And then there were five
Wow. Two rounds of the football playoffs and only five teams in our coverage area left. That was fast!
The fortunes of Forsyth County football now rest squarely on the shoulders of Mount Tabor, the only one left. The Spartans advanced by beating Reynolds 26-22 in what was the second riveting game the teams played this season.
Just like the first meeting, either team could have won. But you have to hand it to the Spartans — they looked dead in the water went Reynolds went ahead 22-7 in the third quarter. But the Spartans caught a spark from quarterback Brad Morton, who started the comeback with a 46-yard touchdown run, and their defense did the rest, stopping three late Reynolds drives, including two in the red zone.
It was heartbreaking to see Reynolds lose because that was one of the more fun teams to watch I have seen in the county in years. The undersized Demons were like a pack of fire ants on defense, and watching Craven Knotts sling passes all over the field to so many good receivers was a treat.
But pound-for-pound, Mount Tabor has the best talent in the county and that was proven. The Spartans defense is nasty, Morton is a big-time playmaker, and I am assuming they will take the trip to Asheville Reynolds on Friday and come home winners.
Mount Airy needs two more wins to have a shot at repeating as Class 1-A champs, and the Granite Bears will be at home against Princeton, from out of Johnston County, on Friday. The Bears will have to brace for Princeton’s wide-open passing attack.
Elkin needs one more win to get back to the semifinals, where a possible rematch of last year’s semifinal against Mount Airy could be waiting. But the Elks have a tough draw on Friday, at home against Robbinsville in a rematch of last year’s quarterfinal, which Elkin won 21-20.
Finally, the most historical rivalry — from a football perspective — in Davidson County will take place when Lexington travels to Cushwa Stadium to take on Thomasville in Class 2-A. Both teams won dramatic second-round games last week. They played on Nov. 6, and Thomasville won 23-13.