2020-2021 NCHSAA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS CHAPEL HILL - The State Championship Games will be contested May 6-8 at UNC’s Kenan Stadium and NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium. Tick- ets to the Championships will be available in advance through the NCHSAA Website. No tickets will be sold at the gate. The 2020-2021 NCHSAA Football Championships will be broadcast live by Sinclair Broadcasting and simulcast on the NFHS Network. Media outlets seeking to broadcast an NCHSAA Playoff game live must submit the online Broadcast Post-Season Request Form by visiting the Media section of the NCHSAA’s website. All forms must be completed by Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at noon. A list of approved broadcasts will be posted on the NCHSAA Homepage prior to game day. Rights fees for the broadcast are made payable to the NCHSAA for the State Champion- ships and must be paid prior to the start of a broadcast. All media seeking to cover the championships must apply online for a single-event credential using the NCHSAA’s Credential Page. Requests are due by Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at noon. Even media with a year-long NCHSAA Credential should request a single-event pass for the Football Championships. The State Championships will be played, once again, at UNC’s Kenan Stadium and NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium. Games on Thursday and Friday will begin at 7:00 p.m. The four games on Saturday will begin at 12:00 noon and 5:00 p.m. respectively at each site. 1A FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PAIRINGS Saturday, May 8, 2021 - 12:00 p.m. Carter-Finley Stadium - NC State University - Raleigh, NC Murphy Bulldogs (10-1) 14, Northside-Pinetown Panthers (8-3) 7 TV: WMYA - MyNet (AVL); EYDO - Bounce TV (GRV/NB); WLFL (RDU) Streaming: NFHS Network | Radio: WKRK 105.5 FM/1320 AM, Murphy; WTIB 103.7 FM, New Bern 1AA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PAIRING Saturday, May 8, 2021 - 12:00 p.m. Kenan Stadium - University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, NC Tarboro Vikings (9-0) 25, East Surry Cardinals (9-2) 7 TV: WMYV - MyNet (GBO); WYDO - Fox (GRV/NB); WRDC - My28 (RDU) Streaming: NFHS Network | Radio: WDWG 98.5 FM, Rocky Mount; WIFM 100.9 FM, Elkin 2A FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PAIRING Saturday, May 8, 2021 - 5:00 p.m. Kenan Stadium - University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, NC Reidsville Rams (10-0) 35, Mountain Heritage Cougars (7-2) 6 TV: WMYA - MyNet (AVL); WCCB - CW (CLT); WMYV - MyNet (GBO); EYDO - Bounce (GVL/NB); WRDC- My28 (RDU) Streaming: NFHS Network | Radio: WSJS 600 AM, Winston-Salem; WKYK 104.7 FM/940 AM, Burnsville 2AA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PAIRING Thursday, May 6, 2021 - 7:00 p.m. Carter-Finley Stadium - NC State University - Raleigh, NC Salisbury Hornets (9-2) 42, St. Pauls Bulldogs (8-1) 14 TV: WCCB-3 - ME TV (CLT); EYDO - Bounce (GVL/NB) Streaming: NFHS Network | Radio: WSAT 103.3 FM/1280 AM, Salisbury 3A FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PAIRING Friday, May 7, 2021 - 7:00 p.m. Carter-Finley Stadium - NC State University - Raleigh, NC Charlotte Catholic Cougars (10-1) 14. Havelock Rams (10-1) 7 TV: WCCB-3 - ME TV (CLT); EYDO - Bounce (GVL/NB) Streaming: NFHS Network | Radio: WNBU 94.1 FM, New Bern 3AA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PAIRING Thursday, May 7, 2021 - 7:00 p.m. Kenan Stadium - University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, NC Mount Tabor Spartans (11-0) 24, Cleveland Rams (10-1) 16 TV: WMYA - MyNet (AVL); WCCB-3 MeTV (CLT); WMYV - MyNet (GBO); WRDC - My28 (RDU) Streaming: NFHS Network | Radio: WSJS 600 AM, Winston-Salem; WKJO 102.3 FM, Clayton; TobaccoRoadSportsRadio.com 4A FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PAIRING Friday, May 7, 2021 - 7:00 p.m. Kenan Stadium - University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, NC Grimsley Whirlies (11-0) 28, Cardinal Gibbons Crusaders (9-1) 8 TV: ; WMYA - MyNet (AVL); WCCB-3 MeTV (CLT); WMYV - MyNet (GBO); WRDC - My28 (RDU) Streaming: NFHS Network | Radio: WSJS 600 AM, Winston-Salem; TobaccoRoadSportsRadio.com 4AA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PAIRING Saturday, May 8, 2021 - 5:00 p.m. Carter-Finley Stadium - NC State University - Raleigh, NC Zebulon B. Vance Cougars (10-1) 35, Rolesville Rams (9-1) 14 TV: WCCB-3 MeTV (CLT); WLFL - CW22 (RDU) Streaming: NFHS Network | Radio: None Live video of all eight Championship Games avail- able on the NFHS Network www.NFHSNetwork.com/NCHSAA 2020-21 1A