Published: 12:36 AM, Sat Nov 21, 2009
Taylor's TD in OT lifts Harnett Central
Staff report
ANGIER - After Friday's playoff win, Harnett Central quarterback Brian Taylor said he didn't want it to be the Trojans seniors' last. Thanks to his performance, he guaranteed his team will fight on for another week.
Taylor's 10-yard touchdown in overtime was the difference in Harnett Central's 27-21 victory against the Southeast Raleigh Bulldogs in the second round of the 4-A state playoffs. It came moments after teammate Lemonte Taylor intercepted a pass to end Southeast Raleigh's first possession in the extra period.
"Anytime you play a Southeast Raleigh team, it's a huge win," Harnett Central coach Marc Morris said. "It's only fitting that this game went into overtime because no team was really better than the other. We were just fortunate at the end."
The victory was a school-record 13th of the season for the undefeated Trojans. It didn't seem as though it would happen in the game's early stages.
The contest started well for the visitors from Southeast Raleigh (10-3), who scored on their initial drive, capped by a 39-yard pass from quarterback Gabe Henderson to Jamar Satterwhite.
Harnett Central responded with a 13-play drive on its first possession, ending on a 15-yard run by Taylor around the left tackle.
The Bulldogs countered with a 12-play drive, finished with an 11-yard run by Henderson with 9:02 in the second quarter for a 14-7 advantage. That lasted until halftime.
The Trojans came out of the locker room with extra fire, scoring 14 unanswered points to take a 21-14 lead at the end of the third quarter. Heralded running back Jarrod Spears finished with 89 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown run on Harnett Central's first drive of the second half. Taylor then connected with Torin Walker on a 54-yard pass with 3 minutes left in the quarter to give the Trojans their first lead.
However, on Southeast Raleigh's ensuing drive, Kendall Moore punched it in from 3 yards out to tie the score at 21. The teams changed possessions three more times in regulation, which ended with Taylor throwing an incomplete pass in the end zone from the Bulldogs' 38.
Southeast Raleigh received the ball first in overtime and used two Tommy Branch runs to get to the Harnett Central 6-yard line. On third down, Lemonte Taylor stepped in front of a Bulldog receiver in the end zone and made an interception, the only turnover by either team in the game.
"I saw the ball in the air and I just went into attack mode," Lemonte Taylor said.
On the next play, Brian Taylor ran directly up the middle to provide the final points.