How powerhouse Dudley put an end to South Point's title dreams
South Point was seeking its first regional title since 2016 on Friday night. Dudley emphatically let it be known such would not happen on its watch.
The Panthers rolled to the West 3A title on Friday, earning a spot in Friday’s 3A title game at Chapel Hill’s Kenan Stadium with a 38-0 win over South Point.
Dudley never trailed in the contest, this after returning the opening kickoff for an 86-yard touchdown. Just before the end of the first, the Panthers’ R.J. Davis scored on a 3-yard run.
Davis finished with 118 yards on eight carries. Quarterback Jahmier Slade was 6-of-13 for 122 yards and a touchdown.
The Panthers finished with 360 yards of total offense, their running game accounting for a large portion. Dudley rushed for 238 yards on 35 carries.
Its defense also took care of business, limiting South Point to 136 yards of total offense.
South Point fullback Tyson Riley accounted for a bulk of that total, rushing for 113 yards on 26 carries. This fall, Riley rushed for 2,484 yards and 33 touchdowns.
South Point’s season ends at 11-4. Dudley will take on J.H. Rose, winners of the East 3A regional courtesy of a 35-28 win over Jacksonville.
Friday's regional final results
Class 1A
East
No. 1 Tarboro (13-1) 22, No. 6 Pender (9-4) 12
West
No. 3 Mitchell (13-2) 34, No. 4 Robbinsville (10-4) 21
Class 2A
East
No. 10 Wallace-Rose Hill (13-2) 34, No. 1 Princeton (13-1) 25
West
No. 1 Shelby (14-1) 45, No. 2 East Surry (13-1) 13
Class 3A
East
No. 6 J.H. Rose (11-4) 35, No. 13 Jacksonville (11-3) 28
West
No. 3 Dudley (14-1) 38, No. 16 South Point (11-4) 0
Class 4A
East
No. 6 Cardinal Gibbons (13-2) 36, No. 20 Rolesville (9-6) 28
West
No. 10 Julius Chambers (14-1) 35, No. 1 Hough (14-1) 21
Next week’s state finals
Friday, Dec. 10: Class 3A — Dudley vs. J.H. Rose, 7 p.m.; Kenan Stadium, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Saturday, Dec. 11: Class 1A — Tarboro vs. Mitchell, noon; Kenan Stadium, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Saturday, Dec. 11: Class 2A — Shelby vs. Wallace-Rose Hill, 3 p.m.; Carter-Finley Stadium, NC State University (Raleigh)
Saturday, Dec. 11: Class 4A — Julius Chambers (Charlotte) vs. Cardinal Gibbons, 7 p.m.; Carter-Finley Stadium, NC State University (Raleigh)
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: How powerhouse Dudley put an end to South Point's title dreams
