The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) 1 A State Football Championship started off as a game of evenly matched teams. The Tarboro Vikings and Mitchell Mountaineers faced off in a tight first quarter that had both teams on the scoreboard with a touchdown.
Both teams provided strong defense that left them dead-locked most of the first half. But Tarboro’s Trevon White was able to provide a little separation for the Vikings before halftime, by putting up his second touchdown of the day.
Despite a rash of penalties called on the Vikings, Tarboro was able to take a 14-7 lead into halftime.
Tarboro made a statement right out of the gate in the second half, with Tobias Joyner putting up a touchdown early in the third quarter to give the Vikings a 21-7 lead.
That ended up being the jumpstart the Vikings needed, as Tarboro started giving the Mountaineers all that they could handle in the third quarter. After threatening for another touchdown late into the third quarter, the Mountaineers stepped up their defense and the Vikings turned the ball over on downs when they went for a fourth-down pass to the endzone in the last 10 seconds of the quarter.
After a lengthy delay early in the fourth due to injuries on both teams, the Mountaineers stumbled a bit with their first possession in the quarter. They were unable to get anything going and ended up turning over the ball on downs on their own 27-yard line.
Tarboro was unable to capitalize on the turnover, as they too turned over the ball on downs in Mitchell territory. The Mountaineers mounted a challenge late in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough, as Tarboro was able to hold them off for a 28-7 victory.
ENC Sports Review 