HPCA battles Wake Christian for state title
Greer Smith HIGH POINT ENTERPRISE
A look at tonight’s prep football playoff
games:
NCISAA 11-MAN DIVISION 3 CHAMPIONSHIP
(2) WAKE CHRISTIAN (9-3) AT
(1) HP CHRISTIAN (10-1)
When: 7 p.m.
Where: High Point Athletic Complex
Of note: Game is rematch of Sept. 4 contest that High Point Christian won 35-12 at home. HPCA threw for 267 yards and ranfor 90 in that game. … Wake Christian is on four-game winning streak that includes back-to-back victories over Village Christianin the season-finale and first round of the playoffs. Bulldogs defeated First Assembly 29-14 last week. … HPCA has defeated Fayetteville Christian (53-0) and Rabun Gap (20-7) in the playoffs. … Victory will give HPCA first state championship in football.
… Wake Christian knocked HPCA out of playoffs last year.
HPCA coach Scott Bell says: “We beat them in week 3 and they have some new wrinkles on offense, and we’ve seen most of those on film. They play all three facets ofthe game well and they are well-coached, so it’s going to be a battle.
“When we played them before, in the first half, we had receivers open and just didn’t connect. Late in the second quarter and the second half, we threw the ball well and that opened up things for the run game. … They scored 12 on us and no one else has been in double digits. One of their touchdowns was on a blown coverage in the second half and they got another one in the second half. Sowe have defended the ball well.
“The team has been calm the past two weeks and you can take that a couple of different ways. As a coach, you wonder if they are ready. It’s clear to me, it is a business-like atmosphere.We’ve had good practices.They are calm and confident but not overconfident.
As for the seniors, we’ve have one guy who will play at the next level and for the rest, this is the last time they will strap a helmet on. So you can see it in their eyes, that excitement that their careers are coming to an end
Greer Smith HIGH POINT ENTERPRISE
A look at tonight’s prep football playoff
games:
NCISAA 11-MAN DIVISION 3 CHAMPIONSHIP
(2) WAKE CHRISTIAN (9-3) AT
(1) HP CHRISTIAN (10-1)
When: 7 p.m.
Where: High Point Athletic Complex
Of note: Game is rematch of Sept. 4 contest that High Point Christian won 35-12 at home. HPCA threw for 267 yards and ranfor 90 in that game. … Wake Christian is on four-game winning streak that includes back-to-back victories over Village Christianin the season-finale and first round of the playoffs. Bulldogs defeated First Assembly 29-14 last week. … HPCA has defeated Fayetteville Christian (53-0) and Rabun Gap (20-7) in the playoffs. … Victory will give HPCA first state championship in football.
… Wake Christian knocked HPCA out of playoffs last year.
HPCA coach Scott Bell says: “We beat them in week 3 and they have some new wrinkles on offense, and we’ve seen most of those on film. They play all three facets ofthe game well and they are well-coached, so it’s going to be a battle.
“When we played them before, in the first half, we had receivers open and just didn’t connect. Late in the second quarter and the second half, we threw the ball well and that opened up things for the run game. … They scored 12 on us and no one else has been in double digits. One of their touchdowns was on a blown coverage in the second half and they got another one in the second half. Sowe have defended the ball well.
“The team has been calm the past two weeks and you can take that a couple of different ways. As a coach, you wonder if they are ready. It’s clear to me, it is a business-like atmosphere.We’ve had good practices.They are calm and confident but not overconfident.
As for the seniors, we’ve have one guy who will play at the next level and for the rest, this is the last time they will strap a helmet on. So you can see it in their eyes, that excitement that their careers are coming to an end
