NCHSAA Playoff Drama: Mount Airy Streak Ends, Monroe Rallies, and Demon June Shines in Round 4

Corvian Community upsets Mount Airy, Monroe stuns Shelby, and Jacksonville's Demon June dazzles with record-breaking touchdowns in a dramatic fourth round of the NCHSAA state playoffs

Corvian Community defeated Mount Airy, 14-7, to end the Granite Bear's 43-game winning streak as well as their quest for three consecutive state championships. / Corvian Community Athletics Instagram

The fourth round of the NCHSAA state playoffs is complete and there was plenty of drama, highlighted by the end of Mount Airy’s 43-game winning streak.

Here’s a look at what happened.

Mount Airy goes down at the hands of Corvian Community

There will be no three-peat in 1-A football this year. Corvian Community downed Mount Airy 14-7 to end the Granite Baars’ quest to win three consecutive state championships.

Calling it a stunning upset would be a stretch, though. Corvian is undefeated. Still, it was huge when the state’s longest winning streak came to an end.

Corvian scored first when quarterback A.J. Jackson threw a touchdown pass to Noah Best in the opening quarter. The Cardinals led 7-0 at halftime.

Mount Airy evened the score in the third quarter on Taeshon Martin’s 38th touchdown of the season.

The Cardinals got the final score of the game in the fourth quarter on a Cam Johnson touchdown run. 

Martin fumbled at the end of a long gain later in the fourth quarter and the Cardinals’ B.J. McAdoo recovered to help seal the deal.

Monroe overtakes Shelby

Monroe rallied in the second half to beat Shelby 41-23 and hand the Golden Lions their first home playoff loss since 2009.

Quarterback Kaegan Chambers dazzled with a 70-yard touchdown run and a 31-yard touchdown pass to Michigan commit Jordan Young. Chambers had two touchdown runs altogether. 

Zion Lindsay had two touchdown runs for the Redhawks. His second touchdown, a 30-yard run, gave Monroe a 34-21 lead.

Young also had an interception on defense.

Seventy-Firt Ends Cinderella Run of J.H. Rose

The improbable playoff run by J.H. Rose came to an end when undefeated Seventy-First drubbed the Rampants 48-7.

Rose entered the playoffs with a 2-8 record and knocked off three opponents with far superior records.

But Seventy-First figured to be too high of a mountain to climb. The powerful Falcons were, indeed, too much.

Quarterback DeAndre Nance had touchdown runs of 53 and 79 yards for the Falcons. Donavan Frederick had a touchdown run and returned a fumble for a touchdown. Jayson Franklin had a pair of touchdown runs.

Not many teams can say they were successful after a 5-9 season. But the Rampants can.

West Charlotte wallops Dudley

Dudley came into the game having allowed just 22 points the entire season. But West Charlotte easily eclipsed that in a 39-13 rout.

Once again, this doesn’t rate as a gigantic upset. West Charlotte is 11-2. But to put that many points on the Panthers rates as a big wow.

K.D. Cotton ran for two touchdowns and caught a 31-yard touchdown pass from Jamouri Nichols. The Lions’ quarterback also threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Davion Jones, which produced a 21-0 lead.

Jair Epps added a 25-yard touchdown run for the Lions.

West Charlotte is seeking its first state finals appearance in 18 years.

Demon June runs wild for Jacksonville

Jacksonville running back Demon June had one of the most amazing offensive bursts in North Carolina high school history. The University of North Carolina commit had 198 yards and 3 touchdowns on 3 carries in a four-minute stretch in the third quarter of the Cardinals’ 56-28 win over Havelock.

June’s three touchdown runs in the third quarter covered 75. 59 and 64 yards as the Cardinals overcame a 28-21 deficit. June finished with 10 carries for 246 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Eric Griffin added 208 yards and 3 touchdowns on 14 carries.