Article: Clark Leonard/Shelby Star
Image: Jeff Melton/Shelby Star

CHARLOTTE — The Crest Chargers are heading back to the state finals for the first time since winning back-to-back championships in 2003 and 2004.

After a decisive 31-10 victory at previously unbeaten Charlotte Catholic in Friday's 3AA West final, the Crest High football team will face Northern Guilford next Saturday at 7 p.m. at N.C. State's Carter-Finley Stadium in the school's sixth state title game.  First-year Charger coach Mark Barnes said it is a testament to his team's character that Crest will play for a championship.

"There would have been a time this year probably in the middle of the season I would have thought it would have been highly unlikely," Barnes said. "But to our players' credit, they just kept believing. And, you know, there we are."

The Cougars (14-1) went ahead 3-0 on a field goal almost midway through the first quarter before the Chargers (11-3) got an 89-yard kickoff return score from Kendall Kee. "Once you hit a team in the mouth that's been up all year, they don't know how to respond," Kee said.

Crest would never look back from that point, pushing it to 24-3 by halftime and never leading by fewer than two touchdowns in the second half.  Rhaheim Ledbetter scored the second touchdown on a one-yard run in the first minute of the second quarter, and Kendall Kee likely put the game out of reach with his tackle-breaking 64-yard run to the end zone with 8:42 remaining in the first half to push it to 21-3. Trever Austin added a 32-yard field goal in the final seconds of the first half, which was set up by a 62-yard Keenan Smith interception return.  "I was too excited," Smith said. "I was afraid I was going to drop that."  He caught it, just like his team took advantage of its opportunities.

The Chargers wouldn't get their initial first down of the second half until midway through the fourth quarter, but the Crest defense made sure it wouldn't matter.  "I'm an offensive guy, and I'm the head coach," Barnes said. "But our defense tonight just was unbelievable."

The Chargers forced four turnovers, including three interceptions of C.J. Brodowicz — by Smith, Justin Price and Ledbetter — and a fumble recovery by Jason Ross, to help overcome a 284-158 yardage deficit.  Jonathan Bullard tallied nine tackles, including three for loss, and a pass deflection. Price had seven tackles, and Chris Williams and Jason Ross each had six tackles.  Steven Bevilacqua's one-yard touchdown run cut it to 24-10 with 10:15 to play.  But Ledbetter's 68-yard interception return for a touchdown in the final minute put an exclamation point on a special night for Crest, which with a victory could earn its fifth state championship next week. It is the first state title game appearance for a Charger team that didn't win its conference.  Barnes became only the second coach in Cleveland County to take his first team to the state championship game, the other being Shelby's Chris Norman in 1998 when the Golden Lions won the title. It is also the second straight season a Big South team will be in the 3AA final, as South Point won the 2009 championship.

View Article at The Star

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