Heck of a football game

My hat goes off to both Burns and Kings Mountain after both teams played their tails off in a great Cleveland County football game Friday.

After the season they've had, Burns had every reason to pack it in after a quick Joe Chambers 52-yard TD scamper four plays into the game, but they didn't.

The Bulldogs pulled into the lead by halftime and still led after the third quarter. Those seniors were not used to knowing in advance when their last game of the season would be, and they played like a team on a mission.

Though they didn't win, I can't say enough about the job interim coach David Devine and his staff did preparing that team to play in their last game of the season. I feel that coach Devine has taken a lot of heat for that team's record this year, but those same people should realize how much he bleeds Burns blue and wants to win...

On to the Mountaineers...KM found themselves in a dog fight and responded the way you would expect a veteran team to. Their confidence never wavered, their defense responded to shut the 'Dogs out over the final 23 minutes, and Mike Roberts is unbelievable.

Roberts single-handedly refused to let that team lose. He laid a perfect pass on a fade route for receiver Terrance Toung to draw KM within 2 points in the third, then ran for two scores, including a 75-yard burst, to seal the win. In the process, he went over 1000 yards on the season through the air and on the ground.

Maybe he just knows when I'm going to be there...In the two KM games I have seen this year, Roberts has thrown for 311 yards and run for 392 more.

Like Devine, KM coach Greg Lloyd deserves some praise. In two years, Lloyd has resurrected a once-proud program and the entire community in the process...

Some people might have the perception that KM stumbled down the stretch and maybe lost some momentum heading into the playoffs with a win that should have been more one-sided.

I would say it's just the opposite. Winning a game to finish an undefeated season in conference over a county rival (on the road) who has all the motivation in the world to beat you doesn't leave any reason to doubt this team will have a great shot in the playoffs.

This was my first county v. county team game and I hope they're all this good!

(P.S.---The refs were a joke. I didn't want to mention that any earlier in the blog, because it takes away from what the players did. But those guys penalized both teams for a combined 295 yards on 31 penalties---We were at 200 yards in penalties by mid-second quarter too, so it could have been worse. The refs from last night need to learn that people come to the games to see high school football, not stripes taking over a game.)