Staff report

HENDERSONVILLE — South Rowan finished the football season with one last touchdown with 20 seconds left — the final passing TD of Brooks Overcash’s illustrious career and the first TD catch for receiver Cayden Wood.

It made the final score West Henderson 27, South Rowan 12, in Friday’s first-round 3A playoff game, and the Raiders exited the field with more hugs than tears and with heads held high.

It was a more than respectable loss to a good team, a conference co-champ, and South’s first playoff appearance in 15 years went in the record books as a successful adventure.

“I’ll say this, we didn’t quit,” South head coach Chris Walsh said. “And I told our guys after the game that the best lesson that this great game teaches you is don’t quit. We set our goals impossibly high before this season, and we achieved them. If you set goals, if you keep fighting, you’ll be surprised at what can happen.”

Seeded seventh, West Henderson (8-3) played without tw0-way standout Zane McCraw, the Falcons’ leading rusher and tackler, but Da’Zion Murray was a rugged replacement as the main ballcarrier and rushed for 148 yards on 21 carries. West Henderson got 126 passing yards and one aerial TD from Cade Young, while Murray, Neil Robinson and Isaiah Cash had rushing TDs. West Henderson had 337 yards of offense, with 222 rushing yards.

West Henderson led 6-0 early, but South (5-6) tied it on a TD pass from Overcash to Marshal Faw.

Overcash had a stellar passing game, 15-for-20 for 252 yards and two TDs and finished with numerous school records. West Henderson was able to contain South’s leading receiver Jadon Moore, but Faw, who signed a few days ago with Catawba’s baseball program, had seven catches for 138 yards. Wood and Gavin Bisco made three catches apiece.

West Henderson took a 13-6 lead in the second quarter. South’s defense dug in, and it stayed 13-6 at the half and was still 13-6 after three quarters.

West Henderson was able to convert a huge third-and-18 with a screen pass, one of the biggest plays of the game, and was able to punch in two fourth-quarter TDs to decide the outcome.

Seeded 26th, South didn’t have much success running the ball. Bryson Frieze had 33 yards on 13 carries.

Macon Fuller made an interception in the end zone to stop a West Henderson drive and also had a fumble recovery for the Raiders.

Linebacker Owen Smith was credited with 17 tackles for the Raiders. Brayden Mahaley (10 tackles) and Bryan Velasquez (nine tackles) had sacks. James Ritchie, who missed most of the season with an injury, and Bisco had two tackles for loss.

West Henderson advances to play 10th-seeded North Lincoln (10-1). North Lincoln romped 43-13 against North Davidson.