Article: Alan Ford/Shelby Star

The Chargers were defeated by Anson County 10-3 in the 2nd Round of the State 3AA playoffs.

WADESBORO —Anson County swung a battering ram at the Crest defense all night.

Throughout, the Charger defenders rose up and met the challenge. Behind a huge offensive line, the host Bearcats kept handing the football to Clemson-bound running back Brandon Ellerbe (6-2, 200). For all but one big play, Crest held steady.

Yet the one time Ellerbe was able to break away it set up the only touchdown of the game in a 10-3 Anson triumph over the Chargers in the second round of the State 3AA playoffs.

Ellerbe punched in from one yard out on a fourth-and-one play with 8:35 to go to break a 3-3 tie. Ellerbe, who had 135 yards on 24 carries on the night, had reeled off a 35-yard gain to set up the winning touchdown.

"We got a little tired," Crest coach Roy Kirby said after seeing his defensive unit stay on the field all but five minutes of the second half. "We were out there for too many plays.

"We played hard. I’m proud of them. That was a good football team we played. We didn’t have but two seniors on our defense so I’m pretty excited about that group for next year. We’ve just got to get in the weight room and get a little stronger."

The Charger offense never got untracked. Crest managed only 90 yards of total offense on the night.

Crest got its points thanks to a big play by its defense. Martavis Burris stole the football out of the hands of an Anson runner in the first quarter and rumbled all the way to the Bearcats’ 27. That led to Trever Austin’s 41-yard field goal with 1:36 left in the first quarter.

"We had five guys around Martavis on that play but nobody blocked that one guy," Kirby said shaking his head afterwards.

It stayed that way until Anson took the second half kickoff and took six minutes off the clock, leading to Beau Melton’s tying 31-yard field.

"They’re defensive team was good," Kirby said. "Their two inside linebackers were probably the best we’ve seen. That No. 90 (Hayward Robinson, DL) was tough."

Crest, which bowed out in the second round for the fourth straight season, closed out a 7-5 campaign. Anson (9-4) goes on to face the North Guilford/Hickory Ridge winner.

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