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REIDSVILLE — The offense remained prolific and the defense punishing.

Jimmy Teague’s Reidsville juggernaut now heads to Raleigh looking to achieve perfection.

After Friday night’s convincing 49-19 victory over Southern Vance, the Rams (15-0) will attempt to bring the school its 16th football state title against a Shelby (14-1) team that beat the Rams in their last trip to the 2-AA championship game, in 2005. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. next Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Maybe senior Tayon Graves would prefer more time to rest after a night of 40 carries, 282 yards and a school-record seven touchdown runs.

Maybe not.

"I’m just ready to go to the state championship," Graves said.

The Rams also expect starting quarterback Ray Ray Butchee to be ready to go full-speed by game time. He left in the second quarter Friday with a bruised knee but is expected back at practice Monday after he receives treatment over the weekend.

For the second straight week, visitors to Community Stadium were undone quickly by their own turnovers and the churning legs of Graves.

The Rams, who led St. Pauls 50-0 by halftime in the third round, jumped on the Raiders 21-0 in the East regional final — aided by three takeaways —and were up 35-7 by the half.

Southern Vance (13-2) held N.C. State-bound Tobias Palmer to 25 yards on 14 carries in last week’s 33-15 victory over a solid Northwood team. Graves had 107 yards rushing by the end of the first quarter.

Quarterback Jamere Pugh fumbled the snap on the Raiders’ second play of the night. Two Graves runs later, it was 7-0.

A mishandled swing pass from Pugh was ruled a lateral and covered by linebacker John Connally near the Raiders’ goal line. Graves scored again for a 14-0 lead.

Southern Vance had difficulty picking up the Rams’ pass rush, which featured a lot of shifting to create confusion before the snap.

"They were trying to read off of us," Reidsville defensive tackle Jazz Totten said. "They would call our defense out, and then we’d move. We kept moving around, and they couldn’t stop us."

Pugh drove Southern Vance down the field with his legs and arm, but he faltered on a pass attempt into the end zone that the Rams’ Kerry Hammock snared for an easy interception.

Graves answered the gaffe with a 76-yard touchdown sprint. He followed a bruising block from his 5-foot-6, 175-pound quarterback, tore up the sideline and slipped a late trip attempt from Rickey Nile, barely breaking stride.

Pugh got away for an 82-yard touchdown run to get those points back immediately. They were the first points scored on the Rams in the first half during the playoffs.

With sophomore Tyrell Houghton at quarterback in the second half, the Rams kept battering Southern Vance, as an offensive line well versed in zone blocking created more big lanes for Graves.

"It’s the best offensive line in the world," said Graves, who now has 43 rushing touchdowns this season, and 92 for his career. "They beat ’em up, and I just run by."

Reidsville tied a single-season school record with its 15th victory. The only previous unbeaten team in school history went 12-0-1 in 1970. These Rams will try to finish off a perfect season in one week.

Contact Jeff Carlton at 373-7065 or jcarlton@news-record.com

R- Tayon Graves 2 run (James Scheer kick)

R- Graves 1 run (Scheer kick)

R-Graves 76 run (Scheer kick)

SV-Jamere Pugh 82 run (Jarred Garren kick)

R- Graves 5 run (Scheer kick)

R- Graves 5 run (Scheer kick)

SV-Jeremy Davis 19 run (kick blocked)

R-Graves 2 run (Scheer kick)

SV-D.J. Person 47 pass from Pugh (run failed)

R- Graves 1 run (Scheer kick)

R- Graves 1 run (Scheer kick)