Hawks Ground Game Not Enough in 38-13 Setback
Written By: Keith Spence
LAGRANGE — North Lenoir did a lot of things right in its non-conference game with Ayden-Grifton on Friday night.
Except win the game.
The Hawks rushed for more than 300 yards, produced more first downs, and had fewer penalty yards, but still fell 38-13.
The reason North Lenoir came up short? A first half filled with self-inflicted wounds.
“We missed opportunities and definitely left some points on the field,” North Lenoir coach Larry Dale said. “But that’s the thing about football. It takes all eleven guys to win. We just have to do a better job of getting everybody on the same page.”
First Half: Fast Start, Slow Finish
North Lenoir came blazing out of the gate. The Hawks took the opening kickoff and marched 58 yards in four plays to take a 6-0 lead less than three minutes into the game. Anton Black’s 38-yard scoring run capped the drive, the beginning of a big night for the senior.
The Chargers answered immediately on Loyalty Fuller’s 30-yard touchdown run to tie it at 6-6, a key moment according to Dale.
“They came right back and punched us in the mouth and we didn’t respond well,” Dale said. “We just went flat, and it took us too long to regain that passion.”
After spotting North Lenoir the lead, Ayden-Grifton erupted for 30 unanswered points to take a 30-6 lead into halftime.
“We didn’t blink after they scored first,” first-year Ayden-Grifton coach Garrett Wingate said. “We maintained focus and were able to do the things we do well. I thought we played extremely hard.”
The Call
Trailing 14-6 early in the second quarter, North Lenoir was on the verge of tying the game but was stopped on downs at the Ayden-Grifton 6-yard line, wasting a 58-yard run by Black.
Then came the moment that changed everything.
On first down deep in his own territory, Chargers quarterback John Fields executed a perfect play-action fake that completely fooled the North Lenoir defense. Receiver Nygel Morgan slipped behind the secondary and hauled in a 94-yard touchdown pass.
“I come from a passing background and we saw an opportunity to shake things up,” Wingate said. “We’re fortunate to have an experienced quarterback (Fields) who makes good decisions, and he and Nygel just made an outstanding play.”
North Lenoir fumbled the ball away on its next possession, and the outcome was never in doubt again.
Hawks Finish With a Flourish
North Lenoir didn’t quit in the fourth quarter. Trailing 38-6, the Hawks put together an 11-play, 73-yard scoring drive that ate up 6:19. Devin Gray carried four times for 28 yards on the drive, including the final five for a touchdown.
“I thought we showed a lot of heart on that last possession,” Dale said. “I saw some good things that we can build on as we head into conference play.”
The win was Ayden-Grifton’s fifth straight in the series and ninth in 11 meetings since 2004.
By the Numbers
North Lenoir
Anton Black: 10 carries, 124 yards, TD
RJ Warren: 12 carries, 93 yards
Devin Gray: 16 carries, 51 yards, TD
Ayden-Grifton
John Fields: 11-15 passing, 228 yards, 2 TD
Nygel Morgan: 4 catches, 149 yards, TD
Loyalty Fuller: 4 catches, 63 yards; 2 carries, 33 yards, TD
Team Stats
Rushing: North Lenoir 305, Ayden-Grifton 91
Passing: North Lenoir 6, Ayden-Grifton 266
First Downs: North Lenoir 16, Ayden-Grifton 13
Turnovers: North Lenoir 2, Ayden-Grifton 0
Penalty Yards: North Lenoir 56, Ayden-Grifton 105
What’s Next
North Lenoir (1-3) opens Three Rivers 4A Conference play at home against Southwest Edgecombe. Ayden-Grifton (3-1) wraps up non-conference play at D.H. Conley.
