Cleveland County high school football playoff success? It’s hardly unusual as we remember first time county had three first-round winners
By Richard Walker
Cleveland County high schools have long enjoyed high school football playoff success.
In fact, each school that has regularly played football in the county has won at least one state title and Shelby is the winningest program in North Carolina history with 815 documented victories.
Last week, three county schools won opening round state playoff games for the 20th time in the last 32 seasons as Burns, Kings Mountain and Shelby took victories; The fourth county school, Crest, lost its first round playoff after Charlotte Catholic scored on a touchdown run with five seconds left in the game.
This week in the second round, Burns hosts Salisbury in Class 2AA, Kings Mountain hosts Monroe in Class 3A and Shelby visits Hendersonville in Class 2A.
Interestingly, the first time the county had three first round winners, the same three schools pulled of the feat in 1989.
Back then, the playoff structure was far different – and the teams met one another in the playoffs since all were Class 3A and there were no subdivision playoffs.
Having three teams from the county in the playoffs wasn’t possible until the state expanded the state football playoffs in 1985 and the county had produced two playoff teams each year from 1985 to 1988.
The 1989 season involved one of the most competitive Southwestern 3A Conference races in history as the league knew before the season it would get three postseason berths.
Shelby won the league title with a 5-1 conference record, followed by Burns and Kings Mountain at 4-2, East Rutherford and South Point at 3-3, R-S Central at 2-4 and North Gaston at 0-6.
The teams went 3-0 in the first round as Shelby knocked off East Henderson 27-3, Burns won 21-16 at West Henderson and Kings Mountain outlasted No. 1-ranked Smoky Mountain 37-36 in a five-overtime thriller. Current Shelby High basketball assistant Ryan Hollifield completed a 10-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal to Darius Ross tie the score in the fifth overtime before Daniel Honeycutt’s extra point gave the Mountaineers the win.
In the second round, Kings Mountain knocked off Burns 13-0 for its second win of the season over the Bulldogs while Shelby won 18-17 over Pisgah on Jermaine Jeter’s fourth-quarter touchdown run.
It set up a third round Western N.C. 3A semifinal matchup of Kings Mountain at Shelby. As it had done in the regular season in a 14-6 victory, Shelby edged the Mountaineers again, this time by a 20-14 margin. Ross’ 95-yard kickoff return to open the second half and Jeff Lockhart’s touchdown run helped Kings Mountain overcome a 14-0 halftime deficit and forge a tie. But Shelby’s Sheldon Thompson scored the game-winner on a five-yard wide receiver reverse TD run with 10:28 left in the game.
Shelby, which had won N.C. 3A titles in 1986 and 1987 and was 1988 N.C. 3A runner-up, led a Kannapolis Brown team featuring future North Carolina standout (and NFL player) Mike Morton 14-7 at halftime before the Wonders rallied for a 21-14 victory in Western N.C. 3A title game.
The following week, Kannapolis Brown shut out Burlington Cummings 24-0 in a 3A state title game played at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan Stadium.
Burns finished 9-3 overall under coach Ron Greene, the veteran for whom the Bulldogs’ stadium is named, and were led by 1989 conference player of the year Doug Merritt, Donnie Malachi, Chris Sain, Jerome Toms, Greg Clark and Willie Beam.
Kings Mountain finished 8-5 overall under coach Dennis Hicks, who in the spring of 1990 guided the school’s golf team to a Class 3A state title. Hollifield would miss six games in the middle of the season due to injury as standouts like Ross, D.J. Williams, Victor Bell, Daniel Honeycutt, Quan Smith and Jon Reid were standouts for the Mountaineers.
And Shelby finished 11-3 overall under coach Jim Taylor behind standouts like Thompson, offensive linemen Jack Barry and Kenny Pauley, linebackers Eric Lynch and Eric Littlejohn, defensive back Neveth Gidney and quarterback Paul Jeffords. Pauley went on to become an all-conference kicker at Western Carolina.
The success in 1989 paved the way for even greater playoff success in the future for Cleveland County.
Since 1989, three or more county teams have made the state playoffs 23 times and all four teams have made the playoffs in the same season eight times since first accomplishing that feat in 1997.
In eight of those seasons, the county has combined for 10 or more postseason victories and won 16 state championships.