Championship Recap Murphy slips past Northside-Pinetown 14-7 for 10th state title RALEIGH, NC – The Murphy Bulldogs defense came up with the stops they needed, holding seven points on their way to winning the 1A State ChampionshipNorthside-Pinetown 14-7. Theto just win six gave first the downs Bulldogs and their tenth Football State Championship in school history, and earning the all-time winningest head football coach in North Carolina history, David Gentry, his ninth state title. The Bulldogs set the tone early, chewing up 5:39 plays and 88 yards to go up 6-0 on a two-yard touchdownoff the first-quarter plunge by clock Ty Laneyas they with marched 3:16 to 11 go in the opening quarter. Then the Bulldog defense 2020-21 1A Championship Statistics 1 2 3 4 - T favor. After turning the ball over at the four-yard line, Mur- MURPHY - 7 7 0 0 - 14 phy’swent todefense work andforced shifted a Northside the field punt. position in Murphy’s NORTHSIDE-PINETOWN- 0 0 7 0 - 7 Qtr-Clock SCORING SUMMARY On the next play from scrimmage, Murphy Quarterback 1 - 3:16 MUR - T. Laney 2 yd run (T. Laney run failed) (11/88/5:39) Kellen Rumfelt launched a 55-yard bomb to Isra Smith for a 2 - 5:52 MUR - I. Smith 55 yd pass from K. Rumfelt (T. Laney pass from touchdown, lifting the Bulldogs to a 14-0 lead after a suc- K. Rumfelt good) (1/55/0:09) 3 - 9:19 NS - J. Gorham 73 yd run (C. Tomaini kick good) (2/73/0:52) cessful two-point try, which they maintained through the halftime break. Rumfelt paced the Bulldog attack, throwing Team Statistics MUR NS for 254 yards and the single touchdown on his way to being First Downs 12 6 selected as the Most Valuable Player of the Game. Payton Rushing (Att - Yds) 38 - 79 33 - 204 Passing (C - Att - Yds - Int) 13 - 17 - 255 - 1 1 - 7 - (-6) - 1 McCracken garnered Most Outstanding Offensive Player Total Offense (Plays - Yds) 55 - 334 40 - 198 Penalties (# - Yds) 8 - 60 8 - 52 the game. Turnovers 4 2 honors for Murphy, hauling in five passes for 113 yards in Passing - MUR: K. Rumfelt 12-15, 254 yd, 1 TD; C. Laney 1-2, 2 yd, 1 INT; The Murphy defense was stingy all afternoon, holding NS: K. Boyd 1-7, -6 yd, 0 TD; Rushing - MUR: R. Rathburn 15-36 yd; T. Laney 11-33 yd, 1 TD; J. Allen downs. The Bulldog defense was keyed by Ray Rathburn, 5-17yd; C. Laney 1-2 yd; K. Rumfelt 3-(-5yd); Team 3-(-4yd). NS: J. Gorham Northside to just 198 yards of total offense and six first 17-147 yd, 1 TD; M. Godley 9-29 yd; T. Modlin 6-14 yd; S. Vansant 1-14 yd. who broke up a pass along with seven tackles in the game Receiving - MUR: P. McCracken 5-113 yd; R. Rathburn 3-49 yd; C. Laney as he was chosen as Murphy’s Most Outstanding Defensive 2-31 yd; J. Allen 2-7 yd; I. Smith 1-55 yd, 1 TD; NS: S. Vansant 1-(-6) yd. Player. AWARDS Northside-Pinetown Defensive M.O.P - Tyler Harris (LB) The lone score for Northside came in the third quarter Northside-Pinetown Offensive M.O.P. - James Gorham (RB) as James Gorham, the state’s leading rusher this season, Murphy Defensive M.O.P - Ray Rathburn (LB) according to MaxPreps.com, rolled off a 73-yard touchdown Murphy Offensive M.O.P. - Payton McCracken (WB) Most Valuable Player - Murphy - Kellen Rumfelt (QB) trot with 9:19 to go in the third, trimming the Murphy lead to 14-7. Gorham was selected as Northside’s Most Outstand- ing Performer offensively. The Northside defense kept the Panthers in the game, led by Tyler Harris, who picked up nine tackles in the game on his way to Most Outstanding Defensive honors for the Panthers. 2020-21 1AA Championship Recap Tarboro wins the rubber match 25-7, knocking off East Surry for the second time in three straight State Championship Game meetings CHAPEL HILL, NC – In the third straight State Championship Game matchup between the two schools, the Tarboro ground game & speed proved too much for East Surry to overcome, helping the Vikings chew up the clock and race to a 25-7 vic- tory. The win landed Tarboro their seventh State Championship all time and secured Head Coach Jeff Craddock’s sixth state title. Viking running back Tobias Joyner was a wrecking crew with the ball in his hand. He galloped for two long touchdown runs on sweep plays, sprinting 56 and 31 yards, respectively, to paydirt in the opening half of play and helped Tarboro open up an 18-0 halftime advantage. In all, Joyner carried the ball 12 times for 179 yards, posting an average carry of just under 15 yards. He was selected as the game’s 2020-21 1AA Championship Statistics Most Valuable Player. 1 2 3 4 - T EAST SURRY - 0 0 0 7 - 7 TARBORO- 12 6 7 0 - 25 After East Surry’s opening drive stalled and the Cardinals Qtr-Clock SCORING SUMMARY nine plays and 80 yards to go up 7-0.