Fruitland – Pisgah Bears had even more big plays to outscore host North Henderson Knights 55-41 on Friday, while West Henderson stayed unbeaten by demolishing 2022 league runner-up Tuscola 42-14 in Waynesville in another regular-season finale.
There was thereby a split in the Henderson-Haywood intra-county tag team match last Friday, as each county won a Mountain Seven (M7) game.
Playoff Matchups
Both Henderson County squads in playoffs have rematches in their openers. Coach Paul Whitaker’s West Falcons (10-0; 6-0 M7) welcome back 30th seed Erwin, which they beat 40-10 in week four.
West is the West Region’s third seed, behind unbeaten Crest (led by former Hendersonville head coach Jim Sosebee) and Hickory. The M7 repeat champion Falcons finished unbeaten for their second regular season in a row.
NHHS Knights (7-3; 3-3 M7), under head coach Jim Beatty, travel to Canton for a rematch with 11th seed Pisgah (8-2; 4-2). The victor could play at West in round three. Pisgah broke a three-way tie with NHHS and Tuscola (THS) for second place, by beating NHHS and with THS losing to West.
The Knights are seeded third. They prevail in power rankings amidst a three-way tie at 3-3, thanks to their 7-3 overall mark. They beat Tuscola (5-5) 42-32, but lost to Smoky Mountain (4-6). These three teams split with each other. NHHS, SMHS and THS are seeded 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, respectively. The balanced Mountain Seven placed five of seven teams in 3A playoffs.
The highest-seeded local 3A squad is Mountain champ A.C. Reynolds (7-3; 6-0 MAC), at seventh. ACR hosts North Gaston (5-5). In 4A, eighth seed T.C. Roberson (8-2; 5-1 MAC) welcomes Reagan (4-6). Asheville (5-5; 4-2) is at fifth-seeded Queen (Charlotte) City Conference champ Hough (9-1; 7-0 QC).
Hendersonville (4-6; 3-3 MFC) and Owen (2-8; 1-5 WHC) missed 2A playoffs. HHS crushed Patton 56-13, as C.J. Landrum scored four touchdowns.
‘Senior Knight’
As a North Henderson banner read, it was “Senior Knight (Night)” at home Friday, for a whopping 27 senior Knights. No wonder the Knights figure “this is their year.”
Coach Beatty told the Knights, “You played your asses off!” He praised blocking, and running of Zion Fauntleroy-McDaniel and Mason Gasperson. They each ran for two first-half touchdowns, and Zion later scored a third time. Pisgah head coach Brett Chappell said that the Knights are “very physical. They’re so good up front.”
Knight receiver Johnathan Costley caught a 35-yard TD pass from Mason Fowler. Post-game, Costley expressed team confidence and pride. He noted how the Knights have “flipped” their script, from perpetual pushover to a playoff team. He credits “dedication” and perseverance.
Fowler missed weeks with an ACL knee injury. Receiver Drake Blackwell filled in. Fowler played very sparingly on Oct. 20. But on Oct. 27, Fowler played quarterback much of the time. He felt noticeably shattered after the defeat, but said that he is “proud” of Knight efforts.
Pisgah scored two early TDs off of turnovers. But North Knights scored three TDs in the last four minutes of the opening quarter. Gasperson’s 17-yard run up the gut put them on the board. Pisgah blocked the PAT, and soon scored on senior Breydon Reynolds’ 49-yard run.
But Zion returned the kickoff to the Bear 22. He scored on a seven-yard run.
Opportune Knights
Next, Pisgah got cute on the kickoff return. Star receiver Sawyer Belue, who made an early INT, heaved an errant lateral across the field to Jake Lowery. Lowery bobbled the ball, trying to pick it up. The Knights swarmed in and recovered it at the Pisgah 11. What a break!
On fourth down, Gasperson scored on a one-yard plunge. Esteban Sanchez’s PAT cut Pisgah’s lead to 21-20 seven seconds before the quarter ended.
Pisgah’s next TD was a fluke. On fourth down, Walker Fox’s 35-yard field goal try was deflected and missed. But officials penalized NHHS for running into Fox. That gave the Bears new life, and they soon scored. Coach Beatty very politely told refs that a Bear pushed his player into the kicker.
North responded with Costley’s TD catch midway into the second quarter. The Knights held on downs.
They surged into the lead twice on Zion TD runs. The first one made it 34–28. Zion rushed for 17 and nine yards on the drive. He took a pitch rightward, cut upfield, and dove into the end zone for a 25-yard score. He ran for 125 yards (7.4 YPC) in the first half alone.
Bear QB Aaron Clark hit leaping Cadden Davis in the end zone, as first-half time expired. But Fox’s PAT kick was wide left. The home crowd erupted. The halftime score was 34-34.
The Knights struck first in the second half. They led 41-34 on Zion’s weaving, 72-yard gem with 4:16 left in the third quarter.
But Pisgah scored the final three TDs to win. An old-styled “hook and lateral” catch and toss clicked, for a 20-yard TD by Reynolds. Coach Chappell grinned and said he had only one unused trick play “left in the bag.” The final two scores were on Clark’s 48-yard keeper, and Reynolds’ 26-yard run, as Pisgah broke free for long scores.
Falcons Guzzle Tus-Cola
West Henderson scored half of its points in the first quarter, in destroying Tuscola 42-14. Carson Dimsdale sprinted 30 yards around the right side untouched for the opening score. Dimsdale ran for 201 yards (7.4 YPC) and four TDs, to total a WNC-leading 1,625 rushing yards and 25 scores.
Following an interception, Cade Young delivered a TD strike up the middle to wide-open Truitt Manuel for a 58-yard TD. Young tossed a screen left to Manuel, who took it 53 yards to “the house.” Young threw for 205 yards — 196 to Manuel. West led 21-0 after merely one quarter.
Chappell, who coached East Henderson in its glory years, said that West “has no weakness. They’re solid all around,” featuring strong runners and athletic, tall receivers. Chappell, as a N.C. assistant coach, selected Manuel for the N.C.-S.C. Shrine Bowl on Dec. 16.