CHAPEL HILL-The North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-A football championship game was a hard-hitting defensive struggle, with the Rockets of A.C. Reynolds making the game's only score stand up for 7-0 victory over Fayetteville Douglas Byrd at Kenan Stadium.

The Rockets, who had snapped defending 4-A champ Richmond's 44-game winning streak in the Western finals, finished the season 15-1. Coach Bobby Poss won a state football championship at his third different school, having won previously at South View and Seventy-First.

Douglas Byrd, playing in the finals for the fourth time in five years but still looking for the elusive state title, wound up 13-3 on the season.

Rocket quarterback Chad Davis found James Lee standing by himself in the end zone for a 24-yard TD connection, capping a 51-yard, eight-play drive with just 27 seconds left in the half for the game's only score.

MVP John Haney, Reynolds defensive gaurd had a total of 11 tackles, including two for losses, recovered a fumble and had a quarterback sack.

Post Game Awards: Wendy's Most Valuable Player: DG John Haney, A.C. Reynolds; A.C. Reynolds-Outstanding Defensive Player LB Chad Rice; Outstanding Offensive Player E James Lee; Byrd-Outstanding Defensive Player LB Mike Cornegay; Outstanding Offensive Player RB C.J.Hardwick.

First Downs ACR 6 Byrd 12
Rushes-Yards ACR 42-96 Byrd 47-146
Passing Yards ACR 35 Byrd 47
Return Yards ACR 14 Byrd 18
Passes Com-Att-Int ACR 2-3-0 Byrd5-12-1
Punts-Avg ACR 8-32.8 Byrd 6-29.0
Fumbles-Fumbles Lost ACR 1-1 Byrd 3-3
Penalties-Yards ACR 2-10 Byrd 4-37
Time of Possession ACR 22:20 Byrd 25:40
Third Down Conversions ACR 4 of 13 Byrd 3 of 13

A.C. REYNOLDS 0 7 0 0--7
DOUGLAS BYRD 0 0 0 0--0

2nd 0:27 ACR-Lee 24 pass from Davis (Rice kick)

RUSHING: A.C. Reynolds-Meadows 12-46, Cupp 9-24, Oak 13-19. Byrd-Hardwick 20-93, Surles 9-30, Middleton 9-16, A.Williams 8-10.
PASSING: A.C. Reynolds-Davis 3-2-0-33-1TD; Byrd-A.Williams 11-5-1-47-0TD.
RECEIVING: A.C. Reynolds-Lee 1-24, Oak 1-11; Byrd-Lowery 5-47.

CHAPEL HILL-Bucky Connally rushed for 174 yards on 33 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns to lead Walter Williams of Burlington to a 20-7 decision over Asheville for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 3-A football title at Kenan Stadium.

The victory for veteran coach Sam Story's team lifted the Bulldogs' final record to 15-1 while Asheville finished 12-3.

Williams had taken the early lead when guard Anthony Harris scooped up the ball on a fumblerooski play and rambled 47 yards for a score. Then Asheville came back to take a 7-6 lead after speedy wide receiver Petie Scarborough hauled in an 84-yard bomb from Rance Rhodes,
Connally's first TD, with just nine seconds left in the first half, capping a 47-yard drive set up by a partially blocked punt, gave the Bulldogs the lead for good.

Williams had an advantage of more than 10 minutes in time of possession and limited Asheville to just 79 yards rushing on the night.

Post Game Awards: Wendy's Most Valuable Player: RB Bucky Connally, Williams; Williams-Outstanding Defensive Player DB Nick Spaulding; Outstanding Offensive Player RB Rashard Grier; Asheville-Outstanding Defensive Player LB Trayvis Hutchinson; Outstanding Offensive Player WR Petie Scarborough.

First Downs Williams 16 Asheville 12
Rushes-Yards Williams 51-304 Asheville 25-79
Passing Yards Williams 55 Asheville 157
Return Yards Williams 106 Asheville29
Passes Com-Att-Int Williams 0-4-0 Asheville 7-12-2
Punts-Avg Williams 4-36.2 Asheville 3-27.3
Fumbles-Fumbles Lost Williams 2-1 Asheville 2-1
Penalties-Yards Williams 9-91 Asheville 6-30
Time of Possession Williams 29:05 Asheville 18:55
Third Down Conversions Williams 5 of 14 Asheville 2 of 10

WILLIAMS 6 6 8 0--20
ASHEVILLE 7 0 0 0--7

1st 4:05 WILLIAMS-Harris 47 rrum (kick failed)
1st 1:24 ASHEVILLE-Scarborough 84 pass from Rhodes (Foster kick)
2nd 0:09 WILLIAMS-Connally 7 run (pass failed)
3rd 9:56 WILLIAMS-Connally 1 run (Utz pass from Long)

RUSHING-Williams: Connally 33-174, Grier 9-64, Long 3-12, Chappel 3-8, Harris 0-47 (fumble); Asheville: Knox 9-33, Scott 8-26, Rhodes 4-9/
PASSING-Williams: Long 9-3-0-42-0TD; Chappel 5-1-0-13-0TD; Asheville: Rhodes 23-6-3-157-1TD.
RECEIVING-Williams: Stokes 2-21, Connally 1-22, Utz 1-12; ; Asheville: Scarborough 4-130, Scott 1-16, Leslie 1-11.

CHAPEL HILL-High Point Central's bruising ground attack rolled up 352 yards as the Bison topped Southwest Onslow 30-7 to capture the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 2-A football championship at Kenan Stadium.