The top seasons have been the following years:
2015 – 13-1 record with state championships won by Crest and Shelby
2019 – 12-3 record with a state championship won by Shelby
1998 – 11-3 record with a state championship won by Shelby
2004 – 11-3 record with a state championship won by Crest
1997 – 11-4 record
2011 – 11-4 record
1994 – 10-1 record with state championships won by Burns and Crest
2013 – 10-2 record with a state championship won by Shelby
Here are the capsule previews for the area’s three second round playoff games:
Burns (6-2)
The matchup: hosts Salisbury (6-2)
Next up: Next Friday against winner of Oak Grove at North Davidson game.
The history: First meeting.
Notes: Cam’Ron Sweezy (405 yards rushing, 1,038 yards passing), Jeremiah Norris (566 yards rushing), Lemont Wilson (518 yards rushing) and Ryan Thompson (34 catches for 498 yards receiving) are top Burns offensive weapons. Salisbury, the 2019 N.C. 2AA runner-up to Shelby, has previously won six state championships.
Kings Mountain (8-0)
The matchup: hosts Monroe (6-2)
The history: The teams have split two previous meetings; Monroe won 14-7 in Kings Mountain’s first season of 1922 and Kings Mountain 35-20 over Monroe in 2019.
Next up: Next Friday against winner of Charlotte Catholic at A.C. Reynolds game.
Notes: Caleb Holland (464 yards rushing), Jaylen Mims (379 yards rushing), Ethan Reid (1,122 yards passing), Orlando Odums (18 catches for 357 yards), Chance Cannon (17 catches for 260 yards) and Peyton Fisher (13 catches for 251 yards) are top Kings Mountain offensive weapons. Monroe is in the playoffs for a 15th straight year and have won state championships in 1949 and 2015.
Shelby (6-2)
The matchup: visits Hendersonville (6-2)
The history: Shelby has won two of three meetings; Hendersonville won 12-0 in 1930, then Shelby won 13-6 in 1931 and 14-7 in the old Division II playoffs in 1984
Next up: Next Friday against winner of Mount Pleasant at Mountain Heritage game.
Notes: Omar Phillips (717 yards rushing), Gabe Huitt (1,520 yards passing), Tyler Arrington (34 catches for 587 yards) and Luke Williams (24 catches for 336 yards) are top Shelby offensive weapons. Hendersonville shared Mountain Six Conference honors and the Bearcats have won state championships in 1968 and 1969.
Here are full statewide playoff results and pairings:
Class 1A
Friday’s first round:
(East)
#8 Pamlico County 50, #1 West Columbus 8
#5 Northside-Pinetown 35, #4 Rosewood 34
#3 Bear Grass Charter 48, #6 Perquimans 42
#2 Northampton County 36, #7 North Duplin 0
(West)
#1 Elkin 35, #8 Andrews 28
#4 Murphy 28, #5 Thomas Jefferson 20
#3 Mitchell 55, #6 Christ the King 0
#2 Robbinsville 42, #7 Winston-Salem Prep 40, 2 OT
Next week’s second round:
#8 Pamlico County (5-2) at #5 Northside-Pinetown (6-2)
#3 Bear Grass Charter (4-1) at #2 Northampton County (2-3)
#4 Murphy (7-1) at #1 Elkin (6-1)
#3 Mitchell (7-0) at #2 Robbinsville (8-0)
Class 1AA
Friday’s first round:
(East)
#1 Tarboro 62, #8 Manteo 7
#4 Edenton Holmes 39, #5 Princeton 28
#3 East Carteret 60, #6 Hobbton 40
#2 Louisburg 50, #7 Lakewood 0
(West)
#8 Polk County d. #1 North Stanly by forfeit
#4 North Rowan 66, #5 Community School of Davidson 26
#3 Pine Lake Prep 33, #6 Mount Airy 27
#2 East Surry 62, #7 North Moore 6
Next week’s second round:
#4 Edenton Holmes (6-0) at #1 Tarboro (6-0)
#3 East Carteret (6-2) at #2 Louisburg (5-2)
