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Top teams look to wrap up titles in final
CLINTON – Amaris Williams’ future in college football is as a defensive player. But last Friday it was the senior’s offense that paced Clinton past Northeastern 36-22 in the East Region final. The Florida University recruit ran for four touchdowns as a “fill-in” for RB Josiah McLaurin (1,170 yards, 27 TDs), who has been out of the lineup due to an injury since the second round. Clinton (14-0) plays West champ Reidsville (14-1 ) at 7 p.m. at NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium for the 2A title. Williams ran for two of Clinton’s first three scores to push the lead to 22-9 at halftime. “I like to run the ball and our h-back and fullback were blocking great for me,” Williams said. “We’ve got three dogs on that D-line so I knew we’d be OK,” Williams said. “Our guys stepped up and we do what it takes.” The 6-foot- 3, 265 pounder’s 12-yard score in the third quarter all but put the game away. Clinton is seeking its sixth state crown, having won it all in. 1990, 1996, 1997, 2001 and 2005. The Dark Horses are 5-4 in title games, going 1-3 in the subdivision era and 4-2 after it. They lost to Shelby in. 2014 and Cummings in 2006. Reidsville is seeking its 20th state flag. The Rams lost 2421 to East Duplin in the 2022 final and to Wallace-Rose Hill in 2017. But Reidsville is 9-3 in the finals since 2022. The Rams thumped Mountain Heritage 35-6 in the West final. Hoggard mows down former champ It was all about defense when No. 3 Hoggard shutdown No. 5 Cardinal Gibbons 41-20 in the 4A. final in Wilmington. The Vikings (14-1) limited the Crusaders to one first-half score to go in front 31-7 at halftime, and then gave up. Cardinal Gibbons captured the 4A title two years ago. Tamear Webb (16-60, 3. TDs) and M’Kel Bellamy (22-6 7, TD) provided the scoring for. Hoggard, which, plays West champ Weddington at 3 p.m. at Carter-Finley on Saturday. Hoggard’s only state title came in 2007 when it rolled over Mount Tabor 28-0. Weddington (13-2) won its only title by beating Northern Guilford 14-7 in 2014. The Matthews-based school lost in the finals in 2016, 2018 and 2019. A pair of unbeaten No. 2 seeds vie for the crown in 3A, as Fayetteville’s Seventy-First knocks heads against Hickory in the nightcap game at UNC’s Kenan Stadium. No. 1 Tarboro (13-0) and Mount Airy square off in the noon kickoff in Chapel Hill.
