news-record.com

GREENSBORO — A strong fourth quarter helped Smith pull away from Grimsley in a 35-14 victory, earning the Eagles the Metro 4-A Conference championship, their first conference title of any kind since 1975.

“I knew with the class we had coming back if we stayed healthy, if we worked hard in the weight room and if we took it week-by-week, we had the opportunity to compete with the big boys,” said Smith coach Rodney Brewington. “It’s exciting to be undefeated.”

But it didn’t look like Smith (10-0, 5-0) would make it happen when the Eagles trailed 14-7 at halftime.

“At halftime, we didn’t make any adjustments on offense or defense,” Brewington said. “It was just about focus. In the first half, we were playing not to lose. I went to my seniors and asked them if they could win this game. We had to have somebody else step up.”

With starting running back Elijah Jordan out with a bad knee, Brewington inserted Dushonte McCoy and Mike Millner into the lineup. Both delivered for Smith, with McCoy running for 92 yards and a touchdown and Millner running for 90 yards and another score.

“Dushonte is just as dangerous as any running back in the county and he showed that tonight,” Brewington said.

The Eagles, ranked No. 1 in the News & Record’s Top 10, found a way into the end zone on their first possession of the second half. The Eagles converted two fourth downs, one on a pass and one on a pass interference penalty, on the drive. McCoy finished the drive with a 27-yard touchdown to tie the score at 14.

On its next possession, Smith started at its own 46 and used a couple of big pass plays to move down the field. First, it was a 20-yard pass to McCoy and then a 16-yard pass to Keith Coleman.

Eagles quarterback Jeff Sims finished the drive with a 22-yard pass to Quinton Able. However, Able fumbled the ball into the end zone and McCoy jumped on it for the go-ahead score early in the fourth quarter.

The Whirlies jumped out to a quick lead, taking advantage of a short punt. Grimsley (1-8, 1-3) took over at the Smith 40-yard line and moved down the field on a 13-yard pass from Jacob Simpson to Travon Woods.

Two plays later, Simpson found running back Tuquise Turner wide open out of the backfield and got the ball to him. Turner did the rest, sprinting toward the end zone and breaking one tackle at the 5-yard line before crossing the goal for a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

“I’m just pround of the way my boys played from the beginning to the end,” said Grimsley coach Damon Coiro.

Grimsley added to its lead early in the second quarter after Smith quarterback Jeff Sims was sacked and fumbled. The fumble was recovered by Grimsley’s Christian McKoy at the Eagles’ 13. Three plays later, Simpson bulled his way in from the 1 line for a 14-0 lead.

Smith got back into the game in a matter of seconds. Mike Millner broke a tackle near the line of scrimmage and sprinted through the Whirlies’ defense for a 79-yard touchdown run, cutting the lead to 14-7 with 11 minutes to play in the second quarter. Neither team would score again in the first half.

G—Tuquise Turner 25 pass from Jacob Simpson (Taylor Thilo kick)

G—Simpson 1 run (Thilo kick)

S—Mike Millner 79 run (Fernando Martinez kick)

S—Dushonte McCoy 27 run (Martinez kick)

S—McCoy fumble recovery in end zone (Martinez kick)

S—Quinton Able 21 run (Martinez kick)

S—Demari Boswell 85 interception return (Martinez kick)