1A

Mount Airy 20, Tarboro 7
MVP – Tyler Mason

Mount Airy Def. MOP – Walker Stroup
Mount Airy Off. MOP – Caleb Reid
Tarboro Def. MOP – Omarion Lewis
Tarboro Off. MOP – Kamerin McDowell-Moore

Mount Airy Defense Stifles Tarboro En Route to 1A Title Victory

2A

East Duplin 24, Reidsville 21
MVP – Avery Gaby

Reidsville Def. MOP – Jaden McCain
Reidsville Off. MOP – Dionte Neal
East Duplin Def. MOP – Rodrigo Sanchez
East Duplin Off. MOP – Nizaya Hall

East Duplin Survives Against Reidsville to Claim 2A Crown

3A

East Lincoln 30, Northern Nash 15
MVP – Tyler Mizzell

East Lincoln Def. MOP – Ben Cutter
East Lincoln Off. MOP – Keandre Walker
Northern Nash Def. MOP – Carson Jenkins
Northern Nash Off. MOP – Keno Jones

East Lincoln Wins Third Title in Eleven Years

4A

New Bern 40, Grimsley 28
MVP – No'Tavien Green

Grimsley Def. MOP – Keshaun Jones
Grimsley Off. MOP – #22 Mitchell Summers
New Bern Def. MOP – KJ Sampson
New Bern Off. MOP – Aronne Herring

New Bern Rushes Past Grimsley for 4A Title

CHARLOTTE - NC State (8-4) faces Maryland (7-5) on Dec. 30 in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte at noon on ESPN. The overall series record between NC State and Maryland stands exactly even at 33-33-4. The Wolfpack and the Terps met every year on the gridiron from 1956 until Maryland’s departure from the ACC following the 2013 season.

This is NC State’s 34th bowl appearance (17-15-1) and will mark the fourth time the Wolfpack has played a bowl game in Bank of America Stadium. The Wolfpack won the 2005 Meineke Car Care Bowl and the 2011 Belk Bowl and lost the 2015 Belk Bowl.

In 2005, NC State turned in a storybook ending to a rollercoaster season with a 14-0 victory over South Florida on New Year’s Eve. The defense, led by bowl MVP Stephen Tulloch, shut out the Bulls in USF’s first bowl game appearance in school history. It marked the only shutout in a bowl that year and the first ever by the Wolfpack.

In 2011, the Wolfpack scored 24 unanswered points in the second and third quarters to overwhelm Louisville in the 2011 win. Quarterback Mike Glennon, who completed 21 of 33 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns, was named the MVP of the game.

In 2015, Mississippi State - behind QB Dak Prescott - won 51-28 over the Wolfpack in the soggy Belk Bowl. 

In addition to the three bowl games the Wolfpack has played in Bank of America Stadium, it’s also played four regular season contests in that venue. The Wolfpack closed out the regular season versus East Carolina in Charlotte in 1996 (L, 29-50) and in 2005 (W, 52-14). In 1998 and 1999, NC State and UNC moved their matchup to the stadium. The Wolfpack fell in both of those contests, a 34-37 overtime shootout in Torry Holt’s last regular season game and a 6-10 loss the following year. NC State opened the 2017 campaign at BoA Stadium versus South Carolina in the Belk College Kickoff Game, losing by a touchdown to South Carolina (28-35).

Coach Dave Doeren has now led NC State to more bowl games than any coach in school history.

All-Time Record Between NC State and Maryland

CHARLOTTE -- The Big South Conference and the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) announced today its football conference game schedule for the 2023 season, which marks the first year of the joint association of the league’s football member institutions.

The 10 combined teams in 2023 (6 – OVC, 4 – Big South) will play a six-game conference schedule, as prior scheduling commitments prevented opportunities for additional Big South-OVC games in the first year.  

Games will be played during 10 of the 12 weeks in 2023, with the first-ever contest scheduled for Week 2 on Sept. 9 with Lindenwood at 2022 OVC Champion Southeast Missouri.  The first cross-over game features 2022 Big South Champion Gardner-Webb at Tennessee State in Week 3 on Sept. 16.  

Five of the 10 members will begin league play in September – Lindenwood (Sept. 9), Southeast Missouri (Sept. 9), Tennessee State (Sept. 16), Gardner-Webb (Sept. 16), and UT Martin (Sept. 30).  The remaining five squads open conference action on either Oct. 7 or Oct. 14.

Three league games are slated for Oct. 7, Oct. 14, and Oct. 21 and the slate increases to four on the final Saturday of October.  Two of the three November dates have the maximum five conference games on the schedule.

