Rivals Eastern Randolph, Providence Grove to tangle in playoff game; Asheboro takes on Eastern Guilford

CLIMAX — One student body  that split into two. Student athletes, who represented one school one year and found themselves at a newly formed school the next. Two schools from the same county, which for many seasons, played in the same conference.

Rivals? You bet.

And the next chapter will take place Friday night when Providence Grove High School makes the 10-mile trip to Eastern Randolph High School to meet the Wildcats in the second round of the NCHSAA state 3-A football playoffs.

While the sixth-seeded Wildcats were at home with a first-round bye, the 11th-seeded Patriots set a school mark with their first home playoff victory, a dominant 35-6 win over No. 22 South Lenoir last Friday night to set up the county battle.

ER has dominated the series, leading 18-3, including a 43-31 win earlier this season on Sept. 11.

“We feel like we played them really well the first time,” PG head coach Cody Moran said after watching his team throttle the Blue Devils for just the second playoff win in school history. “We came in on a short week and were within six in the fourth quarter.

“I have said if there has ever been a year that our guys feel they can beat Eastern Randolph, it’s this year. These guys come to practice every day and they are a bunch of gamers so when the lights come on, I like our chances.”

PG, which was made up of students from ER and Randleman high schools when it opened in 2008, won two of the first three meetings against the Wildcats, but ER has won the past 12 encounters. ER is 4-0 all time in the playoffs against PG, with wins in 2009 (16-0), 2012 (47-7), 2019 (40-33) and 2021 (38-16).

“It means everything to us,” said PG junior Chase Collins, who led the Patriots’ ground game with 100 yards on just eight carries against South Lenoir. “We’ve been crosstown rivals ever since the school was built. I think it’s really cool we get to play them in the playoffs. We just have to do our responsibilities and trust our coaches.”

PG had last won a playoff game in 2022 when it went on the road and defeated McMichael.

“It’s a testament to our kids buying into what we’ve done over the past two years,” Moran said. “Our coaches work harder than any group I’ve been with. All week long, doing something every week to get better. Credit to the coaches and credit to the players who all came together.”

PG scored on four of just five possessions it had in the entire game. With South Lenoir’s wing-formation running attack, the Blue Devils took the opening kickoff and chewed nearly 10 minutes off the clock on a 16-play drive that resulted in a turnover on downs at the PG 29. SL moved to the PG 21 before a penalty moved them back.

“That’s a hard offense to replicate throughout the week when it’s not something you see,” Moran said. “It took them a little bit to actually see it, feel the speed of it. 
(South Lenoir) runs it very well. Our defense bowed their neck, got a stop and then we settled in and played really good.”

So did the offense. After finally gaining possession, PG went on a 70-yard scoring drive, getting an 11-yard TD run from Collins.

PG added two more touchdowns in the second quarter, the first of which would make any highlight reel. After a snap from the SL 30 went over the head of quarterback Landon Fox, he quickly retreated and with his back to the line of scrimmage, he decided to scoop the ball up instead of falling on it to retain possession. He righted his direction, scampered to his right and quickly released a throw to a wide-open Connor Tozer for a 30-yard TD pass on a play that could have been a disaster.

Kyler Keller’s second of five PATs gave PG a 14-0 lead with 5:20 to play in the second quarter.

“We practice the scramble drill a lot in practice, so I was about to take off and saw Tozer down the field and I let it fly,” said Fox, who was 7-for-11 for 91 yards and two touchdown passes. “It was a playoff game and we have to do anything to stay alive. It took a good bounce off the ground, so I knew I could pick it up and just go.”

Nick Draughn, who added 57 rushing yards on just six carries, added a 6-yard scoring run before halftime.

PG added its fourth touchdown on a 5-yard toss to Tozer and then Conner Haithcock, the team’s defensive leader, added a 52-yard interception return for a score to start a running clock with 6:19 to go in the third.

SL did score on the game’s final play, a 20-yard pass play.

“It means a lot to win a home playoff game,” Tozer said. “It feels good to come back after last year, not winning against West Davidson. We knew how to move the ball against them, we just had to execute.”

Haithcock gave a great deal of credit to the PG community.

“It means a lot for us and the community,” Haithcock said. “This community around us is incredible. We worked our tails off this week.”