Class 2A
Friday’s first round:
(East)
#1 Reidsville 50, #8 Southwest Onslow 0
#4 Wallace-Rose Hill 65, #5 Red Springs 28
#3 Elizabeth City Northeastern 48, #6 Kinston 39
#7 Eastern Randolph 42, #2 Clinton 40, 2 OT
(West)
#1 Hendersonville 42, #8 Bunker Hill 14
#4 Shelby 42, #5 Walkertown 6
#3 Mount Pleasant 21, #6 West Lincoln 20
#2 Mountain Heritage 46, #7 Forbush 21
Next week’s second round:
#4 Wallace-Rose Hill (5-3) at #1 Reidsville (7-0)
#7 Eastern Randolph (5-1) at #3 Elizabeth City Northeastern (5-0)
#4 Shelby (6-2) at #1 Hendersonville (6-2)
#3 Mount Pleasant (8-0) at #2 Mountain Heritage (5-1)
Class 2AA
Friday’s first round:
(East)
#1 Washington 35, #8 South Granville 0
#4 Croatan 55, #5 McMichael 7
#3 SouthWest Edgecombe 33, #6 Roanoke Rapids 12
#2 St. Pauls 35, #7 Randleman 9
(West)
#1 North Davidson 40, #8 Canton Pisgah 14
#5 Oak Grove 17, #4 Ashe County 12
#6 Burns 13, #3 Hibriten 12
#7 Salisbury 52, #2 Maiden 12
Next week’s second round:
#4 Croatan (7-1) at #1 Washington (6-1)
#3 SouthWest Edgecombe (6-2) at #2 St. Pauls (6-0)
Class 3A
Friday’s first round:
(East)
#8 Eastern Alamance 42, #1 Rocky Mount 28
#5 Western Alamance 38, #4 Fayetteville Terry Sanford 13
#3 Havelock 56, #6 Southern Guilford 13
#2 Pittsboro Northwood 17, #7 West Carteret 0
(West)
#1 A.C. Reynolds 14, #8 West Rowan 7
#4 Charlotte Catholic 28, #5 Crest 21
#3 Kings Mountain 49, Concord Robinson 6
#7 Monroe 47, #2 Statesville 21
Next week’s second round:
#8 Eastern Alamance (6-1) at #5 Western Alamance (8-0)
#3 Havelock (8-0) at #2 Pittsboro Northwood (6-2)
#4 Charlotte Catholic (6-1) at #1 A.C. Reynolds (7-1)
#7 Monroe (6-2) at #3 Kings Mountain (8-0)
Class 3AA
Friday’s first round:
(East)
#1 Cleveland 49, #8 Southern Durham 0
#5 Lee County 34, #4 Greenville Rose 26
#3 West Brunswick 42, #6 Chapel Hill 35
#7 Clayton 31, #2 Southeast Guilford 17
(West)
#8 Greensboro Dudley 28, #1 Watauga 8
#5 T.C. Roberson 36, #4 Kannapolis Brown 29
#3 Weddington 42, #6 Asheville 0
#2 Mount Tabor 36, #7 Alexander Central 7
Next week’s second round:
#5 Lee County (8-0) at #1 Cleveland (8-0)
#7 Clayton (7-1) at #3 West Brunswick (6-1)
#8 Greensboro Dudley (7-1) at #5 T.C. Roberson (7-1)
#3 Weddington (7-0) at #2 Mount Tabor (8-0)
Class 4A
Friday’s first round:
(East)
#1 Cardinal Gibbons 49, #8 Fayetteville Pine Forest 7
#4 Richmond County 51, #5 Middle Creek 27
#3 New Bern 37, #6 Scotland County 16
#2 South View 20, #7 Fayetteville Britt 7
(West)
#1 Grimsley 27, #8 East Forsyth 13
#5 Durham Hillside 42, #4 South Caldwell 26
#6 Butler 42, #3 Glenn 7
#2 Providence 44, #7 Hickory Ridge 34
Next week’s second round:
#4 Richmond County (4-0) at #1 Cardinal Gibbons (7-0)
#3 New Bern (6-1) at #2 South View (7-1)
#5 Durham Hillside (6-1) at #1 Grimsley (7-0)
#6 Butler (7-1) at #2 Providence (7-1)
Class 4AA
Friday’s first round:
(East)
#8 Pinecrest 24, #1 Apex Friendship 17
#5 Wake Forest 30, #4 Millbrook 27
#3 Hoggard d. #6 Leesville Road by forfeit
#2 Rolesville 41, #7 Holly Springs 0
(West)
#1 Hough 43, #8 Green Hope 15
#5 Charlotte Vance 44, #4 Ardrey Kell 28
#3 Panther Creek 21, #6 Olympic 14
#2 Myers Park 63, #7 Northwest Guilford 18
Next week’s second round:
#8 Pinecrest (6-2) at #5 Wake Forest (6-1)
#3 Hoggard (8-0) at #2 Rolesville (7-0)
#5 Charlotte Vance (7-1) at #1 Hough (8-0)
#3 Panther Creek (8-0) at #2 Myers Park (8-0)