More details of the association’s administration, including tiebreakers for the automatic bid to the playoffs, will be announced at a later date.

Below is the 2023 composite Big South-OVC league schedule, which is subject to change.

2023 Big South-OVC Football Conference Schedule

Saturday, Sept. 9

Lindenwood at Southeast Missouri

Saturday, Sept. 16

Gardner-Webb at Tennessee State

Saturday, Sept. 30

Tennessee State at UT Martin

Saturday, Oct. 7

UT Martin at Eastern Illinois

Robert Morris at Gardner-Webb

Tennessee Tech at Lindenwood

Saturday, Oct. 14

Robert Morris at Bryant

Lindenwood at Charleston Southern

Eastern Illinois at Southeast Missouri

Saturday, Oct. 21

Bryant at Eastern Illinois

Charleston Southern at UT Martin

Southeast Missouri at Tennessee Tech

Saturday, Oct. 28

Bryant at Charleston Southern

UT Martin at Gardner-Webb

Lindenwood at Tennessee State

Tennessee Tech at Robert Morris

Saturday, Nov. 4

Gardner-Webb at Bryant

Tennessee State at Charleston Southern

Eastern Illinois at Lindenwood

Robert Morris at Southeast Missouri

UT Martin at Tennessee Tech

Saturday, Nov. 11

Bryant at Lindenwood

Charleston Southern at Robert Morris

Tennessee State at Eastern Illinois

Gardner-Webb at Tennessee Tech

Southeast Missouri at UT Martin

Saturday, Nov. 18

Southeast Missouri at Bryant

Charleston Southern at Gardner-Webb

Eastern Illinois at Robert Morris

Tennessee Tech at Tennessee State

RALEIGH – NC State's Christopher Dunn was named the winner of the 2022 Lou Groza Place-Kicker Award on Thursday night during The Home Depot College Football Awards show on ESPN.

Dunn, a former All-Gridiron player who set new ACC records in points scored (479) and field goals (93) in 2022, leads the ACC and ranks second nationally in field goal percentage (.960). He also tops the league in kick scoring and field goals and tied for the national lead in field goals per game.

The Lexington native becomes the third national award winner under NC State football head coach Dave Doeren, joining Bradley Chubb (Nagurski & Hendricks Award, 2017) and Garrett Bradbury (Rimington Trophy, 2018). He is the second Groza Award winner in NC State football history joining Marc Primanti (1996).

"I'm so proud of Chris for all of his accomplishments and am so happy that he was recognized nationally with the Groza Award," Doeren said. "Nobody has worked harder than he has.

"He's overcome a lot of obstacles – on and off the field – but his dedication, persistence, and faith have helped him become the remarkable person and kicker that he is today. I can't wait to see what the future holds for him."

Dunn was also named a CBS Sports and The Athletic All-American earlier on Thursday. He's the first NC State kicker to earn All-America accolades in 26 years, as Primanti earned the honor the same year he won the Groza, 1996.

In 2022, Dunn twice earned ACC Specialist of the Week honors and Lou Groza Star of the Week accolades. He claimed both honors in the same week after he tied a career-high with four made field goals in NC State's 19-17 win over Florida State, scoring 13 of the Pack's 19 points. He also tied a career-long with a 53-yarder in the victory over the Seminoles.

Of Dunn's 24 makes on the season, 10 of them came from 40 yards or longer. He went a perfect 7-for-7 from 20-29 yards, 7-for-7 from 30-39 yards, and 2-for-2 on kicks over 50 yards. He also went 8-for-9 from 40-49 yards, missing just one kick the entire season – in the regular season finalé. He is a perfect 200-for-200 on PAT attempts in his Wolfpack career.

In 1992, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission established the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award to honor the nation's top collegiate place-kicker. The winner is determined by a voting panel of Division I head coaches, sportswriters, sportscasters, conference representatives, professional kickers, and previous winners.

The award is named in honor of Lou Groza, a nine-time all-pro and winner of eight championships, four in the AAFC and four in the NFL. Groza, one of the greatest kickers in football history, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974.

RALEIGH – The 3A state championship game, scheduled to be the last game of the 2022 North Carolina high school football season, featured two undefeated teams with dynamic offenses and stingy defenses. In the end, it was turnovers that seemed to make the biggest difference, with East Lincoln’s four turnovers leading the Mustangs to a 30-15 victory and the 3A state championship.

Northern Nash started the game with a bang, with Keno Jones hitting a streaking Randall King for a sixty-six-yard catch and run to get the Knights inside the five-yard line on the second play of the game. Jones scored on a keeper on the next play to put Northern Nash on the board less than a minute into the game. A fumble on East Lincoln’s first play from scrimmage looked like it would be a disaster for the Mustangs, but the East Lincoln defense stepped up and turned Northern Nash over on downs.

Energized by their team’s big defensive stops, the Mustangs offense started to hit their stride later in the quarter. Sophomore running back Christopher Daley II punished the Northern Nash defense, rumbling in from thirty-five yards out to give the Mustangs a 7-6 lead. Keno Jones went deep again on the next Northern Nash drive, hitting Trey Battle for forty-five yards to get the Knights in scoring position. The East Lincoln defense kept the Knights out of the end zone and forced a Bryson Jenkins field goal to end the quarter.

The second quarter belonged to quarterback Tyler Mizzell and the Mustangs. Mizzell threw two beautiful touchdown passes to give East Lincoln a commanding lead going into the half. The first score was a toss to Markell Clark, but it was the fade to Keandre Walker in the back corner of the end zone that had the Mustang faithful on their feet and feeling like they had overcome the costly miscues from earlier in the evening. A Christopher Mileta field goal with no time remaining in the half set the intermission score at 24-9. After a scoreless third quarter, Mileta would add the next points of the game with two fourth-quarter field goals. Keno Jones added a late touchdown pass to Ashton Rhodes to cap the scoring.

Defensively, East Lincoln teetered between giving up big passes to Northern Nash’s speedy outside receivers and making athletic plays to pick off passes. Defensive end Diego Neira picked off a screen pass to set up East Lincoln’s second touchdown of the night. Aiden Terrell and Keandre Walker picked off passes on consecutive drives in the third quarter and Marcel Johnson recovered a fumble early in the fourth quarter to keep Northern Nash off the board.

The win marked the third football state championship for East Lincoln, all within the last eleven seasons. Northern Nash suffered its first loss of the season and fell to 0-2 all-time in state title games.

RALEIGH – Mount Airy’s Tyler Mason came into Saturday’s game having scored forty-one touchdowns through fifteen games and needing one-hundred-thirty-seven yards to reach two-thousand yards on the season. The junior lived up to his billing, rushing for three touchdowns and 139 yards and leading his team to the NCHSAA 1A state championship with a 20-7 victory over Tarboro on Saturday afternoon.

The Mount Airy defense entered Saturday afternoon’s 1A state championship against Tarboro giving up less than ten points per game on average. The Granite Bears defense had pitched shutouts in four of its last five regular-season games and two more in the playoffs. Mount Airy was able to hold the Vikings off the scoreboard for the first twenty-seven minutes of the game, finally surrendering a score in the third quarter.

Tarboro finally found its way in the third quarter. After Omarion Lewis picked off a Mount Airy pass and returned it into Granite Bears territory, Vikings running back Mason Satterfield barely broke the goal line on a run around the right side of the formation to get Tarboro on the board for the first time on the afternoon, but it was not enough to dig out of the hold the Vikings found themselves in after surrendering three touchdowns first.

In a twist seen more in 1A football than in other classifications, both team’s quarterbacks made strong defensive efforts on the other side of the ball. Mount Airy’s Ian Gallimore led his team with fourteen tackles and Tarboro’s Omarion Lewis snagged an interception to go along with eight tackles.

The win was the Granite Bears’ seventh title and first since a 2008 win over Williamston. Tarboro, making its sixth straight title game appearance, drops just its second title game in that span.

CHAPEL HILL – Battle Holley’s East Duplin Panthers have scraped by in a few contests this season, including two against county rival Wallace-Rose Hill, but no game was closer for Holly’s squad than Saturday’s title game against Reidsville, the state’s winningest team. Guided by Avery Gaby’s 184 rushing yards and a timely play by safety Elam Moore, the Panthers were able to hang on for a 24-21 victory and the 2A state championship.

East Duplin took the opening kickoff and drove sixty yards down the field, with Avery Gaby’s clutch fourth down run extending the drive when it looked like the Panthers would be stopped. Gaby punched it in two plays later to give East Duplin an early 7-0 lead. Reidsville looked to respond but was forced to put after a penalty took the Rams out of a favorable fourth down conversion attempt. The subsequent punt was downed at the one-yard line.

East Duplin was able to put together a twelve-play drive, but two false start penalties stalled the Panthers’ progress and they were forced to punt. Reidsville’s offensive woes continued, and the Rams punted again. Playing out the script from the previous drive, East Duplin was methodically driving down the field, getting in the red zone, and looking to take a two-score lead before Reidsville defensive back Que’shyne Flippen ripped the ball out of the East Duplin runner’s arms at the four-yard-line and Jaden McCain picked it up for Rams, returning it sixteen yards. The Rams saw a chance to finally grab some momentum before the half and took it with a fourteen-play, eighty-one-yard drive, getting on the scoreboard with no time remaining on an Al Lee pass to Dionte Neal.

Reidsville seemed poised to ride the momentum into a lead on their first drive of the second half, but an East Duplin defense held the Rams to a field goal attempt. In what would be the most bizarre play on the day, the field goal was blocked and the ball bounced back to the Reidsville holder who did not seem to know that the ball was live. An alert Elam Moore grabbed the ball out of the Reidsville player’s hands and raced seventy yards the other way for the Panthers score.

As Reidsville looked to get back in the game, a Rams pass was tipped and hauled in by Breckin Bowles. The Reidsville defense stepped up and held the Panthers to a twenty-six-yard Darwin Bonilla field goal, keeping the margin at ten points going into the final quarter. The Rams defense stepped up again early in the fourth quarter, stopping East Duplin on downs and setting up a forty-yard Lee to Dionte Neal touchdown pass to make it a three-point game.

It was now up to the East Duplin offense to try and put the game away. In the first half, it was the Panthers’ penalties keeping them out of scoring position and keeping Reidsville in the game. On this final East Duplin drive, it was Rams penalties bailing out the Panthers. East Duplin thought they were putting the game out of reach when Zack Brown’s first completed pass found Kade Kennedy to put the Panthers up ten points, but Reidsville’s Dionte Neal ran the ensuing kickoff back for the Rams touchdown. An illegal touch penalty on the onside kick gave the ball to East Duplin who was able to run out the clock and claim the school’s first football state title.

New Bern struck first with a six-play, sixty-four-yard drive, all on the ground. Senior running back Chamir Wright capped off the drive with a twenty-two tard scamper around the left side of the line. The Bears looked to try and put the game away early after No’Tavien Green wrestled a pass from a Grimsley receiver and returned the interception into Whirlies territory. Aronne Herring punched it in five plays later to give New Bern a 13-0 lead.

A ninety-eight-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Terrell Anderson got the Grimsley on their feet and the Whirlies defense stepped up on the next drive, stopping the Bears for the first time on the evening. A five-play, fifty-one-yard drive, finished off with a thirty-yard Ryan Stephens rushing touchdown gave the Whirlies their first lead of the night. The lead was short-lived, though, as New Bern’s Chamir Wright found the end zone a second time, and the New Bern defense held on a fourth down to end the half.

After forcing a three-and-out to start the second half, Aronne Herring exploded on the next play, racing sixty-six yards for the score. Just like the first half, when it looked like New Bern was poised to take a three-score lead, the Grimsley defense stepped up again, forcing a fumble on a fourth down and returning into New Bern territory. Mitchell Summers’s six-yard score made it a one-score game going into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter began with a bang as New Bern quarterback Damaree Tucker ran the option keeper for a twenty-three-yard touchdown. In what seemed to be a pattern on the evening, the Bears were knocking on the door for a score again, but the Grimsley defense stuffed New Bern at the one-yard line. The Whirlies were ninety-nine yards away from the end zone, but undeterred. When Terrell Anderson got behind the New Bern defense and hauled in the Ryan Stephens pass, the junior receiver raced eighty-five yards for the score, keeping the Whirlies fans on the edge of their seats. New Bern had the final say, a thirty-six-yard score by Bears quarterback Tucker, his second of the night.

MVP – No'Tavien Green

Grimsley Def. MOP – Keshaun Jones

Grimsley Off. MOP – #22 Mitchell Summers

New Bern Def. MOP – KJ Sampson

New Bern Off. MOP – Aronne Herring

The 2022 college football regular season and conference championships have come to a close. Five NCCFB FBS teams have qualified for postseason bowls. The Duke's Mayo Bowl returns to Charlotte in 2022 and will feature teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and Big Ten Conference.

Duke Blue Devils

Record: 8-4 (5-3 ACC)

Location: Navy-Marine Corps Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)

Opponent:

Time: 2:00 PM

Tickets: http://militarybowl.org/tickets/

East Carolina Pirates

Record: 7-5 (4-4 AAC)

Location: Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)

Opponent:

Coastal Carolina (9-3, 6-2 SBC)

Date: December 27, 2022

Time: 6:45 PM

Tickets: https://ticketsmarterbirminghambowl.com/tickets/

NC State Wolfpack

Record: 8-4 (4-4 ACC)

Location: Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Opponent:

Maryland (7-5, 4-5 B1G)

Date: December 30, 2022

Time: 12:00 PM

Tickets: https://charlottesports.org/events/tickets/

North Carolina Tar Heels

Record: 9-4 (6-2 ACC, Coastal Division Champs)

Opponent:

Oregon (9-3, 7-2 PAC 12)

Date: December 28, 2022

Time: 8:00 PM

Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0A005D37CA7F5243

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Record: 7-5 (3-5 ACC)

Opponent:

Missouri (6-6, 3-5 SEC)

Date: Friday, December 23

Time: 6:30 PM

Tickets: https://www.gasparillabowl.com/tickets/

Duke's Mayo Bowl

Teams: North Carolina State Wolfpack vs. Maryland Terrapins

Date: December 30, 2022

Time: 12:00

Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.

Tickets: https://charlottesports.org/events/tickets/

 CHARLOTTE – Both the Clemson Tigers and North Carolina Tar Heels came into Saturday night’s ACC Championship Game off losses to their rivals and looking for a big win to secure a New Year’s Six bowl berth. Clemson's streak of six straight conference titles was snapped in 2021 and the Tigers were looking to reclaim their spot atop the conference. North Carolina was making its second trip to the conference title game and looking for its first title since 1980. The two schools met in the 2015 championship game with Clemson taking the title, 45-37. The 2022 edition of this matchup would not have the same fireworks with the Clemson Tigers overcoming a slow start to eventually blow away the Tar Heels, 39-10, in front of a raucous crowd of 64,115.

North Carolina opened the game strong, forcing a three-and-out on defense and then marching seventy-eight yards on eleven plays to land on the scoreboard first with a Drake Maye three-yard keeper. The Tar Heels were unable to maintain the early upper hand, though, as the UNC offense could only muster three more points the rest of the evening.

Former Weddington standout RB Will Shipley stretches for the pylon. Photo Credit: ACC Media Services

Dabo Swinney’s decision to swap quarterbacks paid dividends for the fifteenth-year head coach. After starting sluggishly on offense, Cade Klubnik came into the game on the third drive and the Tigers’ offense began to roar. Completing his first ten passes, including a one-yard touchdown toss to Davis Allen, catching a pass to set up a Phil Mafah rushing touchdown, and taking one in himself for another score, the freshman signal caller paced the Tigers to a three-score halftime lead.

Just when it looked like the Tar Heels were about to get back in the game in the third quarter, Clemson quarterback Nate Wiggins stepped in front of a pass at the two-yard line and raced the ninety-eight yards to the end zone for the spectacular pick-six. At this point, the rout was on and the only enemy of the Tigers was the clock.

Notable North Carolinians

Drake Maye (Myers Park) – the redshirt freshman passed for 268 yards and rushed for the Tar Heels’ lone touchdown

Will Shipley (Weddington) the sophomore running back scored a touchdown in the third quarter.

Trenton Simpson (Mallard Creek) the junior linebacker had eight tackles, including 1.5 for a loss and two quarterback hurries.

Up Next

Clemson (11-2) will represent the ACC in the Orange Bowl while North Carolina (9-4) will learn its bowl assignment on Sunday afternoon.

1A Championship

Saturday, December 10, 2022 @ 3:00 PM

Carter-Finley Stadium – NC State University

#1 Tarboro Vikings (14-1) vs. #4 Mount Airy Granite Bears (14-1)

2A Championship

Saturday, December 10, 2022 @ 11:00 AM

Kenan Stadium – UNC-Chapel Hill 

#2 East Duplin Panthers (14-1) vs. #1 Reidsville Rams (14-1)

3A Championship

Friday, December 9, 2022 @ 7:00 PM

Kenan Stadium – UNC-Chapel Hill

#2 New Bern Bears (15-0) vs. #1 Grimsley Whirlies (15-0)

1A FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP REGIONAL FINALS 

EAST

#1 Tarboro (13-1) 35, #3 Rosewood (10-5) 7

WEST

#4 Mount Airy (14-1) 35, #6 Draughn (13-2) 6

2A FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP REGIONAL FINALS 

EAST

#2 East Duplin (14-1) 28, #12 Wallace-Rose Hill (12-3) 26

WEST

#1 Reidsville (14-1) 32, #3 Burns (13-2) 14

3A FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP REGIONAL FINALS 

EAST

#1 Northern Nash (15-0) 23, #3 Seventy-First (14-1) 22

WEST

#4 East Lincoln (15-0) 14, #11 South Point (13-2) 7

4A FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP REGIONAL FINALS 

EAST

#2 New Bern (15-0) 35, #12 Millbrook (13-2) 27

WEST

#1 Grimsley (15-0) 28, #6 Weddington (13-2) 27