brinton, who capped the drive with a 1-yard run, was playing because of an injury to running back DJ Scott, who left in the first series.

ER took the ensuing kickoff and behind James Combs, Kobe Walker, Smith and McCallum dove 64 yards down the field to take the lead on a 5-yard run by Walker for a 27-21 lead with 2:54 left to play. The PAT failed. Then the strip-sack sealed it.

“It goes back to every play matters,” Brown said. “It’s a 48-minute game. I felt the defense played well the entire night. As short-handed as we were (AHS lost a number of players throughout the game because of injuries), we kept fighting. Our guys never quit and they showed fight.”

Laughlin completed nine passes for 169 yards and a touchdown. Woodle grabbed three for 84 yards and a score.  

ER’s Smith rushed for 131 yards on 28 carries and Combs carried for 109 yards as the Wildcats totaled 270 yards on the ground.