Huskies, Knights lead conferences in standings

Hough and Lake Norman Charter lead their respective conferences in the Wells Fargo Conference Cup standings after the fall season.

The Huskies are atop the I-Meck ranking after winning the boys' soccer and volleyball titles. Lake Norman is in second place after winning the conference's girls' tennis and cross country titles.

Lake Norman Charter leads the Southern Piedmont Conference after claiming the girls' golf, boys' soccer, volleyball and girls' tennis conference titles. North Lincoln is second in the league while East Lincoln is third.

Bandys and South Iredell are second and third, respectively, in the Catawba Valley Athletic Conference barely behind Maiden.

The Wells Fargo Conference Cup recognizes schools with the best overall athletic performances within individual conferences. Points are awarded based on participation and standings in conference play. Each conference determines its own method of awarding points.

Here are the complete conference standings:

I-Meck 4A

Hough 51

Lake Norman 47

Mallard Creek 38.5

Hopewell 30

Mooresville 29

North Mecklenburg 28.5

West Charlotte 10

Vance 10.

Southern Piedmont 1A/2A

Lake Norman Charter 95

North Lincoln 89

East Lincoln 84

Lincolnton 73

West Lincoln 72

Highland Tech 63

Cherryville 51

Bessemer City 21

Catawba Valley 2A

Maiden 33

Bandys 32

South Iredell 31

Newton-Conover 30

J.C. Draughn 28.5

East Burke 26

Bunker Hill 22.5

West Caldwell 13

East Lincoln wins 2A state championship

WINSTON-SALEM – East Lincoln coach Mike Byus had preached to his Mustangs all season long about the importance of reaching their potential.

“We always talked to them about reaching their ceiling,” he said.

East Lincoln defeated three-time defending state champion Tarboro 24-20 Saturday at BB&T Field to win the 2A state title.

“I think we reached that ceiling today,” Byus said.

The Mustangs finish the season a perfect 16-0 to earn the school’s first football championship.

“I just enjoyed every bit of it,” said quarterback Garrett Young, the game’s most valuable player.

“We just went out there and got it.”

East Lincoln got on the scoreboard first, when senior Marquise Pharr ran for a 3-yard touchdown less than two minutes into the game.

Young’s passing would help the Mustangs move the ball to the Tarboro 13-yard line to set up a 30-yard Cory Petersen field goal early in the second quarter.

Tarboro (14-1), which had a 21-game win streak heading into the game, put together an answer, as running back Quentin Roberson broke away for a 62-yard run – assisted by a big-time block by Travonne Marshall – to put his Vikings on the board.

After a failed two-point conversion attempt, Tarboro trailed 10-6.

Young, who had 196 yards on 18-of-36 passing, combined with Jesse Earnhardt three times – for 44 yards – to set up Surratt’s 3-yard touchdown catch on a slant with less than five minutes left in the half.

The East Lincoln defense came out strong, forcing four fumbles to hold a Tarboro team averaging more than 42 points per game to six points in the first half.

Tarboro had a big third quarter, outscoring the Mustangs 14-0 to get its first lead of the game.

After forcing a safety, the Vikings used two interceptions to get the momentum back.

Tarboro freshman Quantavious Battle picked off Young and returned it for 46 yards to set up a 21-yard Roberson run to get the Vikings within three points.

Aaron Moore, the Vikings’ quarterback who also sees time at corner back, intercepted Young on the following Mustang possession. Travonne Marshall had a 43-yard scoring run to give Tarboro a 20-17 lead.

“At halftime, I told the kids ‘they’re not going to go quietly,’” said Byus. “And they didn’t. They fought hard, which makes this even sweeter.”

East Lincoln leads Tarboro 17-6 in 2A title game

WINSTON-SALEM – East Lincoln leads Tarboro 17-6 at halftime in the 2A state football championship at BB&T Field.

Both teams got off to a quick start.

After East Lincoln quarterback Garrett Young found Chazz Surratt for a 35-yard pass that gave the Mustangs a first-down-and-goal at the Vikings’ 3-yard line, senior Marquise Pharr ran the ball into the end zone to open the score less than two minutes into the game.

Tarboro running back Quentin Roberson had a 57-yard run to start the Vikings’ first drive, and their offense quickly found their way to the opposing red zone.

But Surratt – a 6-foot, 180-pound freshman – forced quarterback Aaron Moore to fumble at the Mustangs’ 12-yard line to give East Lincoln the ball.

After both teams were forced to punt, Young’s passing helped the Mustangs move the ball to the Vikings’ 13-yard line to set up a 30-yard Cory Petersen field goal early in the second quarter.

Tarboro had an answer, as Roberson broke away for a 62-yard run – assisted by a big-time block by Travonne Marshall –  to put his Vikings on the board. After a failed two-point conversion attempt, Tarboro trailed 10-6.

Young, who was 13-for-20 for 150 yards in the first half, combined with Jesse Earnhardt three times – for 44 yards – to give the Mustangs a first down at the Vikings’ 5-yard line. Tarboro’s defense did its job to force an East Lincoln fourth down.

But the Mustangs went for it, and it paid off, as Young found Surratt on a slant for a 3-yard score with less than five minutes left in the half.

The East Lincoln defense came out strong, forcing four fumbles to hold a Tarboro team averaging nearly 50 points per game in the playoffs to six points in the first half.