Central's powerful triple option attack was paced by game MVP Chuckie Reed's 153 yards in 16 carries and a pair of touchdowns, while Rickey Haywood rambled for 139 in 28 attempts. Both running backs topped the 2,000-yard mark for the season.

In the meantime, Central held the Stallions to just 62 yards rushing.

Central led 14-0 at the half and then got a 33-yard field goal from Wich Brenner in the third period. The Bison then really put it away with Reed scoring his second TD to cap a13-play, 93-yard drive

Post Game Awards: Wendy's Most Valuable Player: RB Chuckie Reed, High Point Central; High Point Central-Outstanding Defensive Player DB Calvin Humphrey; Outstanding Offensive Player FB Rickey Haywood; SW Onslow-Outstanding Defensive Player NT Barsheem Chapman; Outstanding Offensive Player FB Jason Mageo.

First Downs Central 20 SW 10
Rushes-Yards Central 60-352 SW 32-62
Passing Yards Central 5 SW 81
Return Yards Central 80 SW 38
Passes Com-Att-Int Central 1-5-1 SW 5-10-2
Punts-Avg Central 2-21.0 SW 5-35.4
Fumbles-Fumbles Lost Central 1-1 SW 3-2
Penalties-Yards Central 8-60 SW 3-29
Time of Possession Central 28:46 SW 19:08
Third Down Conversions Central 9 of 17 SW 3 of 10

HIGH PT CENTRAL 14 0 3 13--30
SW ONSLOW 0 0 0 7--7

1st 7:41 CENTRAL-Reed 48 run (W.Brenner kick)
1st 1:48 CENTRAL-Stevenson 1 run (W.Brenner kick)
3rd 6:06 CENTRAL-FG W.Brenner 33
4th 6:22 CENTRAL-Reed 2 run (kick failed)
1:59 CENTRAL-Haywood 14 run (D. Brenner kick)
0:06 SW -Ingle 23 pass from Hudson (Sunday kick)

RUSHING-High Pt Central: Reed 16-153, Haywood 28-139, Thomas 2-36, Sevenson 12-23; SW Onslow: Pollock 11-27, Harmon 4-16, Mageo 3-16.
PASSING-High Pt Central: Stevenson 5-1-1-3-0TD; SW Onslow: Fresia 9-4-2-58-0TD, Hudson 1-1-0-23-1TD.
RECEIVING-High Pt Central: Reed 1-5; SW Onslow: Harmon 2-26, Korczak 1-27, Ingle 1-23, Mageo 1-5.

CHAPEL HILL-Williamston's D'Brian Hudgins set a Kenan Stadium rushing record as the Tigers completed a perfect season, rolling over Graham 40-20 for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 1-A state football championship.

Hudgins was unstoppable, rambling for 317 yards in 29 attempts and scoring four TDs as Williamston finished a perfect 14-0, the school's first unbeaten year since 1929. Graham, making a remarkable turnaround after winning only three games in '98, closed at 12-4.

Williamston led just 14-7 late in the first half when the Red Devils drove from their own four to near midfield. But Schrial Wynne picked off a Graham pass on the last play of the first half and returned it 51 yards for a TD and a 20-7 halftime lead.

Hudgins' rushing total obliterated the previous Kenan championship mark of 205 held by Nick Maddox of Kannapolis Brown. The all-time single-game championship rushing mark is reportedly held by Maxton's James McDougald of 327 yards set against North Duplin in the 1-A final in 1975.

Post Game Awards: Wendy's Most Valuable Player; DB/RB D'Brian, Williamston; Williamston-Outstanding Defensive Player DB Jamison Congleton; Outstanding Offensive Player QB Patrick Swift; Graham-Outstanding Defensive Player DB Jonta Breeze; Outstanding Offensive Player WB C.J.Jenkins.

First Downs Graham 20 Williamston14
Rushes-Yards Graham 31-228 Williamston 41-331
Passing Yards Graham 57 Williamston 11
Return Yards Graham 160 Williamston 97
Passes Com-Att-Int Graham 6-16-3 Williamston 1-7-2
Punts-Avg Graham 4-30.5 Williamston 3-36.0
Fumbles-Fumbles Lost Graham 1-0 Williamston0-0
Penalties-Yards Graham 3-15 Williamston 3-20
Time of Possession Graham 27:11 Williamston20:49
Third Down Conversions Graham 5 of 13 Williamston 4 of 9

GRAHAM 0 7 0 13--20
WILLIAMSTON 14 6 13 7-- 40

1st 8:22 W-Watts 1 run (Swift kick)
1st 0:59 W-Hudgins 81 run (Swift kick)
2nd 9:43 G-Carter 10 run (Duarte kick)
2nd 0:07 W-Wynne 51 interception return (kick failed)
3rd 3:53 W-Hudgins 42 run (run failed)
3rd 2:14 W-Hudgins 63 run (Swift kick)
4th 8:50 G-Jenkins 3 run (pass failed)
4th 4:50 W-Hudgins 32 run (Swift kick)
4th 0:43 G-Carter 24 run (Duarte kick)

RUSHING-Graham: Jenkins 20-85, Carter 16-81, Warren 9-40, Evans 4-25; Williamston: Hudgins 29-317, Watts 6-12.
PASSING-Graham: Gammon 16-6-3-57-0TD; Williamston: Swift 7-1-2-11-0TD.
RECEIVING-Graham: Martin 3-24, Currie 1-14, Jenkins 1-10, Evans 1-9; Williamston- Rascoe 1-11.