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GREENSBORO - At this point, Major Bryant can be promoted to General and nobody will argue.

Dudley's senior linebacker fronted an oppressive Panther defensive effort by contributing to four of his team's five sacks in a 21-6 playoff victory over High Point Central on Friday. The result sends the second-seeded Panthers (12-1) into next week's third round of the 4-A bracket against No. 3 Ragsdale and ends the Bison's season at 9-4.

Demetrius McCorkle ran 25 times for 107 yards and J.R. Peterson did most of the work on the final drive in a 99-yard night of his own for an efficient if unspectacular Panther offense.

Bryant was the chief instigator in an armada of Panthers who harassed Central quarterback Drew Adams most of the night. The five sacks amounted to 55 yards in losses and helped hold the Bison to zero yards of net rushing and 72 yards in all over a muddy field that wasn't conducive to solid footing.

"We practiced all week on getting heat on them," Dudley coach Steven Davis said. "We said, 'We can't let that guy (Adams) sit back in there and throw it all night."

Bryant's best move was subtle but simple, Davis said. It involved getting under the arms of the left tackle rather than overpowering him, and once that occurred, Bryant often found his path to Adams unimpeded.

Protecting a 14-6 lead early in the fourth quarter, the Panthers sacked Adams three times in one possession.

They forced a punt that gave Dudley the ball at the Central 48, and J.R. Peterson's 39-yard burst off three tacklers took the Panthers to the 9. Peterson, taking direct snaps from center, finished the job with four runs up the middle. The last of them, a fourth-down effort from the 1, cemented the victory.

The Bison beat Glenn last week by one point with the help of a blocked extra point, and a similar issue harmed their chances this time.

Central closed to 7-6 with 4:50 left in the third on Adams' six-yard scoring pass to Evan Aguilar, but the extra point went wide to the left. Perhaps contributing to the issue: Dudley's earlier rejection of a Bison field-goal attempt.

McCorkle and Peterson patiently found holes the rest of the way.

McCorkle in particular did his work without the benefit of multiple big bursts. He was merely good for five yards nearly every time he touched the ball.

"He's very tough and very talented," Davis said. "We expect a lot out of it him when we put him in there."

Alex Moore, one of three nominal quarterbacks for Dudley on the night, threw only five passes, but one of them was a 12-yard touchdown to Devarris Martin that made it 14-6.

"And then we had to play catch-up," Bison coach Wayne Jones said. "Then, all of a sudden, they've got chances to bring people (on blitzes.)"

D-J.R. Peterson 4 run (Brandon Burkes kick)

C-Evan Aguilar 7 pass from Drew Adams (kick failed)

D-Devarris Martin 12 pass from Alex Moore (Burkes kick)

D-J.R. Peterson 1 run (Burkes kick)