Tigers need OT to get past Ayden-Grifton

AYDEN — It took the first overtime game in Wilson Prep football history and a comeback from 14 points down, but the Tigers finally subdued a game Ayden-Grifton squad intent on handing them a second-season opening loss Friday, Aug. 23.

Instead defending 1-A Tar-Roanoake Athletic Conference champion Wilson Prep starts 1-0 after the 34-28 victory that wasn’t settled until a defensive stand denied the 2-A Eastern Plains Conference Chargers. The Tigers took the lead on Nasir Vines’ fourth-down run from the 5-yard line in overtime and hung on.

“Ayden-Grifton was a well-coached team, well coached,” Tigers head coach Phillip Dickens said. “I saw a lot of character today because they jumped out on us 14-0 and, you know, our coaches and the players kept their heads up. I told them we were fine. I knew we were in better shape than them, because we started hitting them real hard about the end of the second quarter, and start having their hands on their hips. I knew we were good then, and I knew we were fighting back, but it showed a lot of character. You know, the biggest thing for me this season, I didn’t want to start off with the hiccup that we had last year. So, I’m really excited about  what I saw.”

The Chargers scored early when Wilson Prep fumbled on its initial possession, leading to an easy six points for the hosts shortly thereafter. Ayden-Grifton failed to convert the two-points but did so following a touchdown pass in the first quarter.

Wilson Prep finally got on the scoreboard when junior Travon Usher chugged 54 yards for a TD, then ran in the two-point conversion to cut the Chargers’ lead to 14-8 going into halftime.

Ayden-Grifton gave a turnover back in the third quarter when Tigers junior safety Manny Dickens pounced on a fumble around midfield. Dickens then hauled in a 40-yard pass from Usher to set up a QB sneak by Ethan Nelson to tie the score.

Vines lined up in the wildcat formation and darted 20 yards for a TD to give the Tigers their first lead at 20-14. It wouldn’t last until the end of the quarter however as Chargers senior tight end Jack Ewell snagged a 15-yard scoring pass to tie it up again.

Xavier Williams rumbled 17 yards into the end zone and Nelson added the conversion run to put the Tigers back in front again but Ayden-Grifton connected on a 30-yard pass play with under two minutes and got the game-tying two-point pass.

With overtime looming, the final 90 seconds were hectic with each team throwing interceptions. A long pass by the Chargers on the final play ended up inside the 20 but no further.

The Tigers took the lead after getting the ball first, but the Chargers ran into a wall of WPA linemen. Reggie Holmes, a 6-foot-4, 367-pound junior, wrapped up the first Chargers ball carrier to try it before junior Julian Newkirk at 6-3, 265 pounds stymied the second attempt on the ground.

Sophomore defensive end Jordan Hamm, who had 16 sacks last season and one Friday night, pressured the Chargers quarterback into throwing away the third-down pass. On fourth down, Jerell Davis knocked down Ayden-Grifton’s desperation heave and the Tigers were 1-0.

No immediate offensive stats were available but Williams forced a fumble on a sack and blocked a PAT kick while Dickens made five tackles in addition to his fumble recovery.

The Tigers are off next Friday night, a break welcomed by their head coach after a few players were banged up Friday